UCF and Houston will meet for the first time since 2020 and the first time as Big 12 Conference opponents this weekend at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon ET on FS1. The Knights will observe Senior Knight, as the program’s seniors will be recognized prior to the game.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023
Time: Noon ET
TV: FS1
Talents: Eric Collins (PXP), Devin Gardner (Analyst)
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Talents: Marc Daniels (PXP), Gary Parris (Analyst), Scott Adams (Sideline)
Spanish Radio: UCFKnights.com, YouTube.com/UCFKnights
Live Stats: click here
A UCF WIN WOULD...
• Make the Knights bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive year and the 14th time in program history.
• Mark the eighth all-time win against Houston and the third consecutive versus the Cougars.
• Mark the third Big 12 Conference win and second conference home win this season.
• Give Gus Malzahn his first win against Houston in his first meeting against the program.
• Be better than a loss.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
| Overall | UCF leads, 7-3 |
| in Orlando | UCF leads, 4-2 |
| in Houston | UCF leads, 3-1 |
| Last Meeting | W, 44-21 (10/31/20) |
| Streak | UCF won 2 |
KNIGHT NOTES
• The Knights are looking to earn their sixth win of the season on Saturday against the Cougars to become bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive year and the 14th time in program history. Now in his 12th season as a head coach, Gus Malzahn’s teams have been bowl eligible in each of the previous 11 seasons.
• UCF’s offense continues to rank among the nation’s best, as the Knights are sixth in the country and lead the Big 12 Conference in total offense, averaging 493.7 yards per game. The Knights have surpassed 400 yards in eight of their 11 games this season, headlined by 723 yards in the season opener against Kent State, the second-most yards by any team in the country this year in a single game. The Black and Gold tallied 592 yards, the most by UCF in a Big 12 game this season, against then-No. 15 Oklahoma State, which is the most the Cowboys have allowed in a game this year.
• Additionally, the Knights are third nationally in rushing offense with 234.1 rushing yards per game. UCF has rushed for 200 or more yards in eight of its 11 games this season, highlighted by 389 rushing yards in the season opener against Kent State, the seventh most by an FBS team this season and the second-highest mark in the Big 12. The Knights have rushed for 140 or more yards in each game this season, one of only two teams nationally to accomplish the feat, joining West Virginia.
• UCF’s RJ Harvey was tabbed a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s best running back. He ranks 10th nationally in rushing yards with 1,160 and seventh in rushing TDs with 14. Harvey is the first Knights running back to surpass 1,000 yards since 2018.
• UCF leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally in passing yards per completion with 15.11 and the Knights’ defense paces the conference and ranks 41st in the nation in fewest passing yards allowed per game at 209.5.
• The Knights have been great on third downs this year, converting 50.4% percent of their attempts, which is sixth in the country and second in the Big 12. UCF has successfully converted 70 of its 139 third-down chances this season. The Black and Gold have been 50% or better on third downs in six games this year, most recently converting 8-of-14 attempts in the last game at Texas Tech.
SCOUTING HOUSTON
Houston enters Saturday’s game with a 4-7 record and a 2-6 mark in Big 12 Conference games, suffering a 43-30 loss to No. 23 Oklahoma State in its last outing. Houston jumped out to a 23-9 lead with 4:16 to play in the first half last time out against #23 Oklahoma State but could not hold on. The Cowboys outscored the Cougars, 34-7, the remainder of the way, and put the game away with a 10-play, 78-yard drive, after Houston trimmed the deficit to 36-30 with 7:30 left.
The Cougars’ 11 road victories since the start of the 2021 season rank tied for fourth nationally. The Cougars picked up their first Big 12 Conference road victory in their last away contest, defeating Baylor 25-24 in overtime on a go-ahead, game-winning 2-point conversion rush from quarterback Donovan Smith on Nov. 4.
Houston is averaging 24.6 points per game, while opponents have scored 31.9 ppg.
Saturday’s matchup will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Cougars since Oct. 31, 2020, when UCF earned a 44-21 win at TDECU Stadium in Houston. In that outing, Knights running backs Otis Anderson and Greg McCrae each rushed for more than 100 yards and a touchdown with the former recording 170 rushing yards and the latter 107.
UCF owns a 4-2 record against Houston in Orlando thanks to a 44-29 victory in the last meeting at FBC Mortgage Stadium on Nov. 2, 2019. The Black and Gold put together a dominant second half en route to the win with 23 points in UCF’s Space Game.
HARVEY NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR DOAK WALKER AWARD
UCF running back RJ Harvey has been named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s best collegiate running back. Harvey has turned in a historic season, compiling 1,160 rushing yards to become the first Knights running back to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season since Greg McCrae in 2018.
He becomes the seventh running back under UCF head coach Gus Malzahn to be named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker award joining Auburn's Kerryon Johnson (2017), Kamryn Pettaway (2016), Cameron Artis-Payne (2014), Tre Mason (2013), Ben Tate (2009) and Arkansas' Darren McFadden (2006).
The Orlando native ranks among the top 10 in the Big 12 Conference in every rushing category. He’s second in rushing TDs (14), third in yards per rush (6.11) and rushing yards (1,160), fourth in rushing yards per game (105.45) and fifth in rushing attempts (190).
His 14 rushing touchdowns rank seventh nationally and his rushing yards total is 10th in the nation.
Harvey tallied five consecutive 100-yard rushing games from the Kansas to Oklahoma State games, becoming just the second running back in program history to accomplish the feat in as many games, joining UCF Hall of Famer Kevin Smith.
Harvey is joined on the list by Georgia State’s Marcus Carroll, Michigan’s Blake Corum, Missouri’s Cody Schrader, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon, Oregon State’s Damien Martinez, Texas’ Jonathon Brooks, Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks and Troy’s Kimani Vidal.
Harvey is just the second UCF player to be named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, joining Smith who was tabbed a semifinalist in 2007.
The Big 12 leads all conferences with four players on the list, followed by two from the Sun Belt and one each from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Pac-12 Conference and Southeastern Conference.
COACHING CONNECTIONS
UCF co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach David Gibbs will notice a familiar face on the Houston sidelines Saturday, as Cougars assistant head coach/running backs coach Mike Jinks spent the 2015 season at Texas Tech along with Gibbs. Jinks was the associate head coach/running backs coach with the Red Raiders that season and Gibbs was the defensive coordinator/safeties coach.
Similarly, UCF co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Herb Hand worked alongside Houston’s Corby Meekins when the two were at Texas in 2018. Hand served in the same capacity with the Longhorns and Meekins was the wide receivers coach.
STARTING FAST
UCF has outscored opponents, 107-47, in the first quarter of games this season. The Knights have scored first in six of their 11 games, owning a 4-2 mark when doing so. The Knights scored first in seven games last season and were a perfect 7-0 in those games.
In three years under head coach Gus Malzahn, UCF is 18-5 when scoring first. The Black and Gold were 7-3 in 2021.
Malzahn’s team has scored first in 23 of his 38 games as the Knights’ head coach.
PFF’S OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK
Despite coming up short in its last outing, UCF’s offensive line was tabbed the offensive line of the week by Pro Football Focus. The unit allowed just four total pressures across 35 pass-blocking snaps against Texas Tech.
In just his second career start at center, Lokahi Pauole garnered a spot on the PFF Team of the Week at the center position. He allowed zero pressures and graded out at 82.6 in pass blocking and 70.4 in run blocking, both marks were among the best nationally at the center position in week 12.
JOHNSON APPROACHING 100 TACKLES
Fifth-year linebacker Jason Johnson enters Saturday’s game just seven tackles shy of reaching 100 tackles with 93 this season. It would mark the second consecutive season that Johnson has hit the century mark and he would become the first UCF player with back-to-back 100-tackle seasons since the 2012-13 seasons when Clayton Geathers and Terrance Plummer accomplished the feat.
BAKER LOOKING FOR 1,000 RECEIVING YARDS
Wide receiver Javon Baker leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 26th nationally in receiving yards with 907. The Atlanta native is looking to become the Knights’ first 1,000-yard receiver since Marlon Williams in 2020.
SLIM MARGIN FOR ERROR
UCF has lost six Big 12 Conference matchups in 2023—but five of those defeats found the Knights knocking at the door most of the night. Here are details of how UCF competed in those contests:
--@Kansas State (L 44-31): UCF led 10-7 (1st period) and 24-21 (3rd period). Kansas State then scored 23 unanswered points, notching points on all four second-half possessions. Timmy McClain threw for three TDs filling in for the injured John Rhys Plumlee.
--BAYLOR (L 36-35): UCF led 21-0 (1st period), 28-7 (halftime) and 35-7 (midway through 3rd period). Baylor scored the final 29 points, including on every second-half possession.
--@Oklahoma (L 31-29): UCF led 10-7 and 17-14 (2nd period) and 23-17 (3rd period). The Knights drove 75 yards in 1:57 and scored a late TD but missed the potential tying two-point conversion with 1:16 on the clock.
--WEST VIRGINIA (L 41-28): UCF never led, but the Knights trailed only 17-14 at half and 24-21 after three periods before West Virginia scored 17 unanswered points. Four UCF turnovers (West Virginia had one) made life difficult.
--@Texas Tech (L 24-23): UCF jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but Texas Tech responded by shutting out the Knights in the second quarter to tie the game at 14-14 before halftime. The Knights were driving in the red zone as time expired in the first half and were unable to get any points out of the drive. After scoring a touchdown to cut the lead to one late in the fourth quarter, UCF had its PAT attempt blocked and lost the game by one.
Several of those results might have been different if not for some untimely UCF turnovers deep in enemy territory:
--Kansas State: UCF lost a fumble at the Kansas State 38 and threw an INT at the Kansas State 39 (both 2nd period).
--Baylor: UCF threw an INT at the Baylor 14 (3rd period) and lost a fumble on the Baylor 28 (Baylor returned it 72 yards for a TD with 6:02 left).
--West Virginia: UCF threw INTs at the West Virginia 5 (2nd period), the West Virginia 42 (2nd period) and the West Virginia 12 (3rd period) and lost a fumble at its own 27 (West Virginia converted that into a TD).
DOMINANT DUO
UCF’s Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson have formed one of the best wide receiver duos in the nation, as the Knights are one of just seven teams nationally and the only one from the Big 12 Conference with two players that have recorded at least 700 receiving yards this season. Additionally, both players rank among the top 10 in the Big 12 in receiving yards, as UCF is the only team in the league with two among the top five.
Baker has reeled in 41 passes for 907 yards with six touchdowns and Hudson has 33 catches for 755 yards and seven TDs. The latter is averaging 22.8 yards per catch and the former is averaging 22.1. Both marks are among the top five in the league.
GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK
The Knights’ defense has been able to get to the opposing team’s quarterback this season, as UCF’s 23 sacks are tied for the fifth most in the Big 12. UCF’s 178 sack yards are the second most of any team in the conference. The Black and Gold have tallied a sack in nine of 11 games this season, headlined by a season-high five sacks in the Knights’ 28-26 win at Cincinnati.
Fifth-year defensive lineman Tre’mon Morris-Brash is third in the Big 12 with 7.5 sacks for a loss of 62 yards and redshirt sophomore Malachi Lawrence is fourth with 6.5 sacks for 48 yards. UCF is the only program with two players among the top five.