GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Sept. 14
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
TV: FOX
TV Talents: Connor Onion, Mark Helfrich
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Radio Talents: Marc Daniels, Gary Parris, Scott Adams
Spanish Radio: UCFKnights.com, YouTube.com/UCFKnights
Live Stats: click here
A UCF WIN WOULD...
- Give UCF a win in its Big 12 Conference opener for the first time in program history
- Give the Knights a 3-0 start to the season for the second consecutive season
- Give UCF a win in its road opener for the third straight year
- Be better than a loss
FIRST AND 10
• UCF hits the road for the first time this season when the Knights travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to take on the TCU Horned Frogs. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT/7:30 p.m. ET at Amon G. Carter Stadium in the first meeting between the programs. The game will air live on FOX with Connor Onion as play-by-play and Mark Helfrich as the analyst.
• The Black and Gold’s first four opponents of 2024 (New Hampshire, Sam Houston, TCU and Colorado) are all first-time opponents. Additionally, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn is also facing those four opponents for the first time in his 13-year head coaching tenure. In total, the Knights’ 2024 slate features seven first-time opponents (Iowa State, Arizona and Utah).
• In its last time out, UCF defeated Sam Houston, 45-14, to open the season 2-0 for the third time in four seasons under Malzahn. The win marked the eighth time in Malzahn’s head coaching tenure that he has won the first two games to start a season.
• The Knights rushed for 384 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns in the victory, as UCF has now rushed for 838 yards with 11 touchdowns on the ground through the first two games of the season. The Knights lead the nation with 419.0 rushing yards per game, which is over 100 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Rutgers 307.0). UCF has ranked among the nation’s top 10 in rushing offense each of the past two seasons.
• UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in each of the last 15 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 11 times and 250 plus five times.
• UCF also earned its 200th victory as an FBS program (Since 1996) in the win against the Bearkats.
• Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 67 wins, the ninth-most wins by an FBS program. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, 9-4 in 2021, 9-5 in 2022 and 6-7 last season. The Knights join Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan and Appalachian State as the only programs to win at least 67 games since 2017.
• UCF’s defense has intercepted four passes through the first two games and they have been by four different players. Linebacker Deshawn Pace had the Knights’ first of the season in the opener against New Hampshire and defensive back Antione Jackson picked off the second of his career in that contest. Defensive backs Sheldon Arnold and Mac McWilliams each notched interceptions against Sam Houston. The Knights’ four picks are the most by any Big 12 team and rank sixth in the nation.
• Through the first two games of the season, UCF leads the Big 12 with 102 points scored and has also allowed the second-fewest points of any team with 17, just five shy of Utah’s mark of 12.
• Malzahn owns 103 career wins, as he is the only coach to ever win 100 career games as a high school coach and 100 career games at the FBS level as a collegiate head coach. UCF also is one of just 13 programs to earn bowl eligibility in each of the past eight seasons and the only team from the state of Florida.
SCOUTING TCU
TCU owns a 2-0 record heading into Saturday’s Big 12 Conference opener against UCF. The Horned Frogs defeated Stanford, 34-27, and LIU, 45-0, in their last outing on Saturday. Now in his third season with the program, head coach Sonny Dykes has a 20-9 record at TCU and a 91-72 overall record in his 15th season as a head coach.
TCU is 5-7 all-time against teams from the Sunshine State, although Saturday’s game will be the first meeting against UCF. The Horned Frogs are 11-3 in home games under Head Coach Sonny Dykes.
TCU is averaging 39.5 points per game and has limited opponents to just 13.5. Sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover leads the offense averaging 310 yards per game and has thrown four touchdowns without an interception. Running back Cam Cook is tied for second in the conference with four touchdowns behind RJ Harvey’s six to pace the league.
RUNNING WILD
After ranking among the nation’s top 10 in rushing offense the past two seasons, the UCF football program is poised to have another strong year on the ground in 2024. UCF has rushed for 838 yards with 11 touchdowns on the ground through the first two games of the season. The 838 yards are the most by any team in the nation and the 11 rushing TDs are tied for the most of any team in the country. The Knights lead the nation with 419.0 rushing yards per game, which is over 100 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Rutgers 307.0).
The Knights rushed for 454 yards in the season opener against New Hampshire, the second most in program history. Additionally, UCF’s 8.4 rushing yards per carry were the second most in a single game in program history.
The Knights were fourth nationally in rushing offense with 228.2 rushing yards per game last season. UCF rushed for 200 or more yards in nine of its 13 games in 2023 and has picked up where it left off to start the 2024 season.
ONE OF ONE
UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in each of the last 15 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 11 times and 250 plus five times.
HARVEY CLIMBING THE PROGRAM RECORD BOOKS
UCF running back RJ Harvey tied the program record and set a career high with four rushing touchdowns in the Knights’ 45-14 victory against Sam Houston, while surpassing 100 yards rushing for the 10th time in his career and fourth consecutive game. The Orlando native finished with 126 rushing yards on 19 carries, finding the end zone four times – the first UCF player to do so since Isaiah Bowser in 2021.
Harvey’s 27 rushing touchdowns are tied for fifth on UCF’s career list with Alex Haynes. He will tie Greg McCrae with two more touchdowns for fourth in program history, while Latavius Murray is 37.
The preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List honoree recorded the first two touchdowns of the game, scoring from 19 yards out and on a two-yard rush to cap 80-yard and 76-yard drives, respectively. He had five rushes of 10 yards or more and two of at least 20 yards.
In the season opener, Harvey had 142 rushing yards on 11 carries. He averaged 12.9 yards per rush in the victory, the second most by an individual in program history.
FAMILIAR FACES
UCF quarterback KJ Jefferson will notice several familiar faces when the Knights visit TCU this weekend, as the Horned Frogs’ offensive coordinator Kendal Briles spent three seasons at Arkansas from 2020-22 where he was Jefferson’s position coach and offensive coordinator.
Two of Jefferson’s best seasons came with Briles directing the offense in Fayetteville, as he passed for 2,676 yards with 21 touchdowns in 2021 and threw for 2,636 yards with 24 touchdowns in 2022.
Jefferson will also recognize former Razorbacks running back Dominique Johnson, who spent the previous four seasons alongside him at Arkansas before transferring to TCU following the 2023 season.
THAT’S NEW
The Black and Gold’s first four opponents of 2024 (New Hampshire, Sam Houston, TCU and Colorado) are all first-time opponents. Additionally, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn is also facing those four opponents for the first time in his 13-year head coaching tenure. In total, the Knights’ 2024 slate features seven first-time opponents (Iowa State, Arizona and Utah as well).
NEW LOOK SCHEDULE
Despite being in its second year in the Big 12 Conference, UCF only plays two opponents that it played in 2023 – Cincinnati and West Virginia. That mark is tied with BYU (Kansas and Oklahoma State) for the fewest among returning Big 12 teams.
ALL OF THE NEWCOMERS
UCF is the only team in the Big 12 that will play each of the four newcomers to the league. The Knights host Colorado (Sept. 28), Arizona (Nov. 2) and Utah (Nov. 29), while traveling to Arizona State on Nov. 9.
ONE OF ONE
UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in each of the last 15 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 11 times and 250 plus five times.
VETERAN EXPERIENCE
UCF has veteran experience on both sides of the ball, as the Knights have numerous players ranked among the nation’s top 25 in various career categories. Below is a comprehensive list.
RJ Harvey
Rushing Touchdowns: 9th
Rushing Yards: 12th
Total TDs Scored: 12th
Rushes per game: 24th
Kobe Hudson
Receiving Touchdowns (19): 12th
Receiving Yards (2,356): 15th
Receiving Yards Per Game (47.1): 22nd
KJ Jefferson
Rushing Touchdowns by a QB (22): 1st
Passing Yards Per Attempt (8.32): 4th
Passing Touchdowns (69): 6th
Completion Percentage (65.1): 8th
Passing Efficiency (154.11): 10th
Passing Yards (8,244): 12th
Passing Completions (645): 14th
Rushing Touchdowns (22): 22nd
Deshawn Pace
Total Tackles (254): 16th
Interceptions (7): 24th
ANOTHER 50-YARDER FOR BOOMER
Junior kicker Colton Boomer connected on his lone field goal attempt in last Saturday's game against Sam Houston, a 50-yarder that split the uprights. He was a perfect 6-of-6 on PATs and 1-of-1 on field goals.
The Lake Mary, Florida, native now owns three field goals of at least 50 yards in his career to tie Ed O’Brien (1984-87) for the second most in program history. Only UCF Hall of Famer (’02) Scott Ryerson has more with seven.