GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
TV Talents: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Tori Petry
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 WIN WOULD...
- Give UCF its 14th consecutive win against a team from the state of Florida
- Give the Knights their second consecutive victory against the Gators
- Give UCF its first win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Give UCF head coach Gus Malzahn his second win against Florida during his tenure with the Knights
- Be better than a loss
FIRST AND 10
• UCF will make the short trip north to Gainesville, Florida, this weekend to take on the Florida Gators at 7:45 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network. Taylor Zarzour will handle play-by-play, while Matt Stinchcomb will be the analyst and Tori Petry is the sideline reporter.
• It will be the Knights’ third trip to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and first since 2006.
• Gus Malzahn put an exclamation point on his first season as the Knights head coach in 2021 by leading UCF to a 29-17 victory against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl the last time the two teams met. UCF outscored the Gators 20-7 in the second half and didn’t allow Florida to score after a third-quarter touchdown. The Knights held the Gators scoreless for almost 23 minutes to end the game.
• The last time Malzahn was at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was Oct. 5, 2019, when his Auburn Tigers played at Florida - exactly five years to the date of Saturday’s contest (Oct. 5, 2024).
• UCF has won 13 straight games against teams from the state of Florida. That list includes the win over Florida in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl and six consecutive victories against South Florida. UCF was the only Big 12 Conference newcomer to make a bowl game last season, as the Knights finished with six wins and played in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl. It marked a program-record eighth consecutive postseason bowl appearance, the 11th in the last 12 seasons and 15th in 19 years. The Knights are 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.
• The Knights have now rushed for 1,304 yards with 14 touchdowns on the ground through the first four games of the season. The Knights are second in the nation with 326.0 rushing yards per game, which is nearly 40 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Tennessee 290.0).
• UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in each of the last 17 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 12 times and 250 plus six times.
• UCF leads the Big 12 Conference in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 46 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold own 16 explosive passing plays of at least 20 yards this season.
• In contrast, UCF’s defense has been stout against the run, allowing just 80.0 rushing yards per game. That mark leads the Big 12 and is the 11th-fewest nationally. The Knights have yielded just 11 rushing plays of 10 yards or more - tied for the fewest in the league.
• Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 68 wins, the 10th-most nationally by an FBS program and the most by a team from the state of Florida. 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.
13 STRAIGHT AGAINST TEAMS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA
UCF has won 13 straight games against teams from the state of Florida. That list includes a win over Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl in the 2021 season and six consecutive victories against South Florida.
11/26/22 - at South Florida, 46-39
9/17/22 - at Florida Atlantic, 40-14
12/23/21 - vs. Florida, 29-17
11/26/21 - South Florida, 17-13
9/11/21 - Bethune-Cookman, 63-14
11/27/20 - at South Florida, 58-46
11/29/19 - South Florida, 34-7
9/7/19 - at Florida Atlantic, 48-14
8/29/19 - Florida A&M, 62-0
11/23/18 - at South Florida, 38-10
9/21/18 - Florida Atlantic, 56-36
11/24/17 - South Florida, 49-42
8/31/17 - Florida International (FIU), 61-17
FULL CIRCLE FOR WHITTEMORE
UCF wide receiver Trent Whittemore has played numerous games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, but none of them have been from the visiting team sideline. After spending his first four years as a member of Florida’s football program (2019-22) and earning his degree in sport management, Whittemore transferred into the Knights’ program ahead of the 2023 season.
His father, Mark, played wide receiver at UCF from 1991-94 and his mother, Missy, played volleyball for UF from 1992-95. Additionally, Trent’s wife, Jordyn, is also a UF Alum.
Whittemore grew up in Gainesville and attended Buchholz High School.
BACK-TO-BACK YEARS
KJ Jefferson is poised to accomplish something Saturday that has rarely happened, if ever, as a visiting team starting quarterback in consecutive years. With most conference schedules alternating the location of matchups in consecutive years and very few non-conference matchups in consecutive years at the same location, Jefferson may be among a very small group.
After leading Arkansas to its first win over Florida in Gainesville last season with a 39-36 overtime victory, Jefferson will look to do the same Saturday as the Knights seek their first win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
THAT’S IRONIC
The last time Gus Malzahn was at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was Oct. 5, 2019, when his Auburn Tigers played at Florida - exactly five years to the date of Saturday’s contest (Oct. 5, 2024).
BACK TO WHERE IT STARTED
In addition to Whittemore, UCF linebacker Jesiah Pierre also started his collegiate career at Florida. The Mount Dora native appeared in two games in 2019 and 11 games in 2020 before transferring to Texas Tech, where he spent three seasons before joining the Knights ahead of the 2024 season.
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
UCF leads the Big 12 Conference in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 46 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold own 16 explosive passing plays of at least 20 yards this season.
Running back RJ Harvey has logged 18 explosive rushing plays to lead the Big 12, while quarterback KJ Jefferson is also among the top 10 with 10. Jefferson has 16 passing plays of 20 or more yards to tie for the seventh most in the conference.
Wide receiver Kobe Hudson’s eight receiving plays of at least 20 yards are the sixth most among league players.
UCF has run 29 plays that have amassed 20+ yards, tied for the second most in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech (34).
Defensively, the Knights have yielded just 11 rushing plays of 10 yards or more - tied for the fewest in the league.