UCF Travels to Arizona State This Weekend

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Nov. 9
Time: 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT
TV: ESPN2
TV Talents: Brian Custer, Rod Gilmore, Lauren Sisler
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

FIRST AND 10
• UCF seeks its 300th win in program history Saturday afternoon, as the Knights make the 2,147-mile trip to Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, for the second meeting between the programs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT on ESPN2 with Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sideline) on the call.
• The game marks the first for the Knights in the state of Arizona since the 2018 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl played on Jan. 1, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. UCF’s magical 25-game winning streak came to a close in a hard-fought 40-32 loss against No. 11 LSU.
• The first and only prior matchup between the teams took place on Sept. 7, 2002, in a true road game for the Knights, as Arizona State won the contest, 46-13.
• In UCF’s last outing, the Knights continued their dominance in their annual Space Games with a another lopsided victory against Arizona, 56-12. The 44-point margin of victory was the largest in a Big 12 Conference game this season. Additionally, UCF’s 602 yards of total offense were the most in a Big 12 game this year, as the Knights had 308 rushing yards and a season-high 294 passing yards.  
• Saturday’s matchup will feature two of the nation’s best rushing attacks, as UCF leads the league and ranks second nationally with 272.3 rushing yards per game, while the Sun Devils are third in the conference and No. 18 in the nation averaging 210.4 rushing yards per game.
• The Knights have now rushed for 2,451 yards with 26 touchdowns on the ground through nine games this season. UCF’s rushing yards average is nearly 40 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Tennessee 234.5). The 272.3 rushing yards per game mark is 60 more than the next conference opponent (Kansas 210.6).
• UCF leads the nation in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 79 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. That mark is six more than the next-closest team, as Jacksonville State is second with 73. Additionally, the Black and Gold lead the league and rank fourth nationally in most offensive plays of 20 or more yards with 57. 
• Running back RJ Harvey leads the nation with 40 rushing plays of at least 10 yards, six more than the next FBS player and 10 more than the next Big 12 player. His 16 rushing touchdowns are the most in the conference and fifth nationally. 
• Harvey enters this weekend’s game with 1,201 rushing yards, the third most among FBS running backs and the most in the Big 12. He now owns 3,416 career yards on the ground to rank sixth among active FBS running backs with each running back ahead of him owning at least 40 more carries. The Orlando native moved into second place on the UCF career rushing yards list to pass Alex Haynes (3,359). 
• Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 69 wins, the 13th-most nationally by an FBS program and the most by a team from the state of Florida. The Knights join Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Michigan, Appalachian State, LSU, Oregon, Penn State and Boise State as the only programs to win at least 69 games since 2017.

A WIN WOULD...
- Give UCF its 300th all-time win as a program.
- Give the Knights their third Big 12 win of the season and second on the road.
- Give UCF consecutive wins over teams from the state of Arizona.
- Give UCF head coach Gus Malzahn his first win against Arizona State in his first meeting against the program.
- Be better than a loss.

SCOUTING ARIZONA STATE
• Arizona State heads into this weekend’s matchup with a 6-2 mark overall and a 3-2 record in conference action. The Wildcats have not lost a home game this season with a perfect 4-0 record.
• In his second season as a head coach at Arizona State, Kenny Dillingham has a 9-11 overall record during two seasons as a head coach. Saturday’s contest will be the first meeting between Dillingham and Gus Malzahn as head coaches. 
• ASU running back Cam Skattebo is this week’s Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and has been named the honor four times this season. Skattebo has rushed for 1,001 yards this season on 173 attempts with 11 rushing TDs.
• The Sun Devils are averaging 31.1 points per game, while opponents have scored 22.9 ppg. 
• In their last outing, Arizona State earned a 42-21 win against Oklahoma State to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2019.

FAMILIAR FACES
Both head coaches will notice a familiar face on the opposite sideline this weekend, as Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham served as the offensive coordinator for UCF head coach Gus Malzahn in 2019 when the two were at Auburn. The Tigers finished the  season 9-4 overall and 5-3 in SEC play. They were ranked No. 14 in the final Associated Press and USA Today polls, and 12th in the final CFP rankings. 

That season, quarterback Bo Nix was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after passing for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Also on that 2019 Auburn staff were defensive coordinator Addison Williams (Analyst/Assistant to the head coach), Anthony Kincy (Director/Sports Performance) and Morris Henry (Associate Director/Sports Performance).

UCF fifth-year wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson was a freshman for the Tigers on the 2019 squad.

Former UCF co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach David Gibbs is now a senior offensive assistant for the Sun Devils. He spent the 2021-23 seasons in Orlando with the Knights. Gibbs is also the father of Knights defensive back Hudson Gibbs.

FIRST START FOR RIZK
Making his first career start Nov. 2 against Arizona, quarterback Dylan Rizk was ready for his moment and wowed Knight Nation throughout the game. He threw for a career-high 294 yards on 20-of-25 passing with three touchdowns. Additionally, he made some plays with his legs to pick up 55 yards rushing, highlighted by a career-long 33-yard scamper.

According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, he graded out at 90.1 for the game, which was the sixth-best mark among Power 4 Conference quarterbacks in week 10.

HARVEY CONTINUES TO MAKE HIS MARK
UCF running back RJ Harvey continues to make his mark, both nationally and in the Knights’ program record books. In last week’s win against Arizona, he rushed for 184 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns. The Orlando native moved into second place on the career rushing yards list with 3,416 to pass Alex Haynes (3,359). 

Harvey eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the 14th time in his career and now owns 1,201 for the season. He leads the nation with 40 rushing plays of at least 10 yards, six more than the next FBS player and 10 more than the next Big 12 player. 

His 16 rushing touchdowns are the most in the conference and fifth nationally. That mark also equals his total from last season, tying for the second most in a single season along with Isaiah Bowser (2022).

Harvey owns 37 career rushing touchdowns and needs eight more to tie Kevin Smith for the all-time record.

PITTMAN SCORES TWICE
Sophomore tight end Randy Pittman Jr. found the end zone twice against Arizona, reeling in a highlight worthy hail mary catch right before halftime for his first touchdown of the season. Quarterback Dylan Rizk heaved a 48-yard pass to the front of the end zone and Pittman pulled it down for the score. 

He tallied his second receiving touchdown of the day late in the fourth quarter, as he secured his first multi-touchdown game of his young career. Pittman’s second TD was a one-yard grab to finish his day with career highs in receptions (5), receiving yards (80), longest reception (48) and receiving TDs (2).

BACK WHERE IT STARTED
UCF long snapper Gage King will be heading back to where it all started this weekend, as he spent four seasons at Arizona State before transferring into the Knights program. King appeared in seven games during his time in Tempe before heading to Orlando. 

TAKE FIVE
UCF’s defense was dominant in the win against Arizona, as the Knights held the Wildcats to only five rushing yards. That mark was the fewest for an opponent since Florida A&M had four in 2019.

SECOND CONSECUTIVE 100-YARD GAME FOR JONES
Fifth-year wide receiver Jacoby Jones has made the most of his opportunties recently, as the Tunica, Mississippi, native has recorded back-to-back games with 100 or more receiving yards. 

In his last game against Arizona, Jones secured five passes for 106 yards with a touchdown. Against BYU, he had six catches for a season-high 116 yards.

SEVEN STRAIGHT
UCF’s high-powered offense scored touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions against Arizona, the first time the Knights have accomplished the feat since the Temple game in 2022.

NEW ROLES, NO PROBLEM
Head coach Gus Malzahn announced last Monday that Tim Harris Jr. would take over playcalling for the offense and Addison Williams would call the defense. The two were outstanding in their first games in these roles and were named the Big 12 Coordinators of the Week by 247Sports. 

Harris’s offense compiled 602 yards and scored 56 points, while Williams’s defense allowed just 12 points and only five rushing yards.

UCF IN NOVEMBER
The month of November has historically been great to the Knights, as the program owns a 98-59 all-time mark during the month.

32 AND COUNTING 
Knights wide receiver Kobe Hudson extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch to 32 in Saturday’s win against Arizona. The streak dates back to the SMU game in 2022, which is tied with Tyson Hinshaw for fifth all-time in UCF history for most consecutive games with a reception.

The Pine Mountain, Georgia, native’s 567 receiving yards this season lead the Knights and rank among the league’s top 15. Hudson’s 18.29 yards per catch average is the fourth best in the league and 33rd nationally.