Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

UCF has chip on shoulder as it prepares for opener vs. New Hampshire

After a successful 10-year run in the American Athletic Conference, UCF endured some growing pains last season during its first year in the Big 12.

The Knights are hoping to take a step in the right direction in 2024, beginning with Thursday’s home matchup against FCS foe New Hampshire in Orlando, Fla.

UCF won at least nine games in five of its final six seasons in the AAC, but a 6-7 (3-6 Big 12) campaign in 2023 served as a reminder of how tough the Big 12 can be.

The Knights suffered through a five-game midseason losing streak that included double-digit losses to Kansas State, Kansas and West Virginia. The team rallied to win three of its final four regular-season games to gain bowl eligibility, but they fell to Georgia Tech 30-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl.

“Our team, I really feel like, has a chip on their shoulder,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. “If that didn’t leave a sour taste in our mouth, then we’ve got something wrong with us.”

UCF finished eighth in the nation in total offense in 2023, powered by a dominant rushing attack. KJ Jefferson is taking over for John Rhys Plumlee at quarterback, although he’ll certainly continue to feed RJ Harvey (1,416 rushing yards, 16 TDs in 2023).

New Hampshire (6-5, 4-4 CAA) won four of its final six games last season and scored at least 24 points in every contest in 2023.

All-American quarterback Max Brosmer transferred to Minnesota after throwing for 3,459 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Wildcats a season ago. Dylan Laube, another All-American, is now with the Las Vegas Raiders after leading the team in rushing (749 yards) and receiving (699) last year.

In their place, New Hampshire will turn to Seth Morgan at quarterback and Myles Thomason at running back. Morgan, a transfer from Division II Shepherd University, is back at the FCS level after beginning his career at VMI. Thomason, a reserve behind Laube last season, could split time with Isaac Seide, among others.

“I would love for it to be by committee, to be honest,” New Hampshire coach Rick Santos said of his running back rotation. “I think Isaac Seide has been chomping at the bit for some time now being in the shadow of Dylan Laube. I think Myles Thomason showed what he had last year. … We’d love for those guys to get equal reps.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Lubbock, Texas, USA;  Central Florida Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) rushes against Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive end Jacob Rodriguez (10) in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

UCF takes on Houston, bids to become bowl eligible

UCF will look to capitalize on its second opportunity to become bowl eligible when it hosts Houston on Saturday afternoon in Big 12 Conference action in Orlando, Fla.

The first chance did not go well for the Knights (5-6, 2-6), who squandered a 14-point lead and dropped a 24-23 decision to Texas Tech last Saturday. The win allowed the Red Raiders to become bowl eligible.

Now, UCF will need to defeat another first-time Big 12 member in Houston in order to become bowl eligible for the eighth straight season. The Knights and Cougars spent the previous 10 campaigns in the American Athletic Conference.

UCF will honor its seniors before Saturday’s high-stakes matchup, which is a fact not lost on fifth-year quarterback John Rhys Plumlee.

“I try to cherish the moment, cherish the opportunity I have,” Plumlee said, per the Orlando Sentinel. “This will be another opportunity for me to do just that. (To) be thankful for the opportunity presented and then get a win for the Knights.”

RJ Harvey rushed for two touchdowns against Texas Tech, boosting his total to eight in the last three games and 14 for the season.

While UCF is bidding to become bowl eligible, Houston (4-7, 2-6) squandered a chance at that goal by losing four of its last five games. The Cougars fell 43-30 to Oklahoma State last week.

Undaunted, Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said Saturday’s game should have plenty of meaning for his team.

“This is a Big 12 Conference matchup,” Holgorsen said. “Us and (UCF) are going through the same thing. It’s all transition. It’s hard every week. If that helps being a spoiler, so to speak, then sure, we’re always going to use whatever we can use from a motivation perspective to try and give you any kind of advantage.”

Against the Cowboys, Donovan Smith threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Jonah Wilson, rushed for a 31-yard score, and reeled in a 28-yard TD pass from Joseph Manjack IV.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II (0) celebrates a Alan Bowman (7) touchdown in the first half during a Bedlam college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.

No. 15 Oklahoma St. attempts to avoid post-Bedlam letdown

Anyone playing a drinking game in which they took a sip each time Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said “moving forward” during his Monday news conference would have been woozy within the first few minutes.

Gundy is trying to distance his team from one of the most exhilarating wins in his 19 seasons as the Cowboys coach, a 27-24 victory over then-No. 9 Oklahoma last week in the last scheduled Bedlam rivalry game between the in-state foes.

Now he wants No. 15 Oklahoma State to zero in on its Saturday game against UCF in Orlando.

Considering the wild scene after the upset of the Sooners, it may not be easy for the Cowboys (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) to shift their focus to the Knights (4-5, 1-5).

Oklahoma State’s win over Oklahoma triggered a field-storming rampage as fans toppled a goal post and hauled the wreckage to an on-campus pond.

On Monday, moments after Gundy said that he told his staff, “I don’t want to hear it anymore,” in reference to the Oklahoma game, the next question was about the film from Saturday.

“You’re not even letting me move forward,” said Gundy, joking with a reporter.

Something that might help get the Cowboys focused on UCF is their new College Football Playoff ranking. They moved up seven notches in latest ratings revealed on Tuesday, the biggest jump of any team this week.

With their three remaining games all against teams that are in their first year in the Big 12, the Cowboys are in good position to gain a berth in the conference title game.

Oklahoma State has won five straight, all in the conference, with three of the victories coming over teams that are currently ranked.

Since a 2-2 start that included a horrific 33-7 loss to South Alabama, Oklahoma State has seen significant improvement on the offensive line.

Gundy said that there weren’t any key changes. It was just a matter of the staff reassessing the strengths of the line, along with committing to Ollie Gordon II as the primary running back.

“I just went in and said, ‘Let’s talk about who we are and what’s the best thing we can do,’” Gundy said.

After averaging 57.5 yards on the ground in the Cowboys’ first four games, Gordon has averaged 165.7 yards during the winning streak to become the top rusher in the FBS.

He carried the ball 33 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma while Cowboys quarterback Alan Bowman completed 28 of 42 passes for 334 yards without a touchdown or an interception.

UCF enters on a high, as well, after capturing its first conference win since joining the Big 12 this season.

The Knights won 28-26 at Cincinnati last week to snap a five-game losing streak, their longest skid since going 0-12 in 2015.

RJ Harvey propelled UCF with 164 yards rushing and three touchdowns, both career highs. It was Harvey’s fourth straight 100-yard game as he is thriving in coach Gus Malzahn’s run-heavy offense.

The Knights lead the Big 12 in rushing, averaging 227.1 yards per game (good for fourth in the country). However, they also rank last in the conference in rushing yards allowed, surrendering 211.9 per game (fourth worst in the nation), making for a tough matchup with Gordon and the Cowboys.

“Probably the hottest team in the country right now,” Malzahn said of Oklahoma State. “They know who they are now. They’re gonna give it to that big dude. He can run it downhill. Fourth quarter, he imposes his will on people.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 21, 2023; Norman, Oklahoma, USA;  Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws during the second quarter against the UCF Knights at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Dillon Gabriel leads No. 6 Oklahoma past his former school, UCF

Dillon Gabriel threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns against his former school as No. 6 Oklahoma avoided an upset with a 31-29 come-from-behind victory over UCF on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

The game came down to a failed two-point conversion try with 1:16 left after John Rhys Plumlee hit Javon Baker for a 12-yard touchdown to pull the Knights within two.

UCF tried to pass the ball after a lateral on the conversion, but the Sooners snuffed it out to maintain the lead, then recovered the onside kick to put the game away.

After the Sooners extended their lead to 31-23 on Gavin Sawchuk’s 30-yard touchdown run with 3:13 left, the Knights kept it interesting.

UCF drove to the Oklahoma 12, where the Sooners stopped the Knights on three consecutive pass plays before Baker’s touchdown.

Baker finished with five catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Plumlee was 16 of 30 for 248 yards and two TDs.
Gabriel played for UCF, then of the American Athletic Conference, from 2019-21 before transferring to Oklahoma in 2022. UCF is now a member of the Big 12.

Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) trailed 23-17 after three quarters, then regained the lead on Drake Stoops’ 11-yard touchdown reception with 9:16 left. The Sooners extended their lead to eight on Sawchuk’s score.

After the game was dominated by the defenses for much of the first half, the offenses finally awoke just before halftime.

With UCF leading 10-7, Gabriel hit Nic Anderson for a 42-yard touchdown reception to put the Sooners back in front.

The touchdown was Anderson’s second of the day and his team-high eighth of the season.

Moments later, Plumlee scrambled to his left and when Sooners cornerback Woodi Washington came up to try to make a play on him, the UCF quarterback floated a pass over Washington to Baker for an 86-yard touchdown with 1:24 remaining.

Gabriel once again engineered a quick drive, thanks in part to a pair of pass interference calls against the Knights (3-4, 0-4), including one in the closing seconds that wiped out what would have been an interception.

Zach Schmit then hit a 25-yard field goal to end the half with the game tied 17-17.

Schmit had earlier missed two field goals.

Anderson finished with five catches for 105 yards and two scores.

–Field Level Media

Oct 7, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

No. 6 Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel reunites for UCF game

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel acknowledges it’ll be unusual going against UCF on Saturday when his No. 6 Sooners host the Knights in Big 12 Conference play in Norman, Okla.

“I think now I’m just kind of settling into (the fact) college football is what it is,” said Gabriel, who played his first three seasons for UCF from 2019-21. “Once you think one thing, it’ll turn into a whole ‘nother.”

Gabriel is one of the biggest reasons why the Sooners (6-0, 3-0) are in the position they’re in. He has completed 72.3 percent of his throws with 16 touchdown passes and just two interceptions this season.

“When we had him, every day in practice, he would make a throw that you’d go, ‘Wow,’” Knights coach Gus Malzahn said. “His accuracy. He’s a veteran guy now, too. Think about all the snaps he’s played. You can see when you watch him on film. He’s got really good command. He knows when to throw the ball away. He’s got great courage. He’ll wait until the last second, get the ball out.”

Gabriel was hours away from transferring to UCLA from UCF two years ago before flipping to Oklahoma, where he’s reunited with Jeff Lebby, his offensive coordinator with the Knights in his freshman season of 2019.

But while Gabriel knew Lebby was going to be calling the plays, the rest of the roster was less certain.

“I told him I couldn’t make any promises about who was going to be here or who wasn’t,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “I was going to try to keep the roster as-is, so he’d have to come knowing that. I wasn’t going to be misleading or things of that nature. I wanted him to come here and feel good about his opportunity. He bet on himself, when it was all said and done … and it worked out really well for all of us.”

While Gabriel has fueled the Sooners’ hot start, quarterback play also has been a deciding factor for the Knights (3-3, 0-3).

John Rhys Plumlee has missed most of the last four games with a leg injury, contributing to UCF’s rough initiation to Big 12 play.

Plumlee played briefly at Kansas on Oct. 7 before leaving the game having thrown just seven passes.

Malzahn said Plumlee would start against the Sooners after he made significant progress during the Knights’ bye week.

“I’d say he’s close to 100 percent, so don’t expect any issues moving forward,” Malzahn said.

Saturday’s matchup will feature the top two offenses in the Big 12, with UCF averaging 516.7 yards per game and the Sooners 506.

The two teams have done it in a much different way, though, with the Knights’ biggest strength being their ground game — averaging 246.3 rushing yards — and the Sooners’ being their passing attack, which has averaged 341.2 yards per game.

The meeting will be the first between the programs and their only meeting in the Big 12 before the Sooners make the leap to the SEC next season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 8, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) against Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton (4) during the first half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas, UCF have quarterback concerns for Big 12 game

Kansas and UCF have questions as to the identity of their respective starting quarterbacks for Saturday’s Big 12 Conference game in Lawrence, Kan.

Traditional starter Jalon Daniels’ recurring back issue flared up before the Jayhawks’ game against No. 3 Texas last Saturday. Jason Bean was summoned to start for the second time this season for Kansas (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) and completed just 9 of 21 passes for 136 yards in a 40-14 setback to the Longhorns.

On Monday, Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold labeled Daniels’ health as a “day-to-day situation.”

“I know he’s working at it, he and I had multiple conversations yesterday and today already, and (we’ll) see where it takes us,” Leipold said of Daniels, the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

Kansas can rely on its potent rushing attack to more than pick up the slack.

Devin Neal has rushed for 439 yards and five touchdowns this season, while Daniel Hishaw Jr. has added 279 and four, respectively. Both running backs are averaging a robust 6.8 yards per carry.

Like Kansas, UCF (3-2, 0-2) has its own quarterback situation to address.

John Rhys Plumlee appears poised to return after suffering a leg injury in the Knights’ 18-16 victory over Boise State on Sept. 9. South Florida transfer Timmy McClain has been under center, completeing 61 percent of his passes for 872 yards and seven touchdowns.

“(Plumlee) did get some 7-on-7 last week,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said Monday. “So we’ll see how he looks. Timmy continues to improve in many areas, so we’ll probably make a call on Wednesday.”

UCF enters Saturday’s clash on a two-game skid. The Knights lost 44-31 to Kansas State on Sept. 23 before seeing a 28-point lead evaporate in a 36-35 setback to Baylor last Saturday.

Saturday’s meeting will mark the first ever between the schools in football.

–Field Level Media

Dec 3, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Lawrence Keys III (6) catches a pass and runs in for a touchdown against the UCF Knights during the first half  at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

No. 18 Tulane topples No. 22 UCF to claim AAC title

Michael Pratt threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another to lead No. 18 Tulane to the American Athletic Conference title with a 45-28 victory over visiting No. 22 UCF on Saturday in New Orleans.

Pratt went 20-for-33 passing with an interception as Tulane (11-2) moved into position to claim a New Year’s Day bowl invitation as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

Tulane, which is projected to play in the Cotton Bowl, hasn’t played in a New Year’s Day bowl since falling to Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl in 1940.

UCF (9-4), which defeated Tulane 38-31 during the regular season, was likely denied its fourth BCS/New Year’s Day Bowl game in the past 10 seasons. The Knights will play in the Big 12 next season.

Shae Wyatt had five receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while Duece Watts had three catches for 134 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, for Tulane. Tyjae Spears powered the ground game with 199 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

John Rhys Plumlee, slowed by a lingering hamstring injury, went 21-for-39 passing for 209 yards and a touchdown. Backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos went 2-for-8 passing for seven yards.

Isaiah Bowser ran for 85 yards and a score on 20 carries, and Kobe Hudson had four receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns for the Knights.

Leading 17-7 at halftime, Tulane took control of the game when Spears burst up the middle and weaved his way for a 60-yard touchdown run and a 24-7 lead with 12:09 left in the third quarter.

UCF pulled to within 24-14 on Plumlee’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Hudson with 1:53 left in the third quarter.

Pratt responded by throwing a 73-yard touchdown pass to Watts for a 31-14 lead with 14:29 left in the game.

RJ Harvey threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Hudson off a halfback-option pass to make it 31-21 with 12:26 remaining.

Bowser’s 10-yard touchdown run pulled UCF to within 31-28 with 9:48 left.

Pratt’s 60-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt extended the lead to 38-28 with 8:18 to go.

Pratt capped the win with an 18-yard touchdown run for a 45-28 lead with 4:04 left.

Tulane took a 7-0 lead on its first possession when Pratt threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt with 7:46 left in the quarter.

Valentino Ambrosio’s 27-yard field goal made it 10-0 with 1:01 left in the first quarter.

After the Knights stopped Pratt for no gain on fourth-and-2 from Tulane’s 32-yard line, Xavier Townsend’s 5-yard touchdown run eight plays later pulled UCF to within 10-7 with 6:48 left in the half.

Pratt responded four plays later with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Lawrence Keys III for a 17-7 lead with 5:00 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn looks on during the second half against the Navy Midshipmen at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

UCF still has clear path to AAC title game, visits South Florida

No. 22 UCF blew its chance to host the American Athletic Conference championship game with last weekend’s shocking loss to Navy but goes into its regular-season finale Saturday against South Florida at Tampa, Fla., still with an opportunity to play for the league championship.

While Tulane and Cincinnati will be playing this weekend for the right to host the title game on Dec. 3, the Knights (8-3, 5-2 AAC) could earn the visitor’s spot with a win over the Bulls (1-10, 0-7).

The Knights hold the tiebreaking edge over both Tulane and Cincinnati – and if Houston also wins Saturday, the resulting three-way tie could go all the way to a composite computer ranking. With UCF No. 22 in this week’s CFP rankings, the Knights would appear to hold an advantage over unranked Houston.

If Houston loses to Tulane, a UCF victory over USF would leave the Knights in the clear as the No. 2 team.

“We win the game (at South Florida) I like our chances,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. “That’s really about it.”

The tendency would be to take a win over the struggling Bulls for granted, but Malzahn knows all too well that a win last week over 3-7 Navy did not materialize. And he remembers last year’s 17-13 UCF squeaker of a victory over a two-win South Florida team.

“We’re not overlooking them, especially with what happened last year,” Malzahn said. “And they were in a similar situation.”

One difference is that Jeff Scott, who was coaching the Bulls that game, was fired earlier this month and special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato is serving as South Florida’s interim coach.

Malzahn confirmed that John Rhys Plumlee will start at quarterback for UCF if he is healthy after missing the second half last week with a shoulder problem. Mikey Keene finished the loss to Navy.

“John Rhys is our starting quarterback,” Malzah said. “We’re fortunate enough to have a guy like Mikey right there ready to go. We’ll see how practice goes.”

USF, meanwhile, gave freshman Byrum Brown his first collegiate start last week and he responded with 240 yards and three touchdowns passing, and 76 and another score on the ground, in a 48-42 loss to Tulsa. His performance did not surprise Da Prato.

“Since the day he got here he has prepared for that opportunity,” Da Prato said. “And he’s prepared properly.”

This will be the last meeting between the rivals for a while. UCF is leaving the AAC to join the Big 12 in 2023.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA;  Tulane Green Wave running back Tyjae Spears runs the ball during the first quarter against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

No. 17 Tulane, No. 22 UCF battle for leg up in AAC race

No. 17 Tulane will look to move a step closer to an American Athletic Conference title and a New Year’s Day bowl game as the highest-ranked Group of 5 team when it hosts No. 22 UCF on Saturday in New Orleans.

The Green Wave (8-1, 5-0 AAC), who have won five straight games, are off to their best start since going 12-0 in 1998 and have won more than seven games for the first time since 2002. Tulane’s No. 16 ranking is its highest since finishing No. 7 in 1998, which was the last season the Green Wave were ranked before they entered the poll last month.

“We want to be a nationally known program — that’s been our goal since we’ve been here,” said Tulane coach Willie Fritz, who is in his seventh season at the school. “I think our program sells itself.”

However, AAC-leading Tulane is going to have to defeat second-place UCF (7-2, 4-1) if it’s to continue its storybook season. The Knights are also in the mix to earn the guaranteed New Year’s Day bowl game as the highest-ranked Group of 5 team.

The Knights are coming off a 35-28 win at Memphis, their sixth victory in the past seven games. Quarterback Mikey Keene filled in for John Rhys Plumlee, who sustained a concussion a week earlier, and threw for 219 yards and three touchdowns.

RJ Harvey rushed for 151 yards and a score for UCF, and Kobe Hudson added six receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Plumlee was cleared to play against Memphis, but coach Gus Malzahn went with Keene because Plumlee hadn’t practiced. Malzahn will wait closer to game time before naming a starter for Saturday.

“It was a close, hard-fought battle when we named John Rhys the (starting) quarterback,” Malzahn said. “(Mikey) had been waiting his turn. He’s been preparing like he’s going to play every week.

“We’ve got two real guys, and that’s a great luxury.”

Plumlee has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,883 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions, in addition to rushing for a team-high tying 532 yards and seven scores.

Harvey has rushed for 532 yards and four touchdowns, while Isaiah Bowser has 503 yards and 11 scores on 129 carries. Ryan O’Keefe has 49 receptions for 536 yards and four scores, while Javon Baker has 36 catches for 504 yards and three touchdowns.

Tulane is coming off a 27-13 win at Tulsa in which it outgained the Golden Hurricane 482-257 in total yards.

Tulane’s Michael Pratt has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,843 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions, while Tyjae Spears powers the ground game with 745 yards and 10 touchdowns on 134 carries.

The Green Wave have seven players with between 17 and 23 receptions apiece. Shae Wyatt has a team-high 383 yards on 20 receptions with two touchdowns, while Dea Dea McDougle has a team-high 23 receptions for 236 yards. Duece Watts and Tyrick James each have a team-high five receiving touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn calls a play during the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

UCF, SMU finally meet after multiple delays

After multiple postponements, host UCF and SMU finally will get together for their American Athletic Conference opener Wednesday night in Orlando, Fla.

UCF (3-1) and SMU (2-2) originally were scheduled to meet Saturday, but that was changed to Sunday in anticipation of Hurricane Ian. The game was then moved to Wednesday after the storm ravaged Florida.

With his team having to travel and in need of some recovery time, Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said his squad benefitted from the delay.

“It gave us maybe 36 to 48 hours for the guys a chance to catch their breath, not only physically but mentally,” Lashlee said. “Like we said last week, we’re beat up, so one of the positives is getting an extra few days maybe to try to get a little healthier.”

Lashlee views the conference schedule as a “new season” after his team came away with losses to Maryland (34-27) and TCU (42-34) the previous two games.

“We’ve got a really good league,” he said. “It’s wide open and we want to get off to a good start. Our goal is to try to be one of the two teams left, after those eight games, (that is) still in it.”

The only blemish on the Knights’ season so far is a 20-14 setback to Louisville at home Sept. 9. They bounced back with consecutive victories, including a 27-10 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 24, when quarterback John Rhys Plumlee ran for a team-high 100 yards and a touchdown to guide the Knights.

“Obviously, the game we lost, we had an opportunity to win,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. “I really think we’re getting better as a team. I know we’re getting better.”

Malzahn and Lashlee have a relationship that dates back to when Malzahn coached high school football and Lashlee was his quarterback. Lashlee later joined Malzahn’s staff as an assistant at Springdale (Ark.) High School and also was an assistant under Malzahn at Arkansas State and Auburn.

“(Lashlee) is one of the smarter coaches I’ve ever been around, been able to work with,” Malzahn said. “He’s very good with players and one of best offensive minds in college football.”

Lashlee said he spoke on the phone with Malzahn last week to make sure everyone was safe.

“I think they’ll be ready to go and so will we,” Lashlee said.

–Field Level Media