OTIS ANDERSON

Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O’Keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.

On Tuesday, family and friends said their final farewell to former UCF football player, 23-year-old Otis Anderson Jr.

Former University of Central Florida football player Otis Anderson Jr. died Monday night in his hometown of Jacksonville, his high school confirmed.

The deadline for NFL teams to have their rosters cut to 53 players was on Tuesday at 4:00 PM EST. Four of UCF’s six NFL rookies who participated in the 2021 preseason made the cut, as FS Richie Grant, CB Aaron Robinson, TE Jacob Harris, and CB Tay Gowan each earned roster spots. AdvertisementGrant, the Knights’ rookie who was selected the earliest in the 2021 NFL Draft at pick No. The Rams’ Fourth Round draft pick was one of only four tight ends who made the cut. It was announced on Tuesday that Gowan, the Arizona Cardinals’ Sixth Round draft pick, earned a roster spot with the team.

Former UCF standout running back Otis Anderson has just elevated his football career to the professional level, as the four-year Knight signed a three-year deal with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday. AdvertisementThe former Knight will have some competition going into the season, entering a Los Angeles running back room that now consists of six total backs. While at UCF, Anderson became one of the Knights’ most successful rushers of all time. In addition, Anderson’s 2,182 career rushing yards ranks ninth all-time in UCF history. Anderson had an average of 13.2 yards per return his junior season, which led the AAC and ranked sixth nationally.

Dillon Gabriel threw a pair of touchdown passes to Marlon Williams and Central Florida rolled to a 38-13 victory over Temple on Saturday night. Gabriel was 12 of 22 for 268 yards passing without an interception. Greg McCrae had touchdown runs of 7 and 1 yard, and Otis Anderson had a 14-yard scoring run in the first quarter. Tayvon Ruley ran 23 times for 90 yards for Temple (1-5, 1-5). Onasis Neely had a 5-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

HOUSTON – Dillon Gabriel passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns, UCF rushed for another 300-plus and the balanced, high-octane offense swamped Houston 44-21 on Saturday. Gabriel, who leads the nation in yards passing per game, was 19 of 33 for 328 yards with a pair of TD passes to Ryan O'Keefe. Houston (2-2, 2-1) lost for the first time in conference with Clayton Tune throwing two interceptions that resulted in 14 UCF points. Tune was 21-of-41 passing for 263 yards and a touchdown. Tune capped a quick, 82-yard fourth-quarter drive with a touchdown toss and two-point conversion pass, closing to 37-21 with 4:17 remaining.

14 Knights to a 49-21 victory over Georgia Tech in their season opener Saturday. After falling behind 28-7, Georgia Tech closed within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. ”Coming off a 3-9 season in Geoff Collins' coaching debut, Georgia Tech opened 2020 by rallying for a 16-13 win at Florida State. But Georgia Tech simply made too many mistakes in a game played before a socially distanced crowd of about 11,000 at 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech: Returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play with a trip to Syracuse next Saturday.

Jager Gardner #21 of the Temple Owls runs for a touchdown against the UCF Knights. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)PHILADELPHIA - Otis Anderson rushed for a career-high 205 yards, Bentavious Thompson scored two of Central Florida's five rushing touchdowns and the Knights ran away from Temple in the second half of a 63-21 victory on Saturday night. The Knights (6-2, 3-1 American Conference) scored 35 points in a 21-minute span of the second half. The Knights rushed for 385 yards and passed for 229, a total of 614 yards. Temple (5-3, 2-2) scored two touchdowns in the latter part of the second quarter.

Pitt trailed by six when Pickett drove the Panthers to the UCF 3. Pickett completed 25 of 47 for 224 yards with a touchdown despite leaving briefly with a right arm injury. UCF quarterback Gabriel Dillon passed for 338 yards and two touchdowns but also threw his first two interceptions of the season. POLL IMPLICATIONSExpect UCF to take a drop after losing in the regular season for the first time since 2016. Pitt: Finishes up nonconference play by hosting Football Championship Subdivision opponent Delaware next Saturday.