No. 25 UCF beats rival USF 46-39 to reach AAC title game
Alec Holler made a leaping, one-handed catch for a touchdown on a 14-yard pass from Mikey Keene with 20 seconds remaining to lead No. 25 UCF to a 46-39 win over South Florida on Saturday night and earn a spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
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Here’s what you need to know about UCF’s game-day COVID-19 protocols
The University of Central Florida is getting ready to kick off football season but before you head to the Bounce House to watch the Knights play, there’s a few things the university wants you to ensure a safe season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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SAVE THE DATE: Seminole County 2021 graduations moving to UCF’s football stadium
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – High school seniors in Seminole County will attend their graduation ceremonies at the University of Central Florida’s football stadium this year after an agreement between the school district and UCF. Seminole County Superintendent Dr. Walt Griffin made the announcement this week in a video to families. Griffin said school leadership officials have been working since November to try and find a better solution for graduations amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In February, Seminole County parents were notified that their high school seniors’ graduations would be in the auditorium like the year before and students would be required to reserve graduation time slots. Seminole County high schools executive director Mike Gaudreau said the district also looked at using the Amway Center, but it was already booked for Orange County Public Schools events.
UCF basketball team visits Lorraine Motel before game against Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ahead of Monday’s away game against the Memphis Tigers, the University of Central Florida men’s basketball team was in for quite a visit. “It’s more than just basketball, and I think it’s important to know your history,” head coach Johnny Dawkins said. “Show young people what’s going on in history, try to broaden their horizons because it’s bigger than just basketball,” Coach Dawkins said. When the team wasn’t learning about history, they were practicing for the games against the Tigers but also taking in the city. AdThe UCF Knights will face off the Memphis Tigers on Wednesday and will return to Orlando after the game.
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UCF’s winningest head coach dies at 80
UCF’s winningest head coach Gene McDowell has died at the age of 80. QUINCY, Fla. – The University of Central Florida’s winningest head coach Gene McDowell has died at the age of 80. The university said McDowell died Tuesday morning in Quincy. [TRENDING: Great white shark bites boat in Florida | Orange County deputy’s TikTok videos under investigation | Governor touts vaccine rollout]In his run as head coach, UCF played in Division II, Division 1-AA and Division 1. The Waycross, Georgia native played college ball at Florida State University, where he was a linebacker and offensive guard.
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UCF to play BYU in Boca Raton Bowl ahead of Christmas
The University of Central Florida will be playing against Brigham Young University in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, the Knights announced. The game will be at 7 p.m. on Dec. 22 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton with the 6-3 Knights going up against the 10-1, 14th-ranked Cougars. This bowl matchup is a challenge for the Knights as BYU is the only team to be nationally ranked in the top 10 in total offense (No. Knights vs. Cougars in Boca 😎🤙🌴 pic.twitter.com/Z2QgM83WUR — UCF Football 😷 (@UCF_Football) December 14, 2020“BYU plays complementary football, in terms of offense, defense and special teams, as well as any team in the country,” says UCF head coach Josh Heupel. The Knights have won two of the last three bowl games it has played in.
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Star quarterback McKenzie Milton announces transfer from UCF
ORLANDO, Fla. – UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is transferring to another school, the star player announced in a video released Thursday. “I will be entering the transfer portal and playing my last year of college football elsewhere,” Milton said in an Instagram post. “I may be suiting up in different colors, but I’ll always bleed Black and Gold.”It’s not known where Milton will play next. In the video, Milton said leaving UCF is “one the hardest things for me to do.”“I’m trying to think of it more logically than emotionally,” he said. Milton thanked UCF Nation in his farewell video.
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UCF Athletics’ financial game plan takes a $14.7 million hit due to COVID-19
ORLANDO, Fla. – The financial game plan for the athletic department of the University of Central Florida is taking a hit due to the coronavirus. School officials said they eliminated plans for hiring 32 full-time positions and 40 additional part-time football game day positions. UCF officials said they are close to hitting a $2 million goal on the Keep Charging on Fund, one million of it came from donated salaries from staff. School officials said they have accounted for a $10-11 million 2021 budget loss and projected a $12.7 million loss in revenue. UCF athletics is also facing $2 million in increased coronavirus related expenses for a total loss of $14.7 million.
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SpaceX launch fitting kick off for UCF Knights Space Game
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Did a little rocket fuel help propel the University of Central Florida Knights football team to win the annual Space Game? A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket could be seen soaring over the UCF Bounce House stadium late Saturday morning just hours before the Knights host Tulane University for its Space Game. A little rocket power might have helped UCF’s top-ranked offense roll in a 51-34 victory over Tulane on Saturday. A rocket launch is the cherry on top of a special game day. Watch the launch from the stadium below:Get the full game recap here.
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10 UCF football players opt out of season due to COVID-19 concerns
ORLANDO, Fla. Ten UCF football players have opted not to play during the 2020 season over concerns about COVID-19, head coach Josh Heupel said. Its the most unique thing that most of us have ever encountered in our lifetime, he said. Each of these kids that chose to opt out have different reasons behind their decision. THREAD: Full comment from #UCF Head Coach Josh Heupel on the 10 players opting out of the upcoming football season @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/iW4Qab7wG4 Nathaniel Rivas (@nathanielrivas9) September 1, 2020#UCF Head Coach saying 10 players opting out of the upcoming 2020 football season. Tay Gowan and Darriel Mack, Jr., among the players not playing Nathaniel Rivas (@nathanielrivas9) September 1, 2020
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AP Top 25: Clemson No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Alabama
4 and defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma is No. For now, big conference games such as Ohio State-Michigan and Washington-Washington State could still be made up in the spring. All Division I teams were eligible for the preseason AP Top 25, but after the season starts, only teams scheduled to play in the fall are eligible. STREAKINGOhio State extended the longest active streak of preseason Top 25 appearances with 32, followed by Oklahoma with 21, LSU with 20, Georgia with 19, Alabama with 13 and Clemson with nine. Big 12 4 (Nos.
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Could COVID-19 present an opportunity for UCF football? They have a chance, analysts say
The NCAA college football season hasnt even started and there has already been plenty of drama. They have a chance to take a grasp of this thing and become national for all of their programs, Ingoglia said. This week the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they will not play football during the fall. [MORE: Big Ten, Pac-12 pull plug on fall football amid pandemic]Until that knife gets stuck in my heart and they say theres no fall football. Some fans are speculating players from the Big Ten and Pac-12 may decide to transfer to programs committed to playing football in the fall.
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UCF ranked No. 21 in preseason coaches poll
ORLANDO, Fla. UCF is ranked No. 21 in the first major preseason poll of 2020. Clemson, which lost to LSU in last seasons national title game, sits atop the USA Today Coaches Polls preseason Top 25 rankings, released on Thursday. Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and LSU round out the top five, followed by Oklahoma, Penn State, Florida, Oregon and Notre Dame. UCF sits one spot behind Utah, and just ahead of Cincinnati.
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Heres what UCFs 2020 football schedule looks like as of now
ORLANDO, Fla. UCF will play eight games in 2020 -- and possibly more -- after the American Athletic Conference announced Wednesday its plans for fall sports. UCFs conference schedule, beginning Sept. 24 at East Carolina, remains unchanged. The Knights game with Florida International remains up in the air because Conference USA has not announced its plans amid the coronavirus pandemic. We are confident that the protocols put together by our Medical Advisory Group will guide a safe return to play. The number of qualifying teams for conference championships in mens soccer, womens soccer and womens volleyball has been reduced to four.
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Bounce House: UCF changes name of football stadium
ORLANDO, Fla. UCFs football stadium has been known as the Bounce House for years. White said the stadium, at some point, could have another sponsor name, but for not, its the Bounce House. [RELATED: Heres UCFs 2020 schedule -- for now]The stadium was nicknamed the Bounce House because it would shake when UCF fans would jump in unison during the stadiums inaugural season. The stadium underwent an $8 million renovation following the 2014 season. The Bounce House was the home of the Orlando Apollos in 2019, the only -- and partial -- season of the Alliance of American Football.
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Overview of bowl matchups for Florida teams
College football teams from Florida will travel across the nations for the upcoming bowl season. The Gators defeated both in-state rivals in the Florida State Seminoles (40-17) and the Miami Hurricanes (24-20). Head coach Dan Mullen is the first coach with two 10-win seasons in his first two seasons in school history. Florida State SeminolesFlorida State mustered to a 6-6 finish with head coach woes and road struggles. Florida State will aim to win its 27th bowl win since 1980.
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News 6 at 6 -- 12/27/18
We're days away from college bowl games, including UCF's match against LSU in Arizona. Those games and the continued partial government shutdown are Thursday's top local and national stories as seen on ClickOrlando.com and News 6. UCF Knights arrive in Arizona for Fiesta BowlThe University of Central Florida's undefeated Knights arrived in Arizona Thursday ahead of the New Year's Day Fiesta Bowl game. If the undefeated team wins, it will be the Knights' 26th consecutive win and second consecutive New Year's Day bowl game win. Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida says they've had 200 inquiries and they're now evaluating which is the best home for Sniffles.