The 1986 UCF Knights football season was the eighth season for the team. It was Gene McDowell's second season as the head coach of the Knights. McDowell's 1986 team compiled a 6–5 overall record.[1]
| 1986 UCF Knights football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 6–5 |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Mike Kruczek (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Bruce Bennett (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Florida Citrus Bowl |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Central State (OH) ^ | – | 10 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. T–18 New Haven | – | 8 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Towson State ^ | – | 8 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Connecticut State | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| American International | – | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Michigan | – | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saint Mary's | – | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Springfield | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan Tech | – | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky State | – | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberty | – | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Connecticut | – | 0 | – | 10 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Knights competed as an NCAA Division II Independent. The team played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in Downtown Orlando. The Knights nearly earned their first-ever victory against a Division I-A team. On October 11, they fell 9-6 at Wichita State, on a miserable, soggy, afternoon after missing an extra point and two botched field goal attempts. It proved to be the Shockers' final football victory; less than two months after the game, Wichita State announced it was disbanding its program.
Schedule
edit
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 6 | Bethune–Cookman | W 26–14 | 23,041 | [2] | ||
| September 13 | West Georgia |
| W 34–21 | 10,125 | ||
| September 20 | No. 20 Valdosta State | No. 18 |
| W 10–7 | 12,056 | |
| September 27 | at Akron | L 17–20 | 12,186 | |||
| October 4 | Murray State |
| W 38–25 | 13,086 | [3] | |
| October 11 | at Wichita State | L 6–9 | 4,167 | [4] | ||
| October 18 | at Eastern Kentucky | No. 19 | L 24–51 | 12,200 | [5] | |
| October 25 | Wofford |
| L 28–31 | 23,760 | ||
| November 1 | at VMI | W 38–9 | 3,200 | [6] | ||
| November 8 | No. 5 (I-AA) Georgia Southern |
| L 23–33 | 11,137 | ||
| November 15 | Samford |
| W 66–7 | 6,176 | ||
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References
edit- ^ "UCF Develops Winning Ways: Part 4 of 8 – The History of UCF Football". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. July 10, 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
- ^ "Central Florida beats Bethune, 26–14". The Miami Herald. September 7, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UCF makes believer of Murray State, 38–25". The Orlando Sentinel. October 5, 1986. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UCF's upset bid booted by 3 field goals in rain". The Orlando Sentinel. October 12, 1986. Retrieved February 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UCF looks for the best and gets the worst in loss". The Orlando Sentinel. October 19, 1986. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UCF king of the road in victory over VMI". The Orlando Sentinel. November 2, 1986. Retrieved February 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Final 1986 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
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