Wikipedia

2023 UCF Knights football team

The 2023 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida (UCF) as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights were led by Gus Malzahn in his third year as the Knights head coach. The team played their home games at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

2023 UCF Knights football
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record6–7 (3–6 Big 12)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDarin Hinshaw (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread option[1]
Defensive coordinatorAddison Williams (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinatorDavid Gibbs (3rd season)
Base defense4–2–5[1]
Home stadiumFBC Mortgage Stadium
Seasons
← 2022
2024 →
2023 Big 12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 3 Texas y$^   8 – 1     12 – 2  
No. 16 Oklahoma State y   7 – 2     10 – 4  
No. 15 Oklahoma   7 – 2     10 – 3  
Iowa State   6 – 3     7 – 6  
No. 18 Kansas State   6 – 3     9 – 4  
West Virginia   6 – 3     9 – 4  
Texas Tech   5 – 4     7 – 6  
No. 23 Kansas   5 – 4     9 – 4  
UCF   3 – 6     6 – 7  
TCU   3 – 6     5 – 7  
Houston   2 – 7     4 – 8  
BYU   2 – 7     5 – 7  
Baylor   2 – 7     3 – 9  
Cincinnati   1 – 8     3 – 9  
Championship: Texas 49, Oklahoma State 21
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

UCF officially moved into the Big 12 Conference for the 2023 season. In doing so, the Knights became the first NCAA football program to play at every sanctioned level: Division III, Division II, Division I-AA, Division I-A (Independent), Group of Five, and Power Five.[2]

In their first season as part of the Big 12, the Knights jumped out to a 3–0 start, including a last-second victory at Boise State. However, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee suffered an ankle injury in the final minute of the Boise State game, which would sideline him for a month. Redshirt sophomore Timmy McClain took over at quarterback as the Knights entered the conference portion of their schedule. In their first intra-conference home game, the Knights jumped out to a 35–7 lead over Baylor, but blew a 28-point lead, and lost 36–35. The Knights suffered a five-game skid, slipping to 3–5. With Plumlee back to full strength in November, the Knights won three of their last four games to finish the regular season 6–6 overall (3–6 in the Big 12), and became bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season. Of the four newcomers that joined the Big 12 for 2023 (BYU, Cincinnati, and Houston being the others), UCF finished with the best record, and was the only one bowl-eligible.

Offseason

edit

Transfers

edit

Incoming

edit
Player Position Previous school
Timmy McClain QB South Florida
Trent Whittemore WR Florida
Chauncey Magwood WR Kentucky
Drake Metcalf IOL Stanford
Gage King LS Arizona State
Fred Davis II DB Clemson
Amari Kight OT Alabama
Marcellus Marshall OT Kent State
DeJordan Mask S Texas State
Jireh Wilson S East Carolina
Bula Schmidt IOL Fresno State
Decorian Patterson DB Middle Tennessee State
Rian Davis LB Georgia
Xavier Williams QB Charlotte
Isaiah Paul LB Washington State
Shaun Peterson DE FIU
Derrick LeBlanc DL Oklahoma
Corey Gammage WR Marshall
Gunnar Smith QB South Florida
Kriston Esnard PK Tulane

Outgoing

edit
Player Position Destination
Mikey Keene QB Fresno State
Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste LB Ole Miss
Davonte Brown CB Miami (FL)
Philjae Bien Aime CB North Alabama
Ryan O'Keefe WR Boston College
Terrence Lewis LB Hutchinson CC
Trevion Shadrick-Harris CB Eastern Washington
Jordan Johnson WR Iowa Western
Ah'Mare Lee DB Florida A&M
Joey Gatewood WR Louisville
Karlis Bailey-Vice DE NA
Anthony Williams RB Stephen F. Austin
Andrew Osteen P Mississippi State
Matt Lee C Miami (FL)
Miguel Maldonado OL NA
Tommy Castellanos QB Boston College
Ethan Mort OL NA
Keahnist Thompson DL Weber State
Justin Hodges DB Arkansas State
Branden Jennings LB Hinds CC
Quan Lee WR Florida A&M
Jaden Francois DB Utah State
Will Bohn QB Southeastern

Preseason

edit

Spring game

edit

The 2023 UCF spring exhibition game was played on Friday April 14 at FBC Mortgage Stadium. The team was split into two squads for gameplay, the Knights and the 'Nauts.[5]

Date Time Spring Game Site Result
April 14 6:30 pm Knights vs. 'Nauts FBC Mortgage Stadium • Orlando, FL 43-42 'Nauts

Award watch lists

edit

A total of eight players were named to the preseason All-Big 12 mentions,[6] and eight players were named to the Senior Bowl watchlist.[7]

Award Player Position Year
William V. Campbell Trophy Jason Johnson[8] LB Sr.
Polynesian Football Player of the Year Award Lokahi Pauole[9] OG Sr.
Manning Award John Rhys Plumlee[10] QB   Sr.
Chuck Bednarik Award Jason Johnson[11] LB Sr.
Butkus Award Jason Johnson[12] LB Sr.
Doak Walker Award RJ Harvey[13] RB   Sr.
Ray Guy Award Mitch McCarthy[14] P So.
Davey O'Brien Award John Rhys Plumlee[15] QB   Sr.
Fred Biletnikoff Award Corey Gammage[16] WR   Sr.
Lou Groza Award Colton Boomer[17] K So.
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Jason Johnson[18] LB Sr.
Outland Trophy Lokahi Pauole[19] OG Sr.
Maxwell Award John Rhys Plumlee[20] QB   Sr.
Listed in the order that they were released

Big 12 preseason poll

edit

The Big 12 preseason poll was released on July 6.[21] UCF was voted 8th in the conference. First place votes in parentheses.

Big 12 media poll
Predicted finish Team Points
1 Texas (41) 886
2 Kansas State (14) 858
3 Oklahoma (4) 758
4 Texas Tech (4) 729
5 TCU (3) 727
6 Baylor 572
7 Oklahoma State (1) 470
8 UCF 463
9 Kansas 461
10 Iowa State 334
11 BYU 318
12 Houston 215
13 Cincinnati 202
14 West Virginia 129

Schedule

edit

The 2023 season is UCF's first as a member of the Big 12 Conference.[22] The conference utilizes a nine-game conference schedule, with three out-of-conference games annually.[23] Furthermore, the conference requires at least one of the three out-of-conference games to be against a Power Five opponent.[24] UCF successfully petitioned for a first-year, one-time waiver to count their game at Boise State as their Power Five non-conference opponent, taking into account Boise State's recent successes and status as a top Group of Five team.[24]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 317:00 p.m.[25]Kent State*
FS1W 56–644,088
September 97:00 p.m.[25]at Boise State*
FS1W 18–1636,447
September 166:30 p.m.[25]No. 24 (FCS) Villanova*
  • FBC Mortgage Stadium
  • Orlando, FL
ESPN+W 48–1444,206
September 238:00 p.m.[26]at Kansas State
FS1L 31–4451,912
September 303:30 p.m.Baylor
  • FBC Mortgage Stadium
  • Orlando, FL
FS1L 35–3644,005
October 74:00 p.m.at Kansas
FOXL 22–5146,107
October 2112:00 p.m.at No. 6 Oklahoma
ABCL 29–3183,476
October 2812:00 p.m.West Virginia 
  • FBC Mortgage Stadium
  • Orlando, FL
FS1[a]L 28–4144,136
November 43:30 p.m.at Cincinnati
FS1W 28–2638,193
November 113:30 p.m.No. 15 Oklahoma State
ESPNW 45−344,046
November 185:30 p.m.at Texas Tech
FS2L 23−2453,851
November 2512:00 p.m.Houston
  • FBC Mortgage Stadium
  • Orlando, FL
FS1W 27–1343,610
December 226:30 p.m.vs. Georgia Tech*
ESPNL 17–3030,281
  1. ^ Partially aired on FOX as a look-in due to lightning delayed Oklahoma-Kansas game

Game summaries

edit

Kent State

edit
See also: 2023 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
Kent State Golden Flashes at UCF Knights
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Golden Flashes 3 0 306
Knights 14 14 141456

at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL

Game information
Statistics KENT UCF
First downs 15 32
Total yards 240 723
Rushing yards 95 389
Passing yards 145 334
Turnovers 1 3
Time of possession 28:34 31:26
Team Category Player Statistics
Kent State Passing Michael Alaimo 12–31, 145 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Gavin Garcia 18 carries, 45 yards
Receiving Chrishon McCray 3 receptions, 61 yards
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 22–30, 281 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Johnny Richardson 12 carries, 100 yards
Receiving Xavier Townsend 5 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD

Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw for 281 yards and rushed for 90 yards as the Knights routed Kent State 56–6 on Thursday night. The game marked UCF's first football game as a member of the Big 12. The Knights won their 8th consecutive season opener.

at Boise State

edit
See also: 2023 Boise State Broncos football team
UCF Knights at Boise State Broncos
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Knights 3 6 0918
Broncos 7 3 0616

at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID

  • Date: September 9, 2023
  • Game time: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game attendance: 36,447
  • TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins and Devin Gardner
  • Gamecast
Game information
Statistics UCF BSU
First downs 23 22
Total yards 530 384
Rushing yards 258 173
Passing yards 272 211
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 28:03 31:57
Team Category Player Statistics
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 16–24, 272 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Rushing John Rhys Plumlee 11 carries, 73 yards
Receiving Kobe Hudson 5 receptions, 134 yards
Boise State Passing Taylen Green 9–19, 144 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Ashton Jeanty 24 carries, 115 yards
Receiving Ashton Jeanty 5 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD

Colton Boomer kicked a 40-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lift the Knights over the Boise State Broncos by the score of 18–16. Boomer went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a school record-tying 55 yarder in the second quarter. Late in the game, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee suffered a leg injury which will require him to miss multiple weeks.[28]

No. 24 (FCS) Villanova

edit
See also: 2023 Villanova Wildcats football team
No. 24 (FCS) Villanova Wildcats at UCF Knights
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 24 (FCS) Wildcats 0 0 01414
Knights 17 17 7748

at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL

  • Date: September 16, 2023
  • Game time: 6:30 pm EDT
  • Game attendance: 44,206
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Drew Fellios and Forrest Conoly
  • Gamecast
Game information
Statistics NOVA UCF
First downs 11 31
Total yards 228 600
Rushing yards 84 251
Passing yards 144 349
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 27:08 32:52
Team Category Player Statistics
Villanova Passing Connor Watkins 9-23, 144 yards, 1 INT
Rushing Deewil Barlee 7 carries, 39 yards
Receiving Jaylan Sanchez 1 receptions, 45 yards
UCF Passing Timmy McClain 20–28, 321 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing R. J. Harvey 14 carries, 85 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Kobe Hudson 6 receptions, 147 yards

Timmy McClain started at quarterback for the injured John Rhys Plumlee. McClain threw for 321 yards, and the UCF offense racked up 600 total yards as the Knights soundly defeated FCS #24 Villanova by the score of 48–14.

at Kansas State

edit
See also: 2023 Kansas State Wildcats football team
UCF Knights at Kansas State Wildcats
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Knights 10 7 7731
Wildcats 7 14 101344

at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS

Game information
Statistics UCF KSU
First downs 19 32
Total yards 407 536
Rushing yards 143 255
Passing yards 264 255
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 25:37 34:23
Team Category Player Statistics
UCF Passing Timmy McClain 14-24, 264 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Johnny Richardson 6 carries, 76 yards
Receiving Kobe Hudson 6 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TD
Kansas State Passing Will Howard 27-42, 255 yards, 1 INT
Rushing D. J. Giddens 30 carries, 207 yards, 4 TD
Receiving D. J. Giddens 8 receptions, 96 yards

UCF traveled to Kansas State for their first-ever intra-conference game in the Big 12. Timmy McClain once again started at quarterback, throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns. The Knights defense, however, could not contain the Wildcats offense, and lost by the score of 44–31. D.J. Giddens rushed for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns, and caught 8 balls for another 86 yards. The game was tied 24–24 midway through the third quarter, but Kansas State put the game away with 20 unanswered points. Ten penalties for 80 yards on UCF, two turnovers in Wildcats territory, plus a lopsided time of possession were factors in the loss.

Baylor

edit
See also: 2023 Baylor Bears football team
Baylor Bears at UCF Knights
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 7 0 32636
Knights 21 7 7035

at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL

  • Date: September 30, 2023
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 83 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 44,005
  • Referee: Henry Johns
  • TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins and Devin Gardner
  • Gamecast
Game information
Statistics BU UCF
First downs 22 18
Total yards 446 469
Rushing yards 153 235
Passing yards 293 234
Turnovers 1 2
Time of possession 35:31 24:29
Team Category Player Statistics
Baylor Passing Blake Shapen 21-34, 293 yards, 1 INT
Rushing Richard Reese 16 carries, 100 yards
Receiving Monaray Baldwin 7 receptions, 150 yards, 1 TD
UCF Passing Timmy McClain 13-25, 234 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Johnny Richardson 6 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Javon Baker 3 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD

UCF hosted Baylor for their first intra-conference home game in the Big 12. The game was a rematch of the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The Knights blew a 35–7 lead. Baylor scored a go-ahead field goal with 1:21 remaining and won 36–35. On the first play from scrimmage, Johnny Richardson broke free for a 79-yard touchdown run, and after two more quick scores, UCF jumped out to an early 21–0 lead. The Knights eventually built a 35–7 lead, which they held late in the third quarter. Baylor scored 29 unanswered points, including two touchdown passes from Blake Shapen, and a 72-yard fumble return for a touchdown. UCF got the ball back one last time with 1:21 remaining. Colton Boomer's 59-yard field goal attempt fell no good as time expired, and Baylor escaped with the victory.

at Kansas

edit
See also: 2023 Kansas Jayhawks football team
UCF Knights at Kansas Jayhawks
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Knights 0 0 81422
Jayhawks 3 21 131451

at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS

Game information
Statistics UCF KU
First downs 21 25
Total yards 371 490
Rushing yards 202 399
Passing yards 169 91
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 25:35 34:25
Team Category Player Statistics
UCF Passing Timmy McClain 12-15, 136 yards, 2 TD
Rushing R. J. Harvey 16 carries, 133 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Javon Baker 4 receptions, 85 yards
Kansas Passing Jason Bean 8-12, 91 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Devin Neal 12 carries, 154 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Luke Grimm 2 receptions, 41 yards

John Rhys Plumlee returned to start at quarterback, but played for only three drives in the first half. Timmy McClain took over and played the rest of the game. Kansas dominated UCF, jumping out to a 31–0 lead, and pulling away for a 51–22 victory. The Jayhawks put up 399 yards rushing, while UCF was held to a season-low 371 total yards.

at No. 6 Oklahoma

edit
See also: 2023 Oklahoma Sooners football team
UCF Knights at No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Knights 0 17 6629
No. 6 Sooners 7 10 01431

at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK

  • Date: October 21, 2023
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 83,476
  • Referee: Derek Anderson
  • TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play) , Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) & Tom Luginbill (sideline)
  • Gamecast
Game information
Statistics UCF OKLA
First downs 20 30
Total yards 397 442
Rushing yards 149 189
Passing yards 248 253
Turnovers 0 1
Time of possession 30:16 29:44
Team Category Player Statistics
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 16–30, 248 yards, 2 TD
Rushing R. J. Harvey 23 carries, 101 yards
Receiving Javon Baker 5 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TD
Oklahoma Passing Dillon Gabriel 25–38, 253 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Marcus Major 18 carries, 82 yards
Receiving Nic Anderson 5 receptions, 105 yards, 2 TD

UCF traveled to Norman to take on Oklahoma. Facing former quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Knights nearly upset the No. 6 ranked Sooners. UCF led 23–17 after three quarters, before Oklahoma scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to take a 31–23 lead. John Rhys Plumlee, back in the starting lineup, drove the Knights 75 yards in 9 plays. On 4th & 10 at the Oklahoma 12, Plumee found Javon Baker for a 12-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 31–29 with 1:16 left in regulation. UCF's two-point conversion attempt was snuffed out, and the Sooners held on for the victory.

West Virginia

edit
See also: 2023 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
West Virginia Mountaineers at UCF Knights
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Mountaineers 10 7 71741
Knights 7 7 7728

at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL

Game information
Statistics WVU UCF
First downs 25 27
Total yards 450 463
Rushing yards 286 189
Passing yards 164 274
Turnovers 1 4
Time of possession 36:06 23:54
Team Category Player Statistics
West Virginia Passing Garrett Greene 14-23, 156 yards
Rushing C.J. Donaldson 17 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Devin Carter 3 receptions, 47 yards
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 25–36, 274 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Rushing RJ Harvey 14 carries, 100 yards
Receiving Kobe Hudson 3 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD

UCF hosted West Virginia on Homecoming. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, as the Mountaineers won 41–28. West Virginia put up 286 yards rushing, and quarterback Garrett Greene ran for three touchdowns.

at Cincinnati

edit
See also: 2023 Cincinnati Bearcats football team
UCF Knights at Cincinnati Bearcats
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Knights 7 7 7728
Bearcats 3 7 7926

at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

  • Date: November 4, 2023
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m.
  • Game attendance: 38,193
  • TV announcers (FS1): Adam Alexander, Devin Gardner
  • Gamecast
Game information
Statistics UCF CIN
First downs 23 23
Total yards 393 515
Rushing yards 228 248
Passing yards 165 267
Turnovers 0 2
Time of possession 27:03 32:57
Team Category Player Statistics
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 13–23, 165 yards
Rushing R. J. Harvey 20 carries, 164 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Javon Baker 4 receptions, 93 yards
Cincinnati Passing Emory Jones 16–22, 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Corey Kiner 19 carries, 114 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Braden Smith 6 receptions, 114 yards, 1 TD

UCF traveled to rival Cincinnati, and won their first conference game in Big 12 conference play. Running back R. J. Harvey had a career-best 164 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Harvey scored a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up 28–20 with 2:41 left in regulation. Emory Jones then drove the Bearcats 75 yards in five plays for a touchdown, making the score 28–26 with 1:27 left. Jones' two-point conversion pass was tipped and fell incomplete, and the Knights held on to win 28–26.

No. 15 Oklahoma State

edit
See also: 2023 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
Oklahoma State Cowboys at UCF Knights
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 15 Cowboys 0 0 303
Knights 14 10 14745

at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL

Game information
Statistics OSU UCF
First downs 15 21
Total yards 277 592
Rushing yards 52 293
Passing yards 225 299
Turnovers 4 1
Time of possession 25:15 34:45
Team Category Player Statistics
Oklahoma State Passing Alan Bowman 19–36, 225 yards, 3 INT
Rushing Ollie Gordon II 12 carries, 25 yards
Receiving Rashod Owens 6 receptions, 85 yards
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 11–18, 299 yards, 3 TD
Rushing R. J. Harvey 24 carries, 206 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Javon Baker 4 receptions, 112 yards

UCF hosted then-No. 15 Oklahoma State in their seventh annual "Space Game". The Knights dominated the game from start to finish, and routed the Cowboys 45–3. John Rhys Plumlee threw for 299 yards and three touchdown passes, while R.J. Harvey rushed for a career-best 206 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The UCF defense held Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II (the nation's leading rusher) to only 25 yards, and forced four turnovers. The Knights won their first Big 12 intra-conference home game, and first Big 12 intra-conference game against an existing/original team from the conference. After the game, fans stormed the field to celebrate.

UCF jumped out to a quick 14–0 lead in the first quarter. R.J. Harvey got the Knights on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run on their first drive. Ollie Gordon then fumbled in Knights territory, which led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from John Rhys Plumlee to Kobe Hudson. Braeden Marshall picked off Alan Bowman's deflected pass, which led to a Knights field goal early in the second quarter. A huge downpour then pelted the stadium, but it did not slow down the Knights offense. Plumlee found Kobe Hudson for a 75-yard touchdown, and the Knights led 24–0 at halftime.

Oklahoma State got the ball to start the third quarter. The Cowboys drove to the Knights 7 yard line, but had to settle for a field goal. On the ensuing drive, Plumlee was sacked and fumbled, giving the Cowboys the ball at the UCF 24. Two plays later, however, Demari Henderson tipped and intercepted a pass by Bowman at the 8 yard line. It was Bowman's third interception of the game, and Henderson's second such of the game defensively. On the very next play from scrimmage, R.J. Harvey took a handoff and blasted through for a 92-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up 31–3. UCF would tack on two more scores, and defeated Oklahoma State by the final score of 45–3.

at Texas Tech

edit
See also: 2023 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
UCF Knights at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Knights 14 0 0923
Red Raiders 0 14 7324

at Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX

  • Date: November 18, 2023
  • Game time: 5:30 p.m.
  • Game attendance: 53,851
  • TV announcers (FS2): Guy Haberman, Charles Arbuckle
  • Gamecast
Game information
Statistics UCF TTU
First downs 23 25
Total yards 486 446
Rushing yards 238 190
Passing yards 248 256
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 31:57 28:03
Team Category Player Statistics
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 16–32, 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing John Rhys Plumlee 13 carries, 84 yards
Receiving Javon Baker 4 receptions, 117 yards, 1 TD
Texas Tech Passing Behren Morton 21–35, 256 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Tahj Brooks 24 carries, 182 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Xavier White 3 receptions, 77 yards

UCF traveled to take on Texas Tech. The Knights jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with two touchdown runs by R. J. Harvey. With 5:30 left in the fourth quarter, UCF was trailing 24–17. John Rhys Plumlee found Javon Baker wide open for a 71-yard touchdown pass. But Colton Boomer's game-tying extra point attempt was blocked and sailed wide left. The Red Raiders were able to run out the clock and held on for a 24–23 victory.

Houston

edit
See also: 2023 Houston Cougars football team
Houston Cougars at UCF Knights
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cougars 10 0 0313
Knights 6 7 14027

at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL

  • Date: November 25, 2023
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game attendance: 43,610
  • TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins, Devin Gardner
  • Gamecast
Game information
Statistics HOU UCF
First downs 17 23
Total yards 259 476
Rushing yards 94 223
Passing yards 165 253
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 27:04 32:56
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Donovan Smith 12–20, 161 yards, 1 TD, I INT
Rushing Stacy Sneed 3 carries, 33 yards
Receiving Joseph Manjack IV 4 receptions, 74 yards
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 23–27, 253 yards, 1 TD
Rushing R. J. Harvey 21 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Kobe Hudson 9 receptions, 98 yards

UCF hosted Houston in their regular season finale. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw for 253 yards and running back R. J. Harvey rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns, as the Knights defeated the Cougars 27–13. With the win, UCF finished the regular season 6–6 overall (3–6 in the Big 12), and became bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season. The UCF offense put up 476 total yards, but the kicking game struggled for the second week in a row. Colton Boomer missed two field goals and an extra point.

Gasparilla Bowl

edit
See also: 2023 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team and 2023 Gasparilla Bowl
2023 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Georgia Tech 0 17 31030
UCF 14 3 0017

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: Friday, December 22, 2023
  • Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Wind: 6 mph (9.7 km/h) NE
  • Game attendance: 30,281
  • Referee: Cravonne Barrett
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), and Taylor Tannebaum (sideline)
  • Box score
Game information
Statistics GT UCF
First downs 21 19
Plays–yards 69–371 69–424
Rushes–yards 53–284 34–169
Passing yards 87 255
Passing: comp–att–int 7–13–1 17–33–1
Time of possession 33:30 26:30
Team Category Player Statistics
Georgia Tech Passing Haynes King 7/13, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Jamal Haynes 18 carries, 128 yards
Receiving Malik Rutherford 2 receptions, 40 yards, 1 TD
UCF Passing John Rhys Plumlee 16/29, 198 yards, 2 TD
Rushing R. J. Harvey 15 carries, 120 yards
Receiving Javon Baker 9 receptions, 173 yards, 1 TD

UCF faced Georgia Tech in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl. It was the sixth meeting between the two teams. UCF had won the most recent meeting 27–10 in 2022. This was UCF's sixth appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl (formerly known as the St. Petersburg Bowl). George O'Leary, formerly the head coach of both teams, took part in the pre-game coin toss.

The Knights jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter. John Rhys Plumlee threw touchdown passes to Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson. UCF was looking to go up 21–0 when their drive was snuffed out as R.J. Harvey fumbled away the ball at the Georgia Tech 42. The turnover led to a Yellow Jackets field goal, and was a turning point in the game. The Knights defense held Georgia Tech to only 87 yards passing, but the Yellow Jackets put up 284 yards on the ground. Trailing 17–3, Georgia Tech scored 27 unanswered points, and won by the score of 30–17.

Personnel

edit
2023 UCF Knights Football

Quarterbacks

Running backs

  •  0 Johnny Richardson – Sr.
  •  5 Jordan McDonald – So.
  •  6 Mark-Antony Richards –   Sr.
  • 7 R.J. Harvey –   Sr.
  •  20 Kam Ingram –   So.
  • 23 Demarkcus Bowman –   Jr.
  • 37 Preston Foreman –   Fr.

Wide receivers

  •  1 Javon Baker – Sr.
  •  2 Kobe Hudson – Sr.
  •  3 Xavier Townsend – So.
  •  4 Corey Gammage –   Sr.
  •  11 Chauncey Magwood – Jr.
  • 15 Tyree Patterson – Fr.
  • 16 Stephen Martin –   Jr.
  • 17 Amari Johnson – Sr.
  • 18 Jaylon Griffin –   Sr.
  • 19 Jarrad Baker –   Sr.
  • 24 Andrew Dickson –   So.
  • 31 JaJuan Forte –   5th-Sr.
  • 38 Dionte Marks –   Sr.
  • 80 Trent Whittemore –   Jr.
  • 81 Tyler Griffin –   Fr.
  • 87 Dwartney Wortham –   Fr.
  • 89 Cullen Smith –   So.

Tight ends/H-back

  •  13 Randy Pittman – Fr.
  • 41 Jack Morgan – So.
  • 49 Max Holler –   Jr.
  • 82 Alec Holler –   5th-Sr. (C)
  • 83 Garrett French –   Jr.
  • 84 Thomas Wadsworth –   Fr.
  • 85 Zach Marsh Wojan –   5th-Sr.
  • 86 Jordan Davis –   Jr.  
  • 88 Grant Stevens –   Fr.
  

Offensive Lineman

  • 50 Patrick Barnett –   Jr.
  • 52 Caden Kitler –   Fr.
  • 54 Bula Schmidt –   Sr.
  • 55 Cameron Kinnie –   Jr.
  • 56 Johnathan Cline – Fr.
  • 57 John Harris –   Sr.
  • 59 Keyon Cox – Fr.
  • 60 Drake Metcalf –   Jr.
  • 64 Shaheem Hill –   Fr.
  • 66 Chidoziri Maghiro –   5th-Sr.
  • 68 Ethan Higgins – Fr.
  • 69 Paul Rubelt –   Jr.
  • 70 Edward Collins –   5th-Sr.
  • 71 Tylan Grable –   5th-Sr.
  • 72 Marcellus Marshall – Jr.
  • 74 Matthew Prigmore – Fr.
  • 75 Andrew Phelan – Fr.
  • 76 Adrian Medley –   Sr.
  • 77 Lokahi Pauole – 5th-Sr. (C)
  • 78 Amari Kight –   Sr.

Kickers/Punters

  • 32 Michael Carter –   Fr.
  • 35 Colton Boomer – So.
  • 40 Mitch McCarthy – So.
  • 98 Kriston Esnard –   So.
  • 80 Grant Reddick – Fr.

Long snappers

  • 26 Chris Bowerfind –   So.
  • 42 Aidan Fedigan – So.
  • 41 Gage King –   Sr.
  

Defensive tackles

  •  2 Lee Hunter –   So.
  •  5 Ricky Barber –   Sr. (C)
  • 40 Kervins Choute –   Jr.
  • 55 John Walker – Fr.
  • 56 Matthew Alexander –   So.
  • 87 Andrew Rumph – Fr.
  • 90 Derrick LeBlanc – Fr.
  • 91 Keshaun Hudson – So.
  • 94 Chris Ficka – Fr.

Linebacker

  • 0 Jason Johnson –   5th-Sr (C)
  • 16 T.J. Bullard –   Fr.
  • 15 Isaiah Paul –   Sr.
  • 17 Rian Davis –   Sr.
  • 20 Troy Ford Jr. – Fr.
  • 25 Camden Vining –   So.
  • 27 Walter Yates III –   5th-Sr.
  • 28 Andrew Harris – Fr.
  • 30 Kam Moore – So.
  • 35 Keenan Cupit –   Jr.
  • 43 Kingston Gorney –   Sr.
  • 45 Quentin Hatch – So.
  • 54 Keeron Henderson – Sr.

Defensive back

  •  3 Ja'Cari Henderson –   Fr.
  •  4 Braeden Marshall – Fr.
  •  7 Fred Davis – Sr.
  •  8 Demari Henderson – So.
  • 9 Jireh Wilson – 5th-Sr.
  • 10 Quadric Bullard – Sr.
  • 11 Decorian Patterson –  Sr.
  • 13 DeJordan Mask – 5th-Sr.
  • 14 Corey Thornton – Sr.
  • 18 Ja'Maric Morris –   Sr.
  • 19 Hudson Gibbs – Fr.
  • 21 Nikai Martinez – So.
  • 22 Jason Duclona – Fr.
  • 24 Jarvis Ware –   Sr.
  • 26 Daniel McCullon –   Jr.
  • 29 William Wells – Jr.
  • 31 Brandon Adams – Jr.
  • 34 Terrell Jackson – So.
  • 36 Champ Jenkins –   So.
  • 39 R.D. Cooper – Sr.
  • 46 Nicholas Antoine–   Fr.
  

Defensive ends

  • 3 Tre'Mon Morris-Brash – 5th-Sr.
  • 6 Isaiah Nixon – Fr.
  • 33 Kaven Call – Fr.
  • 47 K.D. McDaniel –   Sr.
  • 51 Malachi Lawrence –   So.
  • 12 Shaun Peterson Jr. –   Sr.
  • 58 Dallaz Corbitt –   Sr.
  • 88 Josh Celiscar – Sr. (C)
  • 96 Trace O'Hara –   Jr.
  • 92 Finau Fine –   Jr.
  • 99 Jamaal Johnson –   Fr.

Legend

  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Coaching staff

→ Roster updated September, 2023
→ Depth chart updated September, 2023

Awards and milestones

edit

National honors

edit

All-Americans

edit
All-American Honors
Player Athletic Athlon BR CBS Sports CFN ESPN FOX Sports Phil Steele SI USA Today
Javon Baker HM
RJ Harvey HM
Tre'Mon Morris-Brash HM
HM = Honorable mention.

All-Big 12 Conference

edit
Big 12 All-Conference Honors
Player Big 12 AP Athlon CFN PFF Phil Steele USA Today
Javon Baker 1st[33][34] 2nd[35] 1st[36] 1st [37] S[38] 1st
Colton Boomer HM
Tylan Grable HM HM
Demari Henderson HM
RJ Harvey HM 2nd 1st 2nd
Kobe Hudson HM 2nd 2nd 2nd
Lee Hunter HM 3rd 2nd
Jason Johnson 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st
Malachi Lawrence HM
Nikai Martinez HM
Marcellus Marshall 2nd
Tre'Mon Morris-Brash 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
Lokahi Pauole HM 2nd S[39]
John Rhys Plumlee HM
Corey Thornton HM HM
Xavier Townsend HM HM 3rd
Walter Yates III HM
HM = Honorable mention.

S = Selected, indicating they were selected for a singular "best of" All-Big 12 team.

Big 12 Conference honors

edit
  • Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 2): Colton Boomer[40]
  • Co-Offense Player of the Week (Week 10): R. J. Harvey[41]
  • Defensive Player of the Week (Week 11): Demari Henderson[42]
  • Tre'Mon Morris-Brash (Defensive Lineman of the Year - Honorable Mention)[33][34]
  • Randy Pittman Jr. (Offensive Freshman of the Year - Honorable Mention)[33][34]
  • John Walker (Defensive Freshman of the Year - Honorable Mention)[33][34]

School records

edit
  • Longest field goal (ties school record): 55 yards, Colton Boomer (at Boise State), September 9, 2023[40]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "2023 Central Florida Knights Football Depth Chart". ourlads.com. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Vannini, Chris (July 12, 2023). "Inside UCF's rise from D-III to Big 12 and what's next: 'This could be the premier place'". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "2023 UCF Football Transfer Portal". On3. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "2023 College Football Transfer Portal". 247Sports. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  5. ^ Forcella, Daniel (January 24, 2023). "2023 UCF Football Spring Game Set for April 14". UCFKnights.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  6. ^ "2023 All-Big 12 College Football Preseason Team and Individual Honors". collegefootballnetwork.com. August 1, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  7. ^ THE 11TH ANNUAL REESE'S SENIOR BOWL WATCHLIST, seniorbowl.com, retrieved October 28, 2023
  8. ^ "Johnson is UCF nominee for Campbell trophy". UCFKnights.com. August 29, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "2023 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List". polynesianfootballhof.com. August 17, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  10. ^ "Allstate Sugar Bowl Announces Manning Award Watch List=Allstatesugarbowl.com". August 15, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "Johnson tabbed to Bednarik award watch list". UCFKnights.com. August 14, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  12. ^ "The 2023 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List". athlonsports.com. August 11, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  13. ^ "Harvey featured on Doak Walker watch list". UCFKnights.com. August 9, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  14. ^ "McCarthy named to Ray Guy award watch list". UCFKnights.com. August 8, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  15. ^ "Plumlee Tabbed to Davey O'Brien Award Watch List". UCFKnights.com. August 8, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  16. ^ "Gammage named to Biletnikoff award watch list". UCFKnights.com. August 7, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Boomer named to Lou Groza award watch list". UCFKnights.com. August 2, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  18. ^ "Johnson featured on Bronko Nagurski watch list". UCFKnights.com. August 1, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "Pauole selected to the outland trophy watch list". UCFKnights.com. August 1, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  20. ^ "Plumlee named to Maxwell Award Watchlist". UCFKnights.com. July 31, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  21. ^ "Texas Selected Atop Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll". Big12Sports.com. July 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Adelson, Andrea (June 10, 2022). "Cincinnati, Houston, UCF reach exit deal with American, to join Big 12 in 2023". ESPN. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  23. ^ Beede, Jason (January 24, 2022). "UCF adds old conference foe, Kent State, to 2023 schedule". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Beede, Jason (February 1, 2023). "Marc Daniels: It's More Than A Schedule For UCF". WYGM 96.9 The Game. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  25. ^ a b c Heisler, John (May 31, 2023). "First Two 2023 UCF Football Games on FS1". ucfknights.com.
  26. ^ https://twitter.com/UCF_Football/status/1701281088478306537 [bare URL]
  27. ^ "2023 UCF Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  28. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (September 11, 2023). "UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee expected to miss multiple weeks, including Big 12 opener, with leg injury". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  29. ^ "UCF is Cheez-It National Team of the Week". Sportswriters.net. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  30. ^ "Malzahn named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week". ucfknights.com. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  31. ^ "UCF's John Rhys Plumlee earns Manning Award Quarterback of the Week". crescentcitysports. November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  32. ^ Wilson, Justin (November 30, 2023). "Walker named On3 True Freshman All-American". UCFKnights.com. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  33. ^ a b c d Wilson, Justin (November 29, 2023). "UCF's 2023 All-Big 12 Football Awards Announced". UCFKnights.com. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d "2023 All-Big 12 Football Awards Announced" (PDF). Big12sports.com. November 29, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  35. ^ Hawkins, Stephen (December 8, 2023). "TD-scoring Texas DT T'Vondre Sweat and Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon top AP All-Big 12 team". Associated Press. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  36. ^ Lassan, Steven (December 15, 2023). "College Football: 2023 Postseason All-Big 12 Team". Athlon Sports. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  37. ^ Mellor, Cam (December 2, 2023). "2023 All-Big 12 College Football Team and Individual Honors". College Football Network. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  38. ^ Chadwick, Max (December 11, 2023). "2023 College Football All-Big 12 Team: Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II, Texas DI T'Vondre Sweat and more". Pro Football Focus. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  39. ^ Davis, Danny (November 29, 2023). "USA TODAY Sports Network 2023 All-Big 12 football team: Gordon, Sarkisian earn top awards". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  40. ^ a b "UCF, OU and UT Earn Big 12 Football Week 2 Awards". Big12sports.com. Big 12 Conference. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  41. ^ "UCF, OSU and UT Receive Big 12 Football Week 10 Awards". Big12sports.com. Big 12 Conference. November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  42. ^ "UCF, ISU, OU and TTU Claim Big 12 Football Week 11 Awards". Big12Sports.com. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2023_UCF_Knights_football_team&oldid=1257734895"