ORLANDO, Fla. – McKenzie Milton added three more touchdowns to the collection, the offense dropped over six hundred yards and the UCF defense bellowed an earth-rumbling challenge to the American Athletic Conference Saturday night as the Knights rolled to a 42-point win over East Carolina.
For the second consecutive week Scott Frost’s offense performed up to their own astronomical standards, taking what they wanted when they wanted from the Pirates. Milton has mastered his offense.
“I can’t find many flaws in what he’s doing, at least from the sideline,” Frost said on the hot hand of his quarterback. “We’ll watch the tape, but he’s making great decisions, putting the ball on the money when we need him too. He’s operating the offense pretty well.”
“I can’t imagine too many people would be able to do what he does in our offense.”
Though the rocket arm of Milton and Mach-five speed of the weapons around him remain constant threats for the Knights’ scoring unit, the recipe for a blowout continues to evolve for the Knights. No one player other than the signal caller has strung together back-to-back weeks of domination.
“We’re not going to score this many points every week, but it’s fun when we do,” said Coach Frost. “In games like this you’re hoping you can get the ball to the right guys enough times, but if you don’t, shoot, somebody else might score. That’s a good problem to have. It was Tre Quan’s week last week, getting into the end zone a bunch, and a bunch of other guys found their way in tonight.”
This week it was two of the unit’s slower threats that sparked the tinderbox. Tight End Jordan Akins stumbled 41 yards into the end zone in the first quarter and Defensive End Jamiyus Pittman hauled in a five-yard score to notch UCF’s first two touchdowns.
Pittman’s debut as a graceful receiver had been building up for quite a while now as the senior continues his farewell campaign.
“We’ve practiced that play the last couple of weeks, and I think if I didn’t throw it to him he probably would have fought me,” said McKenzie Milton about the play call.
Eleven receivers and eight ball-carriers toted the rock on Saturday. The Knights scored on special teams, offense and defense for the first time since their last meeting with ECU. Three defensive players poked their way into the end zone – Mike Hughes on the 66-yard punt return, Tre Neal on the 50-yard interception and Jamiyus on the four-yard offensive cameo.
Nobody could have told you how, when, or how badly UCF was going to hurt you on any given possession, no matter who had possession. Nine different Knights found pay dirt against East Carolina: Milton, Akins, Pittman, McGowan, Killins, Neal, Hughes, Vedral and McCrae.
There was no dancing in the locker room according to Frost, and the raw emotion that permeated post-game victories against Maryland, Memphis and Cincinnati has faded quickly.
For the 2017 Knights, a 63-21 smackdown is just another day at work.
