ORLANDO, Fla.- UCF hangs on to beat USF 49-42.  This game was an absolute roller coaster and many things stood out in the chaos of battle. Here are the top 3 things that stood amongst the carnage in this year’s War on I4.

The Fans

The crowd was electric at Spectrum Stadium tonight.  47,129 fans were in attendance, almost all of them was dressed in black.  The press box was shaking.  It was unclear if my stomach was upset because of the anxiety the game was causing, or the shacking of the stadium.  It was great to see, and if UCF can sustain success, many more games will feel this way.

“The crowd was unbelievable, the crowd when we showed up at the stadium was unbelievable, the leadership at this university is unbelievable, this community has been unbelievable,” Frost said enthusiastically. “This place is really special, I saw a glimpse tonight of what it can be, we started at the bottom 2 years ago.  I knew we could be good, I didn’t think it could happen this fast.”

Mike Hughes

This guy is an absolute monster.  USF was kicking away from him all game.  When he finally got his chance to return one, he took it to the house.  It was at the most crucial time for the Knights, putting them up by seven with 1:28 left on the clock.  Mike has been a total gamechanger for the Knights special teams this year, averaging 32.4 yards per return.

“He has been a difference maker on our football team all year,” Frost said about Hughes. “He has been a great teammate and we are happy he is here.”

“We definitely needed a big play.  Once the ball was short and I had a couple of cut back lanes, it was over,” Mike Hughes said reliving his big return.

#UCFast

Not talking about on the field quickness here, more about the turnaround of this program.  Two years ago, this team won 0 games.  Two years later they had an undefeated regular season.  They have a quarterback that could be in New York for the Heisman trophy presentation, they have an outside linebacker that has inspired the nation, and most of all they have a city behind them.  I was out and about last night doing some shopping, and I saw UCF gear everywhere.  People are taking about this team, not just on campus, everywhere I go.  It is a beautiful thing.  Scott Frost turned this program around so fast, and Orlando is thankful.

“There is nothing better than winning a championship, we got one more to go to win the championship we want,” Frost said.  “If someone would of told me at the beginning of the year that I would be sitting here 11-0 – first of all I would have wondered what happened to the other game – then I would have called you crazy.”