In the face of adversity – trailing East Carolina 13-16 with just 3:39 remaining in the game, the Knights’ offense was in crucial need of a score.
After gaining just two yards on the previous three plays, the game was on the line with the Knights facing a fourth-and-eight.
Here, freshman quarterback Mikey Keene found redshirt sophomore running back Mark Antony-Richards for a 12-yard reception to keep UCF’s hopes alive.
Just moments after, Richards came through, again, for the Knights with a 19-yard run that got UCF down to ECU’s eight-yard line.
From here, the Knights kept feeding Richards. A seven-yard run got the Knights down to the one-yard line. The next play, Richards got stopped just short of the end-zone, making it third-and-goal from the one-yard line.
The Knights went right back to Richards, who ran in the one-yard touchdown to give UCF the 20-16 lead with just 23 seconds remaining in the game – a lead the Knights wouldn’t let go.
In what was expected to be a high-scoring battle between two dynamic offensive units, the stellar defensive play by both teams was the theme of this game.
UCF’s defense made an opening statement on the game’s very first drive. After driving 65 yards down the field, the Knights’ defense forced an East Carolina fumble, which was recovered by UCF sophomore defensive lineman Josh Celiscar at the Knights’ 10 yard-line.
Unable to take advantage of this opportunity, the Knights were forced to punt away their first possession of the game – the first of seven total first half punts between both teams.
After forcing the Pirates to punt the following possession, UCF scored the game’s first points after driving 62 yards down the field. A 35-yard field goal by junior kicker Daniel Obarski gave UCF a 3-0 lead with 14:57 remaining in the second quarter. The highlight of the drive was a 26-yard run by Antony-Richards, which got UCF down to ECU’s 15 yard line.
The Pirates responded with a field goal of their own after a 10-play, 64-yard drive. A 29-yard field goal by ECU kicker Owen Daffer tied the game up at 3-apiece with 10:25 remaining in the first half.
UCF’s defense eventually forced its second turnover of the game when Knight junior linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste intercepted a pass-attempt by ECU junior QB Holton Ahlers just before halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Knights suffered their first turnover of the game when Keene was intercepted by the Pirates, who returned it four yards to UCF’s 28 yard-line.
East Carolina would take advantage of the short field, as a 23-yard successful field goal attempt by Daffer gave ECU a 6-3 lead with 10:34 remaining in the third quarter.
UCF’s offense responded with a scoring drive of their own – which was kick-started by a 38-yard run by sophomore running back Johnny Richardson. This drive would also be capped off by Richardson, who ran in a four-yard touchdown to give UCF a 10-6 lead with 7:59 to go in the third quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 13-yard reception by junior receiver Ryan O’Keefe from Keene, which got UCF down to ECU’s four yard-line.
After trading punts, the Pirates’ offense found the end-zone for the first time, as a 27-yard passing touchdown from Ahlers to receiver Audie Omotosho gave ECU a 13-10 lead with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter.
After another stalled UCF drive, the Pirates produced another scoring drive. After marching 66 yards down the field, a 34-yard field goal by Daffer extended the Pirates’ lead to 16-10 with 7:01 remaining in the game.
Down six points with just a little over seven minutes remaining in the game, the Knights got the ball back – in need of a productive drive. A 48-yard reception by Richardson from Keene filled this need, as this would ultimately set up a 40-yard Obarski field goal, which reduced the Knights’ deficit to just three points with 5:06 remaining in the game.
The UCF defense, then, asserted its dominance again. Needing a stop desperately, the Knights forced a crucial three-and-out with just 3:39 remaining in the game, giving the offense a chance to either tie or take the lead with dwindling.
Aside from the vigorous play from the Knights’ defense, big nights from Richardson, Richards, and O’Keefe helped propel the Knights to victory.
Richardson finished the night rushing for 104 yards – a game high – and a touchdown on 16 attempts.
Richards rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt sophomore, in addition, averaged an eye-popping 9.7 yards per carry on the night.
O’Keefe hauled in 10 receptions for 73 yards.
UCF’s 20-16 win improves the Knights’ record to 3-2, in addition, gives them their first win of AAC play.
The Knights will visit No. 5 Cincinnati next Saturday at noon. The game will be aired on ABC.
