ORLANDO, Fla. – The triumphant return of newly christened No. 23 UCF against a UCONN team struggling to keep their head above water went off without a hitch on Saturday afternoon, as the Knights rolled to a 62-17 rout over their AAC opponents.
The No.23 Knights (3-0, 6-1) entered the game as a ranked team for the first time since 2010 after knocking off the then No.8 ranked Louisville Cardinals last week.
The victory was their seventh consecutive victory in a conference home opener at Brighthouse Networks Stadium, and kept them tied in a lockstep with Houston at the top of the conference standings.
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By winning their sixth game of the season UCF is now bowl eligible for the fourth time in five seasons.
UCONN (0-3, 0-7) looked every bit the part of a winless team on a picturesque sunny day in Central Florida, turing the ball over often and failing to gain much momentum at all against the lights out UCF defense.
The defensive unit dominated this game, holding the Huskies to only 233 yards, 142 through the air and 91 rushing.
The major scoring opportunities for UCONN were few and far between early on, taking advantage of a lengthy 57 yard rush by tailback Lyle McCants on their first drive of the game and a UCF fumble at the 24 yard line later in the second quarter.
On a day in which the defense shone and special teams was effective as any unit on the field, Blake Bortles managed to stand out above the crowd without playing a down in the 4th quarter, or much of the 3rd.
Bortles was 20-24 for 286 yards and 4 TDs before being removed from the game with 12:01 left to play in the third quarter. The versatile signal caller was even productive in the run game, scrambling for 26 yards and a TD on 2 carries.
After showcasing his multi-faceted production potential last week at Louisville, running back Storm Johnson had an excellent day as well, rushing for 28 yards, catching 3 passes for 16 yards, and scoring one on the ground and one through the air.
Backup quarterback Justin Holman was given the majority of the second half to make an impression on the coaches and earn the confidence of the team, but could only convert 6 passes for 65 yards and a TD.
The offense seemed to stall out under him, but the prospect showed promise in his first contest against a conference opponent at home, rushing for 29 yards on 3 carries.
O”Leary was pleased with the freshman’s performance, pointing out that ‘”the young kid, you could see the talent level that he has. He just needs more reps.”
As a team, it was the pass attack that led the charge for UCF. With 351 yards through the air, the UCONN defense was winded, out of position and susceptible to long explosive gains, quick short passes to move the chains, and ordinary plays turning into missed tackle nightmares that gave the Knights a game tempo that never quit.
The receiving corps was at it’s best today, as 7 different receivers got into the game. Both J.J. Worton and Jeff Godfrey led the team with six receptions, though Worton was able to amass 119 yards, and Godfrey hauled in three touchdowns.
It is the versatility and cohesive play of the position group that has spelled such success for the offense this year, with each player taking a team mentality over the stat driven individual approach.
The victory stands as a statement for this ranked team, a declaration that they stand well above the general population and deserve the lofty status awarded by the season’s effort.
This was only one step on the final approach to a BCS bid, as with no conference championship to play, the Knights must win out the rest of the season to have a significant shot at the conference title.
O’Leary stated after the blowout that there were “six championship games counting today. Each week, you have to treat it like a championship game. Attack it, stay with your accountability and responsibility.”
The Knights do not face another ranked opponent on their schedule, but face a tough matchup against Houston (3-0, 6-1) on November 9th. Houston has been playing standout football as of late, and stands undefeated in the conference.
