Gasparilla Bowl – Central Florida Knights at Florida Gators
Central Florida Knights Notes
• Head coach Gus Malzahn took over as head coach at UCF on Feb. 15, 2021. Malzahn previously led Auburn to the BCS National Championship Game in 2013, eight straight years of bowl game appearances with the Tigers, an SEC Championship, two SEC West Division titles, and six New Year’s Day bowl selections. He was the National Coach of the Year in 2013.
• Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated a record of 49-12. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in 2020, and finished the 2021 regular season at 8-4 under Malzahn. UCF’s 49 wins in its last 61 games trails only Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Georgia nationally for the most victories in a program’s last 61 contests.
• Having started the program in 1979 and only having been playing at the FBS level since 1996, UCF became the youngest program by 35 years to win a New Year’s Six/BCS bowl game when the Knights defeated Baylor in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. UCF is one of just 16 programs to have appeared in three New Year’s Six/BCS bowl games between 2013-20 and one of only 13 to have won two such games in that span.
• The Knights dealt with adversity all season long, having lost nine starting caliber players for a considerable amount of time. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel missed nine games, running back R.J. Harvey missed the entire season, running back Isaiah Bowser missed five games, and Jaylon Robinson missed six games for the offense. On defense, all-conference tackle Kalia Davis missed five games, defensive tackle Ricky Barber missed two, linebacker Bryson Armstrong missed two, while cornerback Corey Thornton and linebacker Tatum Bethune missed the majority of the Louisville game and the Navy game.
• UCF still managed to finish the regular season with an 8-4 overall record, the 12th season in the program’s FBS era (1996-present) of winning eight or more games in a season, the seventh time in the last 10 seasons and the fourth straight non-COVID19 shortened season of doing so. The Knights were third in the American Athletic Conference at 5-3.
• UCF had a program record five players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft (Richie Grant, 2nd Round; Aaron Robinson, 3rd Round; Jacob Harris, 4th Round; Tay Gowan, 6th Round; Tre Nixon, 7th Round). It was more than all other AAC teams, 80% of all Big-12 teams, 79% of all Big Ten teams, 79% of ACC teams, 75% of Pac-12 teams and 57% of SEC teams. The Knights have had nine top 100 picks since 2014 and had 24 former players on NFL rosters during the 2021 preseason.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall: ___________________ Florida, 2-0
in Gainesville: ______________ Florida, 2-0
in Orlando: ________________________ —
at Neutral location: _________________ —
Streak:__________________ Florida won 2
Last meeting: _________ Florida 42, UCF 0
______________ Sept. 9, 2006 – Gainesville
UCF and Florida have met twice in the history of both programs, with the Gators having won both games in Gainesville. Florida won 58-27 back in 1999 in the first meeting between the two teams, and then won 42-0 in 2006 in the final season before the Knights moved into the Bounce House. UCF and Florida recently announced a future three-game regular season series, scheduled to play in Gainesville in 2024 and 2033 and in Orlando at the Bounce House in 2030. The Knights are 3-18 all-time against teams currently in the SEC with wins over Alabama (2000), Auburn (2018), and Georgia (2010).
THE OPPONENT
• Florida is led by interim head coach Greg Knox, after the Gators let go of head coach Dan Mullen following the regular season. Florida hired Billy Napier – former Louisiana head coach – as its new head coach on Nov. 28.
• The Gators went 6-6 during the regular season and 2-6 in SEC play. Florida started the year 4-2 and then lost four its final six games, finishing the season with a win over Florida State.
• Quarterback Emory Jones leads the Gators in both passing and rushing, finishing the regular season with 2,563 passing yards and 19 touchdowns through the air, in addition to 696 rushing yards with four touchdowns on the ground. Mohamoud Diabate leads the team with 89 tackles, while Zachary Carter leads with 11.0 TFLs.
LAST TIME OUT
With the game on the line and South Florida driving inside the 5-yard line, the UCF defense came up with its sixth sack of the game and the clock expired to give the Knights a 17-13 victory over the visiting Bulls and a 7-6 lead in the War On I-4 rivalry series. UCF (8-4, 5-3 AAC) made it necessary for South Florida (2-10, 1-7 AAC) to go for the last second touchdown when quarterback Mikey Keene led the Knights on a 10-play, 61-yard scoring drive that lasted five minutes and 24 seconds and culminated in a 32-yard Daniel Obarski field goal that put UCF up 17-13 with less than nine minutes to play in the game. The three points from Obarski were the only points for the Knights in the second half, as UCF built a 14-7 first-half lead on one touchdown on the ground in the first quarter and a second through the air in the second quarter. Redshirt freshman Parker Navarro scored for the third time in the last three games to give UCF an early lead, rushing for a 3-yard touchdown to cap an 8-play, 63-yard drive that gave the Knights the early lead. After the Bulls tied things up on the final play of the first quarter, UCF made it 14-7 when Keene found Brandon Johnson for a 7-yard touchdown pass, the senior’s 11th of the season. UCF took advantage of a short field after Titus MokiaoAtimalala recorded a career-best 39-yard punt return to get the Knights started at the South Florida 27-yard line. UCF finished the season 8-4, recorded eight or more wins for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The Knights also completed the 2021 season undefeated at home, the fourth time in the last five seasons doing so.
OFFENSE NOTES
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
• UCF ranked in the top eight nationally in both total offense and scoring offense in 2018, 2019, and 2020, the only team in the country to accomplish that.
• The Knights scored 30 or more points in 31 straight games from Aug. 31, 2017 to Sept. 28, 2019, which set a record for the longest streak in the Associated Press Poll era (since 1936) at the time.
• UCF has scored 30 or more points in 51 of its last 60 outings, 40 or more points in 32 of its last 60 games and has reached the 50-point plateau 16 times in the last 60 outings.
• This season, the Knights currently rank 38th in the nation in scoring offense at 32.2 points per game and 68th in total offense with 399.7 yards of total offense per game.
KEEN(E) OBSERVATIONS
• True freshman Mikey Keene was thrust into the action after all-conference quarterback Dillon Gabriel went down with a broken clavicle in the loss to Louisville (Sept. 17).
• Keene, who led Chandler High to a 10-0 record and Arizona Open Division state title in 2020, won the backup job in preseason camp and earned his first start against Navy (Oct. 2). He is the seventh Knight in the FBS era to start at quarterback as a true freshman and just the third to throw for two touchdown passes in first-career start as a true freshman.
• He earned his first win as a starter against ECU (Oct. 9), going 23-of-35 for 194 yards.
• Keene threw for over 200 yards in three of the final five regular season games, recording identical yardage totals of 229 yards in wins over Temple (Oct. 30) and Tulane (Nov. 6), and then throwing for 208 in the win over UConn (11/20).
• In the win over Temple, Keene became the first UCF freshman to throw for five touchdowns in a game and just the seventh Knight regardless of year to do so.
RECEIVERS ROLLING
• A first-team all-conference receiver a season ago, Jaylon Robinson missed six games after suffering an injury in the loss at Louisville (Sept. 17), but returned to action at SMU (11/13).
• He has managed 18 receptions for 322 yards with two touchdowns in just six games.
• Graduate transfer Brandon Johnson and junior Ryan O’Keefe have stepped up while Robinson was out. Johnson has caught 11 touchdown passes in his first 12 games with the Knights. In five seasons with Tennessee, he caught only one touchdown pass.
• Son of former Major League Baseball catcher Charles Johnson and cousin of former All-Pro NFL receiver Chad Johnson, he ranks 11th in the nation with his 11 touchdowns, scoring at least one in 10 of 12 regular season games.
• Johnson is now tied for eighth at UCF for touchdown receptions in a single season and would move into fifth with one in the bowl game.
• O’Keefe has been the workhorse at receiver, hauling in 77 catches for 727 yards in 12 games, scoring six touchdowns through the air, while adding 12 rushes for 164 yards and a score on the ground, and three pass completions on three attempts with two touchdowns for 66 yards. His 77 catches are tied for the sixth most in a single season by a Knight and with two more he will move into UCF’s top five. It marks the most receptions by a UCF player in a single season in the last 15 years.
THE BIG BOYS ARE BACK
• UCF returned its an entire offensive line from last season, which includes six different o-linemen that started games in 2020.
• Both Matthew Lee at center and Edward Collins at tackle started all 10 games a season ago, while Cole Schneider started nine times at guard, Samuel Jackson started eight times at both guard and tackle, Lokahi Pauole started eight times at guard, and Marcus Tatum started five times at tackle.
• This season it has been Jackson, Pauole, Lee, Schneider, and Tatum in all but one game, when Adrian Medley filled in at guard and Schneider moved to center due to an injury to Lee.
• The current UCF offensive linemen have now combined for 148 career starts at UCF and 159 total collegiate starts, including Tatum’s 11 starts at Tennessee.
• Schneider leads the pack with 46 career starts in his time at UCF, but got his first start at center at Louisville on Sept. 17, filling in for the injured Lee.
RUNNING BACK ROOM
• The UCF rushing attack has looked a lot different in 2021, as the Knights replaced their top three running backs from a season ago in Greg McCrae, Otis Anderson and Bentavious Thompson.
• The most experienced back in the room is graduate transfer Isaiah Bowser, who totaled 334 carries for 1,300 yards and seven touchdowns with Nortwestern the previous three seasons.
• In his first game as a Knight, Bowser rushed 33 times for a career-high 172 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first UCF running back to record 30 or more rushes since Brynn Harvey in 2011.
• In week two, Bowser scored four rushing touchdowns, just the third Knight to do so. He suffered an injury in the loss at Louisville and has missed games against Navy (Oct. 2), ECU (Oct. 9), SMU (11/13), UConn (11/20), and South Florida (11/26).
• As a team, UCF ranks 38th in the nation in rushing with 188.7 rushing yards per game.
• Johnny Richardson has been the guy to fill in for Bowser when he has gone down, leading the team with 693 yards on 101 carries for a 6.9 yards per carry average that currently as the second best mark in program history. Mark-Antony Richards has scored five times in a reserve role, totaling 309 yards on 48 carries, including eight for 104 at SMU (11/13). Bowser still leads the team with seven scores and 124 carries with a total of 548 yards on the ground and 74 yards through the air.
DEFENSE NOTES
TALKING TOTAL DEFENSE
• The UCF defense has been impressive at times this season. New defensive coordinator Travis Williams has the Knights ranked 55th in total defense on the season.
• That ranking is second only to the 2019 season in the last five years for UCF. — 2019 (32nd), 2021 (55th), 2017 (93rd), 2018 (95th), 2020 (123rd)
• The Knights currently rank fourth in the American Athletic Conference in total defense, allowing 368.8 yards per game.
• UCF has given up less than 300 yards of total offense in five games this season, five of its eight wins. The last time the Knights have done so in five games during a season was 2014, allowing less than 300 yards six times. — Sept. 2 vs. Boise State (283), Sept. 11 vs. Bethune-Cookman (279), Oct. 22 vs. Memphis (292), Oct. 30 at Temple (297), Nov. 6 vs. Tulane (279)
• Allowing less than 300 yards in each of its first two games, UCF did so in consecutive outings for the first time since the 2014 season, and then did it three straight games, again the first time doing so since 2014.
POINTS AT A PREMIUM
• After giving up 33.2 points per game last season, the Knights have improved in 2021, allowing only 25.2 points and ranking 55th in the country, after ranking 92nd in scoring defense a year ago.
• The Knights gave up a total of 24 points in three consecutive games, holding Memphis (Oct. 22) and Temple (Oct. 30) to just seven points each, and allowing 10 to Tulane (Nov. 6). The average of 8.0 points per game given up in that span – as well as the 10 points or less – is the best scoring defense outing for UCF since 2014 (14 total points Nov. 14-28).
• UCF went five consecutive quarters without allowing a point against Memphis and Temple and then held Tulane off the board in three out of four quarters.
TURNOVER TOWN
• The Knights have had a knack for getting takeaways the last couple of seasons, ranking sixth in the nation last season and currently ranking 33rd with 20 takeaways in 2021.
• UCF has been especially impressive at forcing and recovering fumbles, leading the nation a year ago with 13 fumble recoveries and ranking 22nd this year with nine through 12 games.
• Defensive tackle Cam Goode ranks 11th in the nation in forced fumbles with four, while safety Quadric Bullard ranks third in the nation with three fumble recoveries. Defensive end Josh Celiscar also ranks 21st in the country with two fumble recoveries.
• UCF is 5-0 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent this season and 4-0 when recording three or more takeaways.
NO FLY ZONE
• The UCF defense ranks 41st in the nation in pass defense, allowing only 213.3 passing yards per game.
• Only one team has put forth a 300-yard passer against the Knights this season (SMU, 11/13).
• Five times this season, UCF has allowed less than 200 yards passing in a game, including four of the last seven outings of the regular season.
• UCF had just two team sacks through its first four games, but has averaged 4.0 sacks per game over the last eight games and 4.5 per game over the last six contests of the regular season.
• The Knights rank 28th in the nation with 2.83 sacks per game on the season and 18th with 7.0 tackles for loss per game.
• The Knights’ six sacks against Memphis were the most since the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Auburn and then they did it again in the regular season finale against South Florida.
OH OH IT’S OSTEEN
• Andrew Osteen continues to climb the UCF charts, now ranking fourth with 163 career punts and fourth with 6,875 career punt yards.
• A member of the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list, Osteen’s career average of 42.2 yards per punt is the second best in UCF history, and the best of anyone with more than 100 career punts.
KICKIN’ IT
• Daniel Obarski started as a kickoff specialist as a freshman and then went 12-of-17 on field goals and scored 82 points as a sophomore for the Knights in 2020.
• This season he has hit 51 of his 52 extra point attempts and has connected on five of his 10 field goal attempts, including a career-long 40-yarder against ECU on Oct. 9.
• His 51 extra points are the fifth most in a single season at UCF.
SNAP BACK
• Alex Ward was named a finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award for the best snapper in the nation on Nov. 29. He recovered a fumble in the win over Memphis (Oct. 22) and had a tackle in the win over South Florida (11/26).
Florida Gators Notes
THE STORYLINE
Florida and UCF match up for the third time in what will be the first-ever neutral site and postseason meeting between the two programs.
• The all-time series dates back to 1999 with the Gators owning a 2-0 record against UCF.
• Florida has an all-time record of 24-22 in bowl games including a 3-1 record across the team’s last-four appearances.
• The Gators are 8-3 in bowl games since 2009 and 10-4 dating back to 2006.
• This is Florida’s fourth-straight bowl appearance and seventh in the last-eight seasons.
• In two previous games vs. UCF, the Gators have outscored the Knights by a combined score of 100-27.
• The Gators totaled 500-plus yards and 350-plus passing yards in each of the previous-two meetings with UCF.
• Across the previous-two meetings, UF has outgained UCF, 1,138 yards to 600 yards (+538, +269 YPG).
• Special teams coordinator/running backs coach Greg Knox will serve as Florida’s interim head coach vs. UCF. As a veteran of 20-plus seasons in the SEC including four at Florida, Knox previously served as interim coach at Mississippi State in 2017, leading the Bulldogs to a 31-27 win over Louisville in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
• Knox is 2-0 in his career as an interim HC after leading UF to a 24-21 win over FSU on Nov. 27 of this season.
• Florida is already 1-0 at Raymond James Stadium in 2021, having defeated USF, 42-20, in Week 2.
• UF totaled 666 yards of offense — the sixth-highest total in school history — in that Week 2 game.
• The Gators rank seventh in the FBS with 5.4 rushing yards per carry.
• Florida is one of five teams in the FBS averaging over 470 YPG and 200 rushing YPG.
• UF ranks 11th in the FBS with 470.1 scrimmage YPG and 21st in the FBS with 209.0 rush YPG. » The Gators rank third in the SEC in total scrimmage YPG and fourth in rushing YPG. » UF ranks seventh in the Power Five in scrimmage YPG and 13th in the Power Five in rushing YPG.
• Florida’s 5,641 total yards is the team’s second-highest total through 12 games in the last 20 seasons, trailing
only the 2020 campaign — while the team’s mark of 470.1 YPG is on pace to rank sixth in program history.
• Florida’s 2,508 rush yards is its second most through 12 games since 2009 and fourth-most since 1990. » UF’s 5.4 rush YPC is on pace to rank fourth in school history, while its 209.0 rush YPG is on track to rank 11th all-time.
• UF’s 209.0 rush YPG represents an increase of 77.7 rush YPG from last year’s mark of 131.3 YPG.
• The Florida offensive line has surrendered just 12 sacks all year, which is tied for the fourth fewest in the FBS and second in the SEC — earning the UF OL a spot on the Joe Moore Award Mid-Season Honor Roll for the first time ever.
• Florida has scored in 422-consecutive games dating back to 1988 — an NCAA record and 55 games longer than any than any other college football team in the history of the sport.
SNAPSHOT OF THE 2021 GATORS OFFENSE
• After leading the nation with 378.8 passing YPG in 2020 (fourth-highest total in SEC history), the Gators offense flipped the script and finished the 2021 regular season as the No. 21 rushing offense in the FBS as well as the No. 13 rushing attack in the Power Five (209.0 YPG).
• Florida’s offense is on pace to rank sixth in school history in total yards per game (currently averaging 470.1) and 11th in rushing YPG.
• With 139 rush yards vs. FSU in Week 13, Florida’s 2,508 rushing yards this season is the team’s second-most through 12 games since 2009 (2,529), fourth-most since 1990 and eighth-most dating back to 1965.
• UF’s rush attack features RB Dameon Pierce, who is graded as the top RB in the nation with a 92.4 rating by Pro Football Focus with 517 yards rushing and 12 rushing TD on 87 carries (5.9 YPC) as well as 217 yards receiving and three receiving TD on 18 catches.
• Pierce’s 12 rushing TD this season are tied for eighth in Florida football single-season history. At 22 career rushing TDs, Pierce needs one rushing TD to bring his total to 23 and into a tie for 10th all-time in career rushing TDs at UF. • Pierce’s 15 total touchdowns this season rank tied for eighth in Florida football single-season history.
• With 357 yards vs. FSU, Florida’s 5,641 scrimmage yards this season is its second-most through 12 games in the last 20 seasons, trailing only the 2020 campaign (5,597). » This is Florida’s sixth-highest total through 12 games dating back to 1965. » Florida’s 717 total yards in Week 11 ranked second all-time in program history (3rd in FBS in 2021). » UF’s 5,641 total yards ranks fourth in the SEC, 10th in the Power Five and 16th in the FBS.
• Florida has out-gained its opponent in 11 of 12 games in 2021.
• Through 12 games, Florida has five 200-plus yard rushing games, four 290-plus yard passing games, 11 350-plus total yardage games, seven 400-plus total yardage games, four 500-plus total yardage games and two 600-plus yardage games.
• In Week 11 vs. Samford, Florida scored its most points (70) since Nov. 22, 2008 vs. Citadel (70), while the combined total of 122 points in the game was the most in the history of The Swamp and second-most all-time in a UF football game (Florida 144, Florida Southern 0 – Oct. 6, 1913).
• Florida’s 161 rush yards vs. Georgia is the most against UGA in the last-three seasons.
• This is the most rushing yards the Bulldogs allowed since Texas rushed for 178 yards against Georgia on Jan. 1, 2019
FLORIDA’S HIGH-POWERED ATTACK AT A GLANCE
• Over the last-four seasons, the Gators rank eighth in the Power Five with 448.1 scrimmage yards per game and ninth in the Power Five with 34.9 points per game. » Those totals rank third and fourth in the SEC, respectively.
• Since 2018, UF ranks fourth in the P5 in passing efficiency (158.4) and 10th in TD-INT ratio (3.05).
• Florida has accumulated 400-plus total yards in 17 of its last 22 games and in 30 of its last 41 contests.
• Florida has amassed 400-plus total yards 32 times in its last 50 games – seven more than the program’s total of 25 400-yard outings from the 88 games comprising the 2011-17 seasons.
• Week 4 vs. Tennessee represented the 11th time in a 17-game span that the Gators totaled 500-plus yards. The Gators have now had 500-plus yards in 12 of their last 25 games.
• UF has 18 games of 500-plus total yards in its last 50 games – four more games than the team’s com- bined total of 14 games from the 115 games comprising the 2009-17 seasons.
• Week 11 vs. Samford was the 22nd time Florida has reached 300 passing yards since 2018, two more than its total from the 168 games comprising its 2005-17 seasons.
• Florida has rushed for 200-plus yards 18 times in its last 50 games including five times in 2021.
• The Gators have also rushed for 100-plus yards in 39 of the team’s last 50 games including 10 games in 2021.
• Week 11 vs. Samford was the sixth time since 2018 that UF scored 50 points, which is one more 50-point game than the program totaled in 101 games during the 2010-17 seasons (five).
• Florida has scored 40 points in four games this season and 19 times total since 2018, which is seven more 40-point games than the Gators accumulated from the 2010-17 seasons combined (101 games).
• The Gators have scored 30-plus points 32 times in 50 games since 2018, including scoring 30-plus in 19 of the team’s last 26 games.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
• Florida’s defense has demonstrated improvement in certain areas through 12 games this season.
• In comparison to the 2020 season, the Gators’ defensive numbers through 12 games have showed signs of improvement. Florida has held opponents to 4,346 total yards (5,136 in 2020), 240 first downs (274 in 2020) 2,503 passing yards (3,090 in 2020), and 1,843 rushing yards (2,046 in 2020).
• Florida ranks third in the SEC in third-down conversions allowed (58), fourth in fourth-down percentage (38.9), fourth in passing defense (2,503 yds) and tied-seventh in sacks (32.0).
GATORS DEFENSE THROUGH 12 GAMES (2021 vs. 2020)
Stat [Allowed] 2021 2020
Points per Game 27.1 30.8
1st Downs (total) 220 274
3rd Down Pct. 35.8 41.1
4th Down Pct. 38.9 65.2
Rush. Yds. 1,698 2,046
Pass. Yds. 2,300 3,090
Total Yds. 3,998 5,136
• Florida ranks second in the SEC and fourth nationally in sacks since the 2018 season with 154 – trailing only Clemson (188), Pittsburgh (175) and Alabama (157).
• UF’s 34.0 sacks (2.83 per game) this season rank tied-for-sixth in the SEC and tied-for-28th in the nation.
• Florida’s defense has produced 78 turnovers since in 2018, which ranks third in the conference and tied-for-25th in the FBS.
• With just 324 yards of total offense allowed in Week 3, Florida held No. 1 Alabama to its lowest total yardage in a single game since November, 10, 2018 vs. Mississippi State (305 yards). It marked Alabama’s fewest total yards in their last 34 games. Additionally, Florida held the Crimson Tide to 91 rushing yards, the fewest since South Carolina held them to 76 in 2019.
• Florida’s 88 rushing yards allowed vs. Vanderbilt was the team’s lowest total so far this season and the Gators’ fourth game holding an opponent under 100 yards rushing this year.
• Florida has allowed 14 or fewer points 15 times since 2018, including three times already this season. (Week 1 vs. FAU, Week 4 vs. Tennessee & Week 6 vs. Vanderbilt).
• In Week 5, the Gators held Kentucky to 224 total yards of offense, the Wildcats’ fewest in their last seven games, and the fifth-best defensive performance by Florida since the 2018 season.
• Florida held the Wildcats to just 87 total passing yards, Kentucky’s fewest since passing for just 62 yards against the Gators on Nov. 28 of last season.
