--- After opening up the young season with a victory, it was time for both our home opener and our conference opener, as our rivals, the Central Florida Golden Knights would be the welcoming committee to our first season in the Big East. Pre-game scouting wasn’t too much help, as though UCF was entering with far better offensive numbers, those numbers were inflated due to playing a FCS team. One thing was for certain, our defense would have to do a much better job if we were going to win. Giving up 31 points, 449 yards of offense and 345 yards passing would not be enough to achieve victory over UCF. UCF won the coin toss and elected to kick.
No return on the opening kickoff got the game underway, as our offense began from the 25. Will Oliver took the ball on first down, fighting for a 6 yard gain, followed by a pickup of 10 yards to get the early first down at the 41 yard line. Our running game was again proving to be dominant, Oliver busting free up the middle for a gain of 13 yards to move the chains to the UCF 46. Our running game won the battle with Texas State last week, and we would lean on them again this week until UCF was forced to shut it down. The Golden Knights were sure going to try, as Oliver was brought down for a three yard gain on the first down rush, followed by a carry for 6 yards by Eric Silva, leaving third and one. Oliver would get the first down and then some, a missed tackle allowing Oliver to escape through the hole and turn it loose, bouncing outside to avoid the outside linebacker and picking up 19 yards before being raced down from behind by the cornerback, good for a first down at the 18 yard line. UCF finally showed they could defend the run, bringing Oliver down for only a one yard gain. Pulling out the play action pass on second down, we would strike first blood as Kyle Jones got open on a wheel route up the right sideline, catching the ball at the 5 yard line and using his momentum to fall forward through a tackle and into the end zone for the 17 yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:41 left in the first quarter.
A 20 yard kickoff return got UCF’s offense out on the field at their 19. Marcus Farris came out passing on first down, but the ball overshot the intended receiver and fell incomplete. Farris then kept the ball on second down, rushing for 8 yards to leave third and two. Farris would continue the one man offensive show, rushing for a 7 yard gain and the first down at the 34 yard line. Will Davis took over on first down, only able to pick up one yard on the ground, followed by a three yard rush by Farris to set up third and 6. That third and 6 would turn into third and 16 thanks in part to a holding penalty on the right tackle, leaving the Golden Knights in a deep hole. A third down pass completed to Sean Payne would pick up 7 yards, but not enough, as the punt team came out on fourth and 9. A 5 yard return by Jason Johnson on the 49 yard punt got our next drive underway from the 21 yard line.
This time around the UCF defense proved ready for our ground game, as Oliver was tackled on first down for a gain of two yards. Oliver would recover on the next play to pick up 8 yards and leave third and one before picking up 7 yards to get the first down at the 37 yard line. Continuing to pound it right down UCF’s throat, Oliver continued to find massive holes to run through, picking up 9 yards to leave second and one. Oliver continued to punish the defense, picking up 8 yards on the next play to get the first down at the UCF 46 yard line. Taking the ball for a pair of handoffs, Silva picked up gains of four and 6 yards to move the chains to the 36. The defense finally won a battle, as Oliver was almost instantly stood up at the line of scrimmage, tackled for only a gain of one yard. Going into the air on second and 9, Joe Vaughn kept us moving, hauling in an 8 yard pass from Brad Stephens to leave third and one. Going back onto the ground, Oliver picked up four yards to get the first down at the UCF 23. The poundings would only continue, as an 11 yard rush by Oliver set up first down at the 11 yard line, followed by a two yard rush to leave second and 8 at the 9 yard line. That would be the final play of the quarter, as the last 10 seconds ran off the clock to bring the first quarter to a end, our lead 7-0.
Opening up the second quarter, Oliver took the handoff up the middle for a gain of three yards to leave third and 5 at the 6 yard line. Going into the air on third down, the defense still couldn’t catch a break from Oliver, as he hauled in a pass from Stephens for the 6 yard touchdown to give us a 14-0 lead with 8:31 left in the first half.
No return on the following kickoff left UCF starting from their 25 yard line, looking for an answer. They would fail to find one, as a pair of rushes by Davis for gains of two and 7 yards, followed by an incomplete pass would leave the Golden Knights punting on fourth and one. A fair catch by Johnson on the 45 yard punt got us back in action from our 20 yard line.
Oliver continued to pound it down the throat of the defense, picking up 7 yards on the first down carry. Despite being hit in the backfield by the blitzing middle linebacker, Oliver was able to break off the tackle and gain 6 yards to get a first down at the 33. Taking a chance with the option on first down, Stephens was unable to get the pitch off in time, tackled for a loss of two yards. Going into the air on second down, Silva got his turn to torch the defense in the passing attack, left wide open after all three linebackers blitzed and able to haul in the pass and turn up field for a 26 yard gain and a first down at the UCF 43 yard line. The defense was more than ready for us this time, tackling Oliver for no gain on the first down carry. A quick pass on second down to P.J. Stephens went for a gain of 16 yards and we kept the ball moving, now down to the 27. Able to find a hole around the right tackle, Oliver picked up 9 yards on the ground, followed by a three yard rush to move the chains to the 15 yard line. Silva took the ball on first down, able to pick up 6 yards between the left tackle and guard, followed by a three yard rush to Oliver to leave third and one at the 6 yard line. Sticking to what had been working all day, Oliver took the handoff, rushed straight up the gut, ran past the first down marker and kept going, heading straight into the end zone for the 6 yard touchdown to expand our lead to 21-0 with 3:38 to go before halftime.
A 13 yard kickoff return got UCF back on the field at their 13 yard line, now in an even deeper hole. That hole would quickly get filled in, as Farris took the ball on first down, ran around the left tackle, got a pair of blocks that sealed off our cornerback and outside linebacker, broke free up the left sideline and then raced both safeties all the way down the field for an 87 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 21-7 with 3:05 remaining.
A 19 yard kickoff return by Johnson got us back in action at the 18 yard line. Oliver tried to take it up the middle on first down, but never had a chance as the defensive tackle latched on to him for no gain. An incomplete pass and a sack for a 10 yard loss would see our drive come crashing to an end. A fair catch on the 42 yard punt set UCF up at our 49 yard line with 1:57 to go. This time their passing attack came to life, as Farris hit Mitch Kilpatrick for a 12 yard gain, followed by an 11 yard pass to Bryan McCoy to get a first down at our 26 yard line. The offense would hit a snag though, as a holding penalty would leave them with first and 20 at our 36. That snag would be enough to disrupt the momentum of the drive, three straight incomplete passes leaving the Golden Knights facing fourth and 20 at our 36. UCF decided not to attempt the field goal, instead punting it out for a touchback. We took over on our 20 yard line with only 1:13 left on the clock. Stephens was hit as he threw on first down, the ball falling incomplete. Dropping back on second down, Oliver again struck a dagger in the heart of the defense, hauling down the pass for a gain of 29 yards to get us a first down at the 49 yard line. A quick pass to P.J. Stephens picked up 15 yards and was then able to get out of bounds to get the first down at the UCF 36 and stop the clock with 48 seconds to go. The first down pass intended for Robert Harper way overshot, leaving second down. Taking a shot deep over the middle to P.J. Stephens, cornerback Joe Jacobs came up from underneath at the last moment to make a play on the ball, intercepting the pass to end our drive and give UCF the ball at their 20 yard line with 37 seconds to go.
After an incomplete pass on first down, Farris took the ball on the ground for a three yard rush, followed by a 7 yard rush by Davis to get the first down. Our defense would get one last laugh, sacking Farris for an 11 yard loss to leave second and 21 with 18 seconds to go. That would be the final play as UCF wouldn’t snap the ball again, taking us into halftime with a 21-7 lead.
Opening up the second half, a 21 yard kickoff return got UCF set up at their 23 yard line to begin the third quarter. Picking up where they left off, Davis took the ball for three consecutive carries, picking up gains of four yards, three yards and four yards to get the first down at the 34. A fourth rush by Davis gained 7 yards, before he was tackled for a three yard loss to leave third and 6. They would convert the third down, as Farris dropped back and found Davis over the top for a 19 yard gain and a first down at our 42. Our defense would win a minor victory on first down, sacking Farris for a three yard loss. Davis would make up those yards with a four yard rush, but the Golden Knights were still left facing third and long. A 5 yard pass to Cameron Swanson would fail to get the job done, leaving fourth and four at our 36. UCF would go for it on fourth down, but the pass intended for Payne was broken up by the safety, turning the ball over on downs at our 36 yard line.
Taking over at our 36 after the turnover on downs, Oliver took the first down handoff off the right tackle for a gain of 7 yards, keeping the ground pounding going. Another rush picked up 5 yards and the first down at the 48 yard line. A 7 yard rush by Oliver was followed by a 19 yard rush by Silva, who found a massive hole and broke free into the secondary, giving us a new set of downs at the UCF 26 yard line. Keeping the ground attack going, Silva took the ball on first down, but was quickly brought down for a one yard loss. Coming out in play action, the pass intended for Harper sailed incomplete, leaving third and 11. P.J. Stephens would keep the drive alive, catching the third down pass for a gain of 17 yards to set up first down at the 11 yard line. Going off the left tackle, Silva managed to get three yards on first down, followed by a four yard gain by Oliver to leave third and three at the four yard line. Throwing up a quick pass on third down, the ball intended for Carl Barnes was nearly intercepted by the safety, leaving fourth and three. The 21 yard field goal by Alphonso Pratt was good, extending our lead to 24-7 with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
A 15 yard kickoff return left UCF starting at their 13 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down intended for McCoy, Farris was able to find Jake Fleming over the middle for a gain of 26 yards and a first down at the 39. After a dropped pass by Swanson, Fleming again came through for the Golden Knights, hauling in a pass for a 19 yard gain and a first down at our 42. Two incomplete passes would leave UCF backed up against the edge, but Davis would manage to keep the drive moving, catching a pass for an 11 yard gain to move the chains to our 31. After an incomplete pass on first down, we could a small break, as a false start penalty moved UCF back, leaving them facing second and 15. That small break lasted all of one play, as Farris found Fleming once again, this time for a gain of 17 yards and a first down at our 18 yard line. A 5 yard rush by Chad Banks was followed by an incomplete pass, leaving third and 5 from the 13. Our defense would finally manage to stop something, the third down pass intended for Mike Williams swatted incomplete in the end zone, bringing up fourth and 5. We would catch a huge break on fourth down, as the 30 yard field goal by Melvin Peterson was no good, sailing just wide right, to give us back possession at our 20 yard line with 1:30 left in the third quarter.
Starting off the drive on the ground, Oliver took the first down carry for a gain of 11 yards to get a quick first down at the 31. A 6 yard rush by Oliver was followed with a 16 yard carry by Silva, the UCF defense again proving inept against our rushing game. Lining up at the 48 yard line on first down, Oliver broke free up the middle for a gain of 12 yard rush and a first down at the UCF 36 yard line, the Golden Knights defense almost completely incapable of stopping us on the ground. Despite being hit just after the line of scrimmage, Silva was able to drive forward for a four yard gain, leaving second and 6 at the 32. That would be the final play of the quarter, as the last seconds ticked off to bring the third quarter to an end, our lead holding at 24-7.
Starting the fourth quarter, facing second and 6 at the UCF 32 yard line, Oliver picked up right where he left off last quarter, breaking free around the left tackle for a gain of 10 yards and a first down at the 22 yard line. Taking the handoff on first down, Oliver picked up four yards on the carry, to go along with a four yard rush on second down, leaving third and two from the 14. Silva tried to convert the third down short, but a blitz by the middle linebacker brought him down for a loss of one yard, leaving the field goal unit coming out on fourth and three. The 31 yard field goal by Pratt was good, increasing our lead to 27-7 with 7:33 left in the game.
No return on the following kickoff left UCF starting at their 25 yard line, the hole growing ever deeper. That hole would only continue to grow as the drive got off a very poor start. After a dropped pass by Kilpatrick, Farris was sacked for a 9 yard loss, leaving the Golden Knights facing third and 19 at the 16 yard line. An incomplete pass would seal the fate of the drive, as the punt team came out. A 7 yard return by Johnson on the 49 yard punt set us up at our 41 yard line to begin our next drive. Oliver continued his day of domination, gaining 10 yards on the first down carry to move the chains to the UCF 49 yard line. Silva took over the in the backfield on first down, only able to pick up two yards on the carry. A second down carry by Stephens went for a surprising gain of 7 yards, leaving third and one. For the second time today, Silva would fail to convert on third and one, brought down for a loss of one yard to leave fourth and two from the 41 yard line. The fourth down punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback, giving UCF back the ball at their 20 yard line.
The drive got off to another troubled start for UCF, as two incomplete passes, including a dropped ball by Kilpatrick, left the offense facing third and long. Fleming would once again come through in the clutch, burning our defense for a 14 yard reception and a first down at the 34. A second pass to Fleming picked up 13 yards, moving the chains to the 47. After an incomplete pass on first down, Fleming again torched our defense, hauling in a pass for a 25 yard gain and a first down at our 27 yard line. Our defense was able to slow the assault down, sacking Farris for a three yard loss, but it was only temporary, as Farris connected with Payne on the next play for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 17. A 5 yard rush by Davis followed by a 7 yard pass to Fleming set UCF up with first and goal at our four yard line. Farris would cap off the drive on the next play, rushing it in on first down for the four yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 27-14 with 3:16 left in the game.
UCF attempted the onside kick, but our return team was able to recover it, giving our offense possession at the UCF 47 yard line. Taking the handoff on first down, Silva picked up 9 yards on the carry to set up second and one, followed by a four yard rush to get the first down at the 34 yard line. Silva took the handoff on first down, but was quickly brought down for a loss of one yard, UCF’s first timeout stopping the clock with 1:53 left to play. A second down rush by Silva for 11 yards would all but seal the victory, giving us a first down at the 24 yard line, UCF’s second timeout stopping the clock with 1:49 remaining. A 5 yard rush by Silva got us to the 19 yard line, UCF’s final timeout stopping the clock with 1:46 to go. Silva would put the icing on the cake on second down, taking the handoff around the left end and breaking free up the sideline for a 19 yard touchdown rush and a 34-14 lead with 1:42 to play.
A 14 yard kickoff return left UCF starting from their 13 yard line, a 20 point deficit and only 1:32 left on the clock. Farris threw up a deep pass on first down, intended for Payne, but the ball was batted incomplete. The second down pass by Farris would be the final stake in the heart, as the ball was intercepted by cornerback Allen Moore, giving us a first down at the UCF 16 yard line. Stephens would only need to take to a knee twice to run out of the clock on our 34-14 victory over rival UCF.
With the win, we improve to 2-0, 1-0 in Big East action. With the loss, UCF falls to 1-1, 0-1 in Big East play. Up next, it’s a visit to Tulsa by Arizona State. The Sun Devils enter the game 0-1 on the year, coming off a 37-13 loss to Army in week two.
Final Score
34,
14
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – Stephens started off great, going perfect in his first five throws. He then had a bit of a letdown the rest of the way, including one interception, but ended the day decently, going 8-14 for 135 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Rushing, again, was king. Oliver had a new career best today, ending with 219 yards rushing and one touchdown on 35 carries. Silva also had a new career high day, ending with 111 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. Receiving, only five receivers caught a pass today. P.J. Stephens was the top receiver today, ending with 48 yards on three receptions. Four of the five receivers ended the day with double digit yards.
- Tulsa Defense – Good in the first quarter and third quarters, bad in the second and fourth quarters. Got torched a lot today, both on the ground and in the air, especially by UCF receiver Jake Fleming, who ended with 121 yards on only seven receptions. Also got torched by Farris on the ground, giving up 112 yards rushing on six carries.
- Tulsa Kicking – Another perfect day for Pratt, ending 2-2 in field goals, with successful kicks of 21 and 31 yards. Also went 4-4 on PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team |
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Final Score |
|
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
14 |
|
7 |
14 |
3 |
10 |
34 |
Time |
Team |
Result |
Play |
Score |
First Quarter |
5:41 |
|
Touchdown |
K. Jones, 17 yard pass from B. Stephens (A. Pratt kick) |
7-0 |
|
Second Quarter |
8:31 |
|
Touchdown |
W. Oliver, 6 yard pass from B. Stephens (A. Pratt kick) |
14-0 |
3:38 |
|
Touchdown |
W. Oliver, 6 yard run (A. Pratt kick) |
21-0 |
3:05 |
|
Touchdown |
M. Farris, 87 yard run (M. Peterson kick) |
21-7 |
|
Third Quarter |
3:14 |
|
Field Goal |
A. Pratt, 21 yard field goal |
24-7 |
|
Fourth Quarter |
7:33 |
|
Field Goal |
A. Pratt, 31 yard field goal |
27-7 |
3:16 |
|
Touchdown |
M. Farris, 4 yard run (M. Peterson kick) |
27-14 |
1:42 |
|
Touchdown |
E. Silva, 19 yard run (A. Pratt kick) |
34-14 |
Game Stats
UCF |
Stat |
Tulsa |
14 |
Score |
34 |
15 |
First Downs |
24 |
357 |
Total Offense |
454 |
18 - 158 - 2 |
Rushes - Yards - TD |
59 - 319 - 2 |
14 - 35 - 0 |
Comp - Att - TD |
8 - 14 - 2 |
199 |
Passing Yards |
135 |
4 |
Times Sacked |
1 |
6 - 12 (50%) |
3rd Down Conversion |
6 - 11 (54%) |
0 - 1 (0%) |
4th Down Conversion |
0 - 0 (0%) |
0 - 0 (0%) |
2-Point Conv |
0 - 0 (0%) |
3 - 1 - 0 (33%) |
Red Zone - TD - FG |
7 - 4 - 2 (85%) |
1 |
Turnovers |
1 |
0 |
Fumbles Lost |
0 |
1 |
Intercepted |
1 |
0 |
Punt Return Yards |
12 |
83 |
Kick Return Yards |
19 |
440 |
Total Yards |
485 |
4 – 45.0 |
Punts - Average |
2 - 41.0 |
3 - 25 |
Penalties |
2 - 15 |
12:46 |
Time of Possession |
23:14 |
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact |
Goal |
Progress |
Pass Impact |
|
21+ points per game in each season |
39 |
|
|
Win 10 games in one season |
2 |
|
|
3300+ passing yards each season |
|
|
|
65% pass completions over the entire contract |
58% |
|
|
Win 6 games in one season |
|
|
|
15+ rushing TD in each season |
7 |
|
|
3200+ total offensive yards each season |
881 |
|
|
3400+ total offensive yards each season |
881 |
|
Job Security Status
38%
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