The 2023 UCF Knights football team represented the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

(UCF) as a member of the

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

during the

2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season is the 154th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). ...

. The Knights were led by

Gus Malzahn Arthur Gustavo Malzahn III (; born October 28, 1965) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Central Florida (UCF Knights football, UCF). He was the head football coach at Auburn University from 2013 t ...

in his third year as the Knights head coach. The team played their home games at

FBC Mortgage Stadium FBC Mortgage Stadium (formerly known as Bright House Networks Stadium and Spectrum Stadium, also known as the Bounce House) is an American football stadium located in Orlando, Florida, United States, on the main campus of the University of Central ...

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

. UCF officially moved into the

for the 2023 season. In doing so, the Knights became the first

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

football program to play at every sanctioned level:

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

, Division II,

Division I-AA The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...

Division I-A The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

(

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Group of Five The Group of Five (G5) encompasses five nations which have joined together for an active role in the rapidly evolving international order. Individually and as a group, the G5 nations work to promote dialogue and understanding between developing ...

, and

Power Five The Power Five conferences are the five most prominent and highest-earning athletic conferences in college football in the United States. They are part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of NCAA Division I, the highest level of collegiate ...

. In their first season as part of the Big 12, the Knights jumped out to a 3–0 start, including a last-second victory at

Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It became a publ ...

. However, quarterback

John Rhys Plumlee John Rhys Plumlee (born January 2, 2001) is an American football quarterback for the UCF Knights. He formerly played for Ole Miss and was a center fielder for the Ole Miss baseball team. Early life and high school Plumlee grew up in Hattiesb ...

suffered an ankle injury in the final minute of the Boise State game, which would sideline him for a month. Redshirt sophomore Timmy McClain took over at quarterback as the Knights entered the conference portion of their schedule. In their first intra-conference home game, the Knights jumped out to a 35–7 lead over Baylor, but blew a 28-point lead, and lost 36–35. The Knights suffered a five-game skid, slipping to 3–5. With Plumlee back to full strength in November, the Knights won three of their last four games to finish the regular season 6–6 overall (3–6 in the Big 12), and became

bowl eligible Bowl eligibility in college football at the Division I (NCAA)#Football Bowl Subdivision, NCAA Division I FBS level is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves thi ...

for the eighth consecutive season. Of the four newcomers that joined the Big 12 for 2023 (

BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, and

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

being the others), UCF finished with the best record, and was the only one bowl-eligible.

Offseason

Transfers

Outgoing

Incoming

*Source:

Preseason

Spring game

The 2023 UCF spring exhibition game was played on Friday April 14 at

. The team was split into two squads for gameplay, the

Knights A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

and the 'Nauts.

Award watch lists

A total of eight players were named to the preseason All-Big 12 mentions, and eight players were named to the

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

watchlist.

Big 12 preseason poll

The Big 12 preseason poll was released on July 6. UCF was voted 8th in the conference. First place votes in parentheses.

Schedule

The 2023 season is UCF's first as a member of the

. The conference utilizes a nine-game conference schedule, with three out-of-conference games annually. Furthermore, the conference requires at least one of the three out-of-conference games to be against a

opponent. UCF successfully petitioned for a first-year, one-time waiver to count their game at

as their Power Five non-conference opponent, taking into account Boise State's recent successes and status as a top

team. *Source:

Game summaries

Kent State

Quarterback

threw for 281 yards and rushed for 90 yards as the Knights routed Kent State 56–6 on Thursday night. The game marked UCF's first football game as a member of the

Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...

. The Knights won their 8th consecutive season opener.

at Boise State

Colton Boomer kicked a 40-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lift the Knights over the Boise State Broncos by the score of 18–16. Boomer went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a school record-tying 55 yarder in the second quarter. Late in the game, quarterback

suffered a leg injury which will require him to miss multiple weeks.

No. 24 (FCS) Villanova

Timmy McClain started at quarterback for the injured

. McClain threw for 321 yards, and the UCF offense racked up 600 total yards as the Knights soundly defeated FCS #24 Villanova by the score of 48–14.

at Kansas State

UCF traveled to

Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

for their first-ever intra-conference game in the

. Timmy McClain once again started at quarterback, throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns. The Knights defense, however, could not contain the Wildcats offense, and lost by the score of 44–31. D.J. Giddens rushed for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns, and caught 8 balls for another 86 yards. The game was tied 24–24 midway through the third quarter, but Kansas State put the game away with 20 unanswered points. Ten penalties for 80 yards on UCF, two turnovers in Wildcats territory, plus a lopsided time of possession were factors in the loss.

Baylor

UCF hosted Baylor for their first intra-conference home game in the

. The game was a rematch of the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The Knights blew a 35–7 lead. Baylor scored a go-ahead field goal with 1:21 remaining and won 36–35. On the first play from scrimmage, Johnny Richardson broke free for a 79-yard touchdown run, and after two more quick scores, UCF jumped out to an early 21–0 lead. The Knights eventually built a 35–7 lead, which they held late in the third quarter. Baylor scored 29 unanswered points, including two touchdown passes from Blake Shapen, and a 72-yard fumble return for a touchdown. UCF got the ball back one last time with 1:21 remaining. Colton Boomer's 59-yard field goal attempt fell no good as time expired, and Baylor escaped with the victory.

at Kansas

returned to start at quarterback, but played for only three drives in the first half. Timmy McClain took over and played the rest of the game.

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

dominated UCF, jumping out to a 31–0 lead, and pulling away for a 51–22 victory. The Jayhawks put up 399 yards rushing, while UCF was held to a season-low 371 total yards.

at No. 6 Oklahoma

UCF traveled to

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

to take on

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. Facing former quarterback

Dillon Gabriel Dillon Gabriel (born December 28, 2000) is an American football quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Gabriel attended and played high school football at Mililani High School in Mililani, Hawaii and began his college career at UCF in 2019 before ...

, the Knights nearly upset the No. 6 ranked Sooners. UCF led 23–17 after three quarters, before Oklahoma scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to take a 31–23 lead.

, back in the starting lineup, drove the Knights 75 yards in 9 plays. On 4th & 10 at the Oklahoma 12, Plumee found Javon Baker for a 12-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 31–29 with 1:16 left in regulation. UCF's two-point conversion attempt was snuffed out, and the Sooners held on for the victory.

West Virginia

UCF hosted

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

. Quarterback

threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, as the Mountaineers won 41–28. West Virginia put up 286 yards rushing, and quarterback Garrett Greene ran for three touchdowns.

at Cincinnati

UCF traveled to

rival A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

, and won their first conference game in

conference play. Running back R. J. Harvey had a career-best 164 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Harvey scored a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up 28–20 with 2:41 left in regulation.

Emory Jones Emory Jones (born April 29, 2000) is an American football quarterback for Cincinnati. Jones began his college football career at Florida in 2018 before transferring to Arizona State in 2022. Early life and high school Jones grew up in LaGrange ...

then drove the Bearcats 75 yards in five plays for a touchdown, making the score 28–26 with 1:27 left. Jones' two-point conversion pass was tipped and fell incomplete, and the Knights held on to win 28–26.

No. 15 Oklahoma State

UCF hosted then-No. 15 Oklahoma State in their seventh annual " Space Game". The Knights dominated the game from start to finish, and routed the Cowboys 45–3.

threw for 299 yards and three touchdown passes, while R.J. Harvey rushed for a career-best 206 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The UCF defense held Cowboys running back

Ollie Gordon II Ollie Gordon II (born January 15, 2004) is an American football running back for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He won the 2023 Doak Walker Award after rushing for over 1,600 yards with 20 touchdowns. Early years Gordon grew up in Fort Worth, Te ...

(the nation's leading rusher) to only 25 yards, and forced four turnovers. The Knights won their first Big 12 intra-conference home game, and first Big 12 intra-conference game against an existing/original team from the conference. After the game, fans stormed the field to celebrate. UCF jumped out to a quick 14–0 lead in the first quarter. R.J. Harvey got the Knights on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run on their first drive. Ollie Gordon then fumbled in Knights territory, which led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from

to Kobe Hudson. Braeden Marshall picked off Alan Bowman's deflected pass, which led to a Knights field goal early in the second quarter. A huge downpour then pelted the stadium, but it did not slow down the Knights offense. Plumlee found Kobe Hudson for a 75-yard touchdown, and the Knights led 24–0 at halftime. Oklahoma State got the ball to start the third quarter. The Cowboys drove to the Knights 7 yard line, but had to settle for a field goal. On the ensuing drive, Plumlee was sacked and fumbled, giving the Cowboys the ball at the UCF 24. Two plays later, however, Demari Henderson tipped and intercepted a pass by Bowman at the 8 yard line. It was Bowman's third interception of the game, and Henderson's second such of the game defensively. On the very next play from scrimmage, R.J. Harvey took a handoff and blasted through for a 92-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up 31–3. UCF would tack on two more scores, and defeated Oklahoma State by the final score of 45–3.

at Texas Tech

UCF traveled to take on

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

. The Knights jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with two touchdown runs by R. J. Harvey. With 5:30 left in the fourth quarter, UCF was trailing 24–17.

found

Javon Baker Javon Baker is an American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and UCF Knights. High school career Baker attended McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. He had 58 receptions for 629 yards a ...

wide open for a 71-yard touchdown pass. But Colton Boomer's game-tying extra point attempt was blocked and sailed wide left. The Red Raiders were able to run out the clock and held on for a 24–23 victory.

Houston

UCF hosted Houston in their regular season finale. Quarterback

threw for 253 yards and running back R. J. Harvey rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns, as the Knights defeated the Cougars 27–13. With the win, UCF finished the regular season 6–6 overall (3–6 in the Big 12), and became

for the eighth consecutive season. The UCF offense put up 476 total yards, but the kicking game struggled for the second week in a row. Colton Boomer missed two field goals and an extra point.

Gasparilla Bowl

UCF faced

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl. It was the sixth meeting between the two teams. UCF had won the most recent meeting 27–10 in 2022. This was UCF's sixth appearance in the

Gasparilla Bowl The Gasparilla Bowl is an annual NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game played in the Tampa Bay area. It was first played in 2008 as the St. Petersburg Bowl at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game was renamed the G ...

(formerly known as the St. Petersburg Bowl).

George O'Leary George Joseph O'Leary (born August 17, 1946) is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 1994 to 2001 and the UCF Knights from 2004 to 2015 ...

, formerly the head coach of both teams, took part in the pre-game coin toss. The Knights jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter.

threw touchdown passes to Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson. UCF was looking to go up 21–0 when their drive was snuffed out as R.J. Harvey fumbled away the ball at the Georgia Tech 42. The turnover led to a Yellow Jackets field goal, and was a turning point in the game. The Knights defense held Georgia Tech to only 87 yards passing, but the Yellow Jackets put up 284 yards on the ground. Trailing 17–3, Georgia Tech scored 27 unanswered points, and won by the score of 30–17.

Personnel

Awards and milestones

National honors

FWAA The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941. It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media out ...

Cheez-It National Team of the Week: (Week 11) * Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week (Week 11):

Manning Award The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that incl ...

Star of the Week —

(Week 11) *On3 True Freshman All-American: John Walker

All-Americans

All-Big 12 Conference

Big 12 Conference honors

*Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 2): Colton Boomer *Co-Offense Player of the Week (Week 10): R. J. Harvey *Defensive Player of the Week (Week 11): Demari Henderson *Tre'mon Morris-Brash (Defensive Lineman of the Year - Honorable Mention) *Randy Pittman Jr. (Offensive Freshman of the Year - Honorable Mention) *John Walker (Defensive Freshman of the Year - Honorable Mention)

School records

*Longest field goal (ties school record): 55 yards, Colton Boomer (at Boise State), September 9, 2023

References

{{UCF Knights football navbox

UCF The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

UCF Knights football seasons

UCF Knights football The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the sport of American football. The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) an ...