Rest in Peace: Ereck Plancher

Miss football season: Check out 2007 Highlights

I have been missing football so found some UCF hightlights on YouTube Enjoy!


Great job cw209179



From: illuzionx7

Smith must stay in line to be in lineup

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UCF worked out in shorts for just the second time in over a month and a half as they went inside Nicholson Field House Wednesday.

Junior TB Phillip Smith got a few more snaps than usual with the offense and is expected to be in the game plan for Saturday's finale against UTEP.

Coach George O'Leary said the plan has been to integrate Smith into the lineup more, though the charge to stay there is on him.
Kyle Hightower: Orlando Sentinel

UTEP offense poses problems

http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_7529999

UCF knows it has its hands full with Miners

Central Florida head coach George O'Leary is impressed by what he has seen from the Miner offense.

"I think when you look at them on film, I think they have a lot of really good athletes," O'Leary said. "They are a spread offense that is pretty much like everyone else. (They) open it up. They isolate you one-on-one on the field and their running back (Marcus Thomas) is good. There are four or five kids that will be NFL guys off that football team. (Mike Price) has some talent there.

"Defensively, we have to make sure that we make plays. We cannot be on the field as long as we have been. I think that we are stingy in giving up points at times, but there are just not enough three and outs. We have to make plays and create more situations, let your athletes run."
Bret Bloomquist / El Paso Times

Iraq war veteran and UCF LB Robenson Jean fought for his country -- and for a chance to play college football

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In a quiet apartment far away from the crashes, chaos and uncertainty of war, UCF senior Robenson Jean sits on his couch, clicking buttons on his laptop and remembering.

He's dressed casually in flip-flops, jeans and a black T-shirt. He resembles any other college student relaxing after a day of classes, except for the worn camouflage jacket he wears.

His eyes scan across the galleries of photos on the screen. They reveal snapshots of desert, debris and guys -- himself included -- holding machine guns.
Kyle Hightower: Orlando Sentinel

24K needs your help!

Rank 'Em: Doak Walker Award

Click on the pic to go to the link and vote!

To Rank the Candidates: Click on the candidates' pictures. You must rank all 10 players to cast your vote.

While you are doing that also grab your cell phone and text

UCF FOOTBALL 2-4-1 FOR THE UTEP GAME

From UCF:

This weekend the team plays at SMU and then the final home game on November 24th versus UTEP at Bright House Networks Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2PM.

A limited number of tickets to the season finale versus UTEP are now available, courtesy of Coke Zero. Order two tickets and pay only $35!!! As a special bonus, Coke Zero will give away UCF seat cushions at their booth located in IOA Plaza on gameday.

Getting your tickets is as easy as - 5 simple steps:
1. Visit http://webservices.cstv.com/wsemail/?arg=488081.SEETvqUGFogCE9Be and click on the UTEP bar.

2. Enter Promotions and Special offer code: COKE

3. Order your tickets (you must purchase in multiples of two).

4. Print your tickets at home or work

5. Arrive early with your friends and family or co-workers and clients to tailgate and cheer for the Knights on November 24th

Don't miss out on UCF football history!!!
Special group packages of 20 or more tickets also are available through the UCF ticket office at 407-823-1000.

Knights gearing up for championship run at SMU

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With 2 regular-season games left, an excited team looks to stay on top of its game.

A week ago, UCF was enjoying a muted celebration.

The Knights had just become bowl eligible but were trying to temper their joy as they chased, hoped and dreamed about slipping their way into a shot for the Conference USA title.

Seven days later, the Knights begin their final 14 days of the regular season with everything they wanted tucked away tightly in their pocket.

UCF's 45-31 win over a feisty UAB Saturday night, coupled with East Carolina's loss to Marshall, has put it in the East Division top spot with two games to go. If the Knights win their final two games of the season, it looks like a reset of the inaugural C-USA title game in 2005 against Tulsa.

Kyle Hightower: Orlando Sentinel

Another tough loss for Blazers

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The final margin of defeat wasn't nearly as lopsided on Saturday night as it was the past three weeks for the UAB football team.

But the UAB locker room at Legion Field was just as quiet following Saturday night's 45-31 loss to visiting UCF as it was the past three weeks.

And the disappointment ran just as deep as it did during a stretch when the Blazers lost by an average of nearly 35 points a game

Ultimately a loss is a loss and this one, played in front of a crowd of 12,621, dropped the Blazers to 2-8 overall and 1-5 in C-USA play. UCF improved to 7-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play. The Knights, who had 506 yards on 72 plays, also took over the driver's seat in the C-USA East Division with two games left thanks to the win over the Blazers and East Carolina's loss to Marshall.

But the win was far from easy for the Knights. In fact, the only time the game was easy for UCF on Saturday night was when running back Kevin Smith had his hands on the ball. Smith, a 6-foot-1, 211-pound junior, carried the ball 41 times for a career-high 320 yards.

Steve Irvine: Birmingham News

Smith sets rushing records as UCF defeats UAB 45-31

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Kevin Smith carried 41 times for 320 yards and four touchdowns to lead Central Florida to a 45-31 victory over UAB Saturday night.

Smith, a junior from Miami, shattered his previous career high of 223 yards, set earlier this season against Louisiana-Lafayette. He had scoring runs of 2, 3, 8 and 41 yards and set a single game school rushing record.
Smith broke UCF's single season rushing record with a 20-yard run in the first quarter.

UCF (7-3, 5-3 CUSA) won its fourth game in a row. The Golden Knights claimed sole possession of first place in the east division of Conference USA with the help of Marshal's 26-7 victory over East Carolina.

AP

UCF takes division lead as Smith sets rushing record

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - By the time UCF took the field to play Conference USA cellar-dweller UAB on Saturday night, it knew two things:

Win, and the Knights would be in the driver's seat of the league's East Division, with East Carolina's loss at Marshall. But lose, and they would be back where they were entering the week: having to depend on somebody else to get their shot at the conference title.

And though Saturday's game wasn't for that title, the Knights wound up needing a championship effort from their star to get a chance to sit in that chair.

Junior tailback Kevin Smith set a UCF single-game rushing record and tied the C-USA single-season touchdown mark with four scores as the Knights outlasted UAB 45-31 Saturday.
Kyle Hightower: Orlando Sentinel

Knights control division with help from Marshall

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A week after getting manhandled by UCF 47-13 in Orlando, Marshall easily might have laid down against East Carolina on Saturday.

The Thundering Herd didn't have much at stake entering Saturday's game at 1-8 overall and 1-4 in Conference USA. But the Pirates (6-5, 5-2) needed back-to-back victories the final two weeks of the season to lock up the East Division crown.

Turns out Marshall liked playing the role of spoiler.

The Herd upset the Pirates 26-7 Saturday, which, coupled with a UCF victory against UAB on Saturday, moved the Knights into first place in the East. Now, with victories against Southern Methodist and UTEP during the next two weeks, UCF will play for the C-USA title on Dec. 1.
Kyle Hightower: OrlandoSentinel

UCF survives defensive letdown

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Knights get tough when it counts but still allow 168 rushing yards to the Blazers.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB Army ROTC received an unexpected workout Saturday night. The group does one pushup after each score for every point the Blazers have, which in recent weeks has meant no more than a dozen or so pushups per game.

But the Blazers made the group work up a sweat against UCF by scoring fives times and posting 31 points, more than they had managed in the three previous games combined.

The Knights still prevailed 45-31 thanks to a record-setting rushing performance by Kevin Smith and some timely big defensive plays in the second half. Still, there was a sense of frustration among the UCF defense after the game.
Cary Estes: Orlando Sentinel

UCF @ UAB on CSTV

College Football News: UCF 40- UAB 13

ESPN.com Preview

Harmon Forecast: UCF 44- UAB 24

Knights report: Inside slant

Knights report: Notes, quotes

Knights report: Strategy and personnel

Odds: Fav: UCF; spread: 20 1/2

Mr Knightmans XBOX360 sim: UAB 29- UCF 27 OT

UAB Blazers develop `senioritis'

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The chance at a winning season is gone. So are bowl eligibility and the dreams of a senior class wanting to go out on top.

So what does the UAB football team have left to play for?

"We're playing for our seniors, we're playing for us, our teammates, our coaches," said junior wide receiver Sylvester Mencer. "We still can win more games than we won last year. If we finish this year out (successfully) that will be an improvement."
Steve Irvine: Birmingham News

UCF football team ready to keep rolling on road

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ORLANDO - Things didn't turn out too well for the University of Central Florida football team the last time it had to play consecutive games on the road.The Knights hope to avoid a repeat tonight when they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to face UAB in a Conference USA East Division matchup. Kickoff is set for7:30 p.m. at Legion Field.

UCF (6-3 overall, 4-1 Conference USA) carries a three-game winning streak into the contest, sandwiching home wins against Tulsa and Marshall around a road triumph at Southern Mississippi. However, the current good vibe was preceded by a rough two-game road patch that saw the Knights fall at East Carolina and the University of South Florida by a combined score of 116-50.

Meanwhile, the Blazers (2-7, 1-4) enter the contest on a three-game losing streak.
Florida Today

Knights may run it up on Blazers

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UAB's weak defense offers a chance for Kevin Smith to pad stats -- or rest a bit.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Throughout the week, UCF coaches and players have been saying all the safe things heading into tonight's matchup with UAB.

They have done the "one game at a time" sing-a-long so much that you could almost be convinced that the Knights were an underdog to the struggling Blazers (2-7, 1-4 Conference USA)

While keeping their focus is certainly important for the Knights in their chase of East Division leader East Carolina, chances are pretty good that the final score may not be the most interesting story line of the evening.
Kyle Hightower: Orlando Sentinel

O'Leary makes the choice to go young

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Last year he did it out of necessity. This season, however, UCF Coach George O'Leary has played a decent amount of redshirt and true freshmen by choice.

Going into their 10th game of the year against UAB Saturday, 10 redshirt and true freshmen have started at least one game in 2007. WR Kamar Aiken and P Blake Clingan each has started eight games this season, DE Bruce Miller made a big impact in his six starts and LB Derrick Hallman has done the same with five.

O'Leary said that though their classification might be listed as freshmen, it evaporates once they start playing.

"I hate using that term young because once they play, they are not young anymore," he said.

Kyle Hightower; Orlando Sentinel

Knights' freshman receivers class catching on fast

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In a way, they are all just looking for the "good."

Take a listen to about any two or three-minute stretch during a UCF practice, and you'll hear receivers' coach David Kelly throwing the four-letter word out in back-to-back rhythmic spurts.

After a decent catch: "Good, good." A nice block: "Good, good."

It's just his thing.

"I hate using that term young because once they play, they are not young anymore," he said.

Kyle Hightower; Orlando Sentinel

Forte, Smith have taken similar paths to stardom

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Back in July, Conference USA officials were scrambling to find a face for the league, a poster boy to plug their oft-overlooked product.

Four months later, they have a two-headed monster.

A league still lacking a dominant team is no longer starved for star power, especially at the running back position.

Tulane senior Matt Forte leads the nation in rushing yards (1,642) and rushing average (182.4). He's on pace to finish with the third-highest net total in NCAA history and the highest rushing average since TCU's LaDainian Tomlinson in 2000 (196.2 YPG).

A few stutter steps behind Forte is Central Florida's Kevin Smith, who ranks second nationally in both yards (1,448) and rushing average (160.9). Smith, who held the national rushing lead until Forte began putting up Xbox numbers, is the nation's scoring leader with 19 touchdowns (18 rushing, one receiving).

How good are these two?

Adam Rittenberg: ESPN