UCF agrees to play in Boca Raton Bowl; ticket sales not set
Central Florida accepted a bid Monday to play in the 2020 RoofClaim. com Boca Raton Bowl.
The Knights’ opponent, while likely to come from the Atlantic Coast Conference, is not yet determined. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. at Florida Atlantic’s stadium.
UCF’s regular-season concluded with their
“War on I-4” rivalry game victory against USF on Nov. 27. That boosted the Knights’ record to 6-3. Currently unranked, UCF was ranked as high as 11th this season.
UCF’s three losses — to Tulsa, Memphis and Cincinnati — were by a combined 12 points. The Knights have a formidable offense with quarterback Dillon Gabriel leading the nation in passing yards at 3,353.
The Boca Raton Bowl began in 2014, but the situation is different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tickets are not currently on sale to the public. COVID-19 protocols are in place, and any tickets made available may be very limited, according to a news release.
UF’S MULLEN LINKED TO COACHING JOBS
No. 6 Florida barely had time to celebrate their first SEC East title since 2016 when they were confronted with the downside to success: coaching rumors.
Dan Mullen’s name surfaced as a potential candidate at Texas, which, by the way, still has a coach ( Tom Herman). Or maybe Mullen’s a candidate for an NFL job, like the Detroit Lions.
Mullen said he hasn’t talked with anyone from the NFL. The Austin American-Statesman reported that there’s a “0.0 percent” chance Mullen leaves UF for Texas, which seems about right.
“I’m just happy to be the head coach for the Florida Gators right now, getting ready to go to Atlanta and play for an SEC championship,” Mullen said after Saturday’s win over Tennessee. “That’s what we’ve worked really hard for. I’m going to really just enjoy that.”
As long as Mullen continues winning, Mullen’s name will inevitably pop up again, potentially with NFL jobs. If nothing else, agents are always looking for leverage they can parlay into raises.
ELSEWHERE
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: If the Gator Bowl committee gets its wish, two of the highest-powered passing offenses in the nation would come to Jacksonville for the Jan. 2 game at TIAA Bank Field. North Carolina (6-3) vs. Ole Miss (4-4) is one of the possible matchups for the 76th edition of the Gator Bowl, which pairs teams from the ACC and SEC for the next six years. Both teams are ranked among the top 10 in the nation in total offense and have prolific quarterbacks, Sam Howell for the Tar Heels and Matt Corral for the Rebels, at the trigger.
The picture will clarify after Saturday when the Tar Heels play at Miami (8-1).
“A lot is riding on the North Carolina-Miami game as it relates to the CFP and the Gator Bowl,” Gator Bowl president
Rick Catlett said. “That game could go a long way towards the opportunities we may have for ACC candidates.”
Georgia: Star safety
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Richard LeCounte may be able to play Saturday in a make-up game against Missouri, six weeks after he was injured in a motorcycle accident. Coach Kirby Smart said LeCounte was progressing well though he was held out of contact drills in Monday’s practice. LeCounte sustained a shoulder injury, bruised ribs and several cuts in an Oct. 31 accident, which occurred after the No. 12 Bulldogs (6-2) returned to Athens from a victory at Kentucky.
Ohio State: The No.
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3 Buckeyes won big against Michigan State, but the next step toward any kind of championship this season might be out of the Buckeyes’ hands for now. They must wait this week for COVID-19 tests to determine whether Michigan can travel to Columbus for the finale of the pandemic-delayed regular season on Saturday. With two games already canceled, the Buckeyes (5-0) must get in a sixth game under current conference rules to be eligible to play for a fourth consecutive Big Ten championship.