Knights, Tigers set for rematch in title game
Memphis coach Mike Norvell insisted he wasn’t cheering for anyone Friday when No. 15 UCF faced off with rival USF for a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
Norvell’s No. 20 Tigers (9-1) clinched a spot in the AAC title tilt last week and had the luxury of watching the Knights and the Bulls slug it out during the War on I-4.
“At the end of the day, it’s something that we can’t control,” Norvell said during his weekly press conference before the UCF-USF matchup and his own team’s home finale against East Carolina today. “The only thing we can control this week is our performance.
“… We know that whoever the opponent is will be championship caliber. We played Central Florida this year; last year we obviously played South Florida. We know that these are two really good football teams. But to be honest with you, our focus can’t be anything beyond this week. Come Saturday, if we can make enough plays to be successful, as soon as that game is over, all of our attention will be on our next opponent.”
The Knights (11-0) rallied to earn a dramatic 49-42 win over the Bulls (9-2) Friday to earn a rematch with the Tigers. With UCF and Memphis ranked ahead of all other Group of 5 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings, the winner of the championship game most likely will earn a coveted spot in the Peach Bowl.
The Knights will host the Tigers and add another chapter to a series that has an undercurrent of bitter feelings.
UCF and Memphis were supposed to play on Sept. 8 just ahead of Hurricane Irma hitting Central Florida, but the Tigers left Orlando when Gov. Rick Scott closed all public schools in the state so they could be used as shelters.
The Knights lamented the cancellation of the game before the storm arrived on Sept. 10 and the inevitable cancellation of their next scheduled game against Georgia Tech after the hurricane rolled through, suggesting the scheduling issues put UCF at a major disadvantage.
With the American Athletic Conference’s help, Memphis and UCF backed out of nonconference games and rescheduled their showdown for Sept. 30.
The Knights were fired up for the game and rolled to a 40-13 win over the Tigers.
UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton passed for three touchdowns, while Adrian Killins and Taj McGowan chipped in two more scores on the ground. The Knights’ defense also shined, forcing prolific Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson to toss three interceptions.
UCF went on to collect more milestone victories, developing the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense and a defense known for forcing turnovers.
Norvell noted his team could have buckled amid adversity, but Memphis kept working to earn a spot in the AAC championship game.
“They understand and truly care about the importance of each person on this team,” Norvell said when asked about his players’ commitment to avoiding complacency. “They love each other, they love the thought of being successful. They know the challenges that arise on that track. It’s all about your response. We’ve seen some great success, we’ve seen adversity, we’ve faced high expectations.”