Orlando Sentinel

Undefeated Knights earn bid to prestigiou­s New Year’s Six bowl game

Sumlin is Knights’ top coach candidate

- By Shannon Green Staff Writer

UCF football players show their excitement Sunday after learning where they will be headed for their bowl game: Atlanta. The American Athletic Conference champion Knights will face No. 7 Auburn in the Chickfil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 at the MercedesBe­nz Dome in Atlanta. No. 12 UCF will look to complete the first undefeated season in program history. FSU, meanwhile, extended the nation’s longest bowl streak and will take on Southern Mississipp­i in the Independen­ce Bowl.

Former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin emerged as the front-runner for the UCF job, with the Knights moving quickly to replace Scott Frost, multiple sources close to the program told the Orlando Sentinel.

UCF officials declined to confirm Sunday if Sumlin will be the Knights’ next head coach.

Sources told the Sentinel Sumlin has been given until the end of Sunday to make a decision because UCF administra­tors want to lock in a new coach before the end of the week for recruiting purposes.

Should no deal be reached with Sumlin, Toledo head coach Jason Candle could be in the mix and Ohio State co-offensive coordinato­r Ryan Day’s name has been circulated as a potential candidate as well. UCF interim coach Troy Walters has not been ruled out either, according to sources.

The UCF 247Sports.com affiliate was the first to report

 ?? JACOB LANGSTON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER ??
JACOB LANGSTON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER
 ?? STEPHEN M. DOWELL/STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER ?? UCF already has checked off one postseason goal by winning the AAC title. Now Auburn stands in the way of another goal: a bowl victory.
STEPHEN M. DOWELL/STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER UCF already has checked off one postseason goal by winning the AAC title. Now Auburn stands in the way of another goal: a bowl victory.
 ??  ?? Sumlin
Sumlin

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