A FRIDAY KNIGHT OUT
Milton leads UCF to statement win over FAU, extends streak
Knights’ fans cheer during the Florida Atlantic-UCF football game at Spectrum Stadium on Friday. UCF defeated FAU, 56-36, with 387 total yards and six touchdowns (3 rushing, 3 passing) from quarterback McKenzie Milton.
McKenzie Milton took the snap and scampered to the right, bouncing off a bevy of tacklers before finding the end zone 13 yards later for his third rushing touchdown of the night.
If the junior quarterback was looking to make a statement in front of a national television audience, he did so emphatically on this idyllic Friday evening as No. 16 UCF rolled to a 56-36 win over FAU at Spectrum Stadium.
Milton accounted for 387 yards of total offense, passing and rushing for six touchdowns while helping the Knights extend the nation’s longest win streak to 16 games — an American Athletic Conference record.
“He played really well,” UCF coach Josh Heupel said of Milton. “He handled it well. You’re not always going to play well all the time.”
Early on, it appeared UCF (3-0, 1-0 AAC) would run away from FAU (2-2, 0-0 Conference USA).
Knights linebacker Pat Jasinski stepped in front of a receiver and picked off a Chris Robison pass before rumbling 18 yards to the FAU 40-yard line. Four plays later, Milton faked a handoff to Adrian Killins before scrambling untouched into the end zone for the first score of the game. It was his first rushing touchdown of the season and quickly set the tone for the Knights’ offense.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, UCF took over deep in its own territory. Milton
engineered a 10-play, 92-yard drive highlighted by a 39-yard pass from Milton to Gabriel Davis. Four plays later, Milton found Dredrick Snelson for a 5-yard touchdown pass. It was the 17th consecutive game during which Milton has thrown at least one touchdown pass and it extended the lead to 14-0.
Both teams failed to produce on their subsequent drives. FAU took over with 4:45 left in the first quarter. Running back Devin Singletary failed to convert on three consecutive rushes, setting up a punt. FAU’s Gerald Hearns, however, scrambled for 24 yards on a fake.
Singletary reached the end zone seven plays later on an 11-yard scamper that cut the lead to 14-7.
UCF was forced into a three-and-out as the Owls sacked Milton on thirdand-three. It was the first sack allowed by the team this season.
FAU took over at its own 41-yard line, driving downfield as Singletary found the end zone on a 9-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 14 with a little over 10 minutes left in the first half.
It was the ninth rushing touchdown of the season for the junior tailback.
UCF struggled to get much going offensively in the second quarter, going more than 20 minutes without a point.
The Owls, meanwhile, took advantage with three straight scoring drives, including a 32-yard field goal with 1:34 left in the first half to take a 17-14 lead.
It was the first time UCF trailed this season.
But the Knights quickly responded on the ensuing drive, with Milton advancing the team 57 yards on four plays before finding Marlon Williams down the middle for a 21-yard touchdown.
The scoring drive took all of 1:03 and pushed UCF back in front, 21-14 at halftime.
The third quarter was all Milton, with the junior leading the team on three consecutive touchdown scoring drives, including back-to-back rushing touchdowns by the quarterback that pushed the lead to 35-17.
Robison did his best to keep the Owls in the game, connecting with Kerrith Whyte on a 23-yard touchdown pass that cut the lead to 35-23 with 5:29 left in the third quarter.
But Milton stepped up again, connecting with Davis on a 19-yard touchdown that made it 42-23 entering the fourth quarter. It was the third touchdown pass of the night for Milton and his second multiple touch down performance of the season.
UCF linebacker Eric Mitchell put an end to the next FAU drive with an interception deep in Knights territory. It was the third consecutive game with multiple takeaways by the UCF defense and the team’s sixth interception on the season.
Singletary scored for the third time on the next drive, giving the Owls a bit of hope by cutting the deficit to 43-29, but it was quickly extinguished by UCF. The Knights used a 6-yard Taj McGowan touchdown run to go up 49-29 with 3:04 left in the game.
On the next FAU drive, UCF linebacker Shawn Burgess-Becker picked off a Robison pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
The Knights passed their toughest test so far this season and will soon shift their focus to next week’s home showdown with Pittsburgh.