Knights have eyes set on perfect home record
Although a third consecutive conference championship is off the table, the UCF football team has its sights set on achieving three-peat of a different sort this week.
By beating South Florida on Friday, the Knights would complete a third consecutive season without a home loss. They have won each of their previous 20 games at Spectrum Stadium. Only the Clemson Tigers, at 22 consecutive games, have a longer active home win streak among Football Bowl Subdivision
programs.
“Everyone wants to protect their house,” senior running back Adrian Killins said. “We don’t want anyone to walk into our house, take over our house, and we’re going into the locker room with the L. Us embracing that we can’t lose at home, we won’t lose at home, it means everything.”
Killins doesn’t recall the last time the Knights lost at home, even though he did score a touchdown in the losing cause.
It was Nov. 19, 2016. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane were on the opposite side, and only six play
ers on UCF’s 2019 roster participated in that game: Killins, center Jordan Johnson, defensive end Brendon Hayes, cornerback Nevelle Clarke, linebacker Nate Evans, and that game’s starting quarterback, McKenzie Milton.
“I remember that game,” said Evans. “They had two good backs, too. I remember they had a lot of rushing yards.”
They sure did. The score was tied at 14 at the half, but Tulsa running backs D’Angelo Brewer and James Flanders proved to be too much for UCF’s defense. They helped the Golden Hurricane put up 21 points in the third quarter en route to the 35-20 final. Brewer and Flanders combined for 330 rushing yards and three scores that night.
“They ran the bejesus out of the ball down our throat at home,” said tackle Jake Brown, who watched the defeat from the sidelines as a redshirt freshman. “… Their offense was phenomenal that year. They were firing on all cylinders. To me, it kind of looked like us in 2017. That’s kind of how their offense was.”
Brown added that the Knights’ winning streak “kind of sticks in my brain.” He and the other elder statesmen on the offensive line will emphasize its importance to the younger players before Friday’s kickoff.
“I know we’ll bring it up to them,” Brown said. “I know that’s something we’re going to kind of push on them, that ‘Hey, this is our last game. This is something that we want to do.’”
There have certainly been some close calls since UCF last dropped a home game, but the Knights have ultimately prevailed against all comers in the more than 1,100 days that have passed. They don’t want to experience a letup now, because they know the long-term significance of what a win on this Black Friday would mean.
“Record books. That’s history,” Evans said. “That’s something that you get to tell your family, your kids.”
Thanksgiving favorites:
Following a morning practice Thursday, the Knights will gather together with family and friends for a Thanksgiving meal. Head coach Josh Heupel said his favorite dish on the holiday is his mom’s stuffing. Wide receiver Gabriel Davis most enjoys sweet potato pie, while Killins said he likes macaroni and cheese with ketchup the best.
That unique choice of topping doesn’t seem to sit too well with Heupel
“Don’t even get me started,” he joked. “AK’s got ketchup on mac and cheese; Nevelle’s got ketchup on sandwiches. I don’t know what we’re doing with ketchup right now these days.”
Gowan to return:
Cornerback Tay Gowan was in uniform on the Knights’ sideline at Tulane last Saturday, but he didn’t play a snap in the victory. Heupel didn’t offer any specifics afterwards as to why Gowan was inactive, but the coach confirmed Thursday that Gowan will return to action against the Bulls.
Gowan has started eight of 10 games since cornerback Brandon Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. He has compiled 28 tackles, six pass breakups and two interceptions.