Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
FAU shows flashes on the big stage, but falls to No. 16 UCF
ORLANDO — Florida Atlantic showed flashes that it could compete on the big stage, but it wasn’t enough against No. 16 Central Florida.
FAU surged to 17 unanswered points in the first half that had the Owls looking like a team putting an upset bid together, but with 545 yards of total offense, UCF extended the longest win streak in the nation to 16. The Knights won 56-36 in front of a raucous crowd of 44,257 at Spectrum Stadium with more watching on ESPN on Friday night.
The Owls drop to 2-2, with both losses coming on the road to ranked teams. The search for the school’s first win against a ranked opponent continues.
McKenzie Milton, UCF’s junior quarterback who finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting last year, had six total touchdowns, three each on the ground and through the air. Milton went 21 of 32 for 306 yards and led the Knights in rushing (81 yards).
Devin “Motor” Singletary had three rushing touchdowns to bring his season total to 10, which leads the nation. He carried 25 times for 131 yards.
The Owls’ 17-0 run in the first half brought them back from down two touchdowns seven minutes into Friday’s action to handing UCF its first of the season.
After the defense was torched on UCF’s opening two drives, FAU rebounded to get the Knights offense off the field on three plays on back-toback possessions. Both led to Owls scores, specifically Singletary.
Singletary scored an 11-yard touchdown up the middle on third-and-8 late in the first quarter. Early in the second, he ran one in from 9 yards out. That one put him in the top 25 of the Football Bowl Subdivision’s all-time career rushing touchdowns list. Adding one more in the fourth quarter, he now has 54.
Kicker Vladimir Rivas connected on 32-yard field goal with 1:34 remaindeficit
ing in the first half, and it appeared FAU might enter the half leading the Knights. Then Milton went 78 yards in five plays in just over a minute of game time to send the Knights up at the half, 21-17, hitting Marlon Williams for the 21-yard scoring strike.
He did it again on UCF’s opening drive after halftime, capping a 10-play, 68-yard drive with a 9-yard rushing touchdown. His 13-yard scoring scamper on the Knights’ ensuing drive was one for the highlight reel, juking at least three Owls defenders en route to the end zone.
FAU quarterback Chris Robison responded by throwing his lone touchdown pass to running back Kerrith Whyte, but it was answered by a Milton-toGabriel Davis connection shortly thereafter. Whyte scored again with from 40 yards out in mop-up duty late.
Robison, the redshirt freshman, went 13 for 26 for 124 yards and three interceptions, throwing one to linebacker Eric Mitchell on a key second-half drive and then a pick-six late to Monarch grad Shawn Burgess-Becker. Hallandale alum Taj McGowan scored a rushing touchdown that preceded it.
Robison was also intercepted on the Owls’ opening drive. A throw over the middle was picked off by senior Knights linebacker Pat Jasinski. Milton turned it into 7 points with a 12-yard touchdown run on a read option to give UCF its initial score within the first three minutes.
The Knights followed that up with a quick threeand-out defensively and then went 92 yards over 2:49 in 10 plays to take a 14-0 lead with just barely over four minutes of time of possession. Flanagan grad Dredrick Snelson scored on the pass from Milton to cap the drive.
FAU begins Conference USA play next, at Middle Tennessee on Sept. 29.