QB Milton injured. No. 8 UCF remains unbeaten
TAMPA, FLA. >> No. 8 UCF lost quarterback McKenzie Milton to injury but still trounced South Florida 38-10 on Friday to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 24 games and complete a second consecutive undefeated regular season.
Milton hurt his right knee when he was tackled at the end of a 5-yard run in the second quarter. Darriel Mack Jr. replaced him and may make his second start of the year when UCF (11-0, 8-0, No. 9 CFP) faces Memphis next week in the American Athletic Conference title game.
Players from both schools, which are located about 100 miles apart via Interstate 4, kneeled on one knee while a cart was rolled onto the field and Milton received medical attention in front of the South Florida bench. The entire UCF squad left their sideline at one point to form a crowded circle around Milton, who was placed on the cart and taken to the locker room and later a nearby hospital.
Milton completed 5 of 10 passes for 86 yards, including a 14-yard scoring throw to Gabriel Davis for a 7-0 lead. The Knights kicked a field goal on the first play after the quarterback departed to make it 10-0.
Greg McCrae McCrae scored on runs of 40, 39 and 31 yards, with the second of the three TDs re-establishing a 14-point after South Florida briefly pulled to 1710 on Johnny Ford’s 34-yard catch-and-run. McCrae finished with 181 yards rushing on 16 carries for the Knights, who amassed 558 yards total offense and have scored at least 30 points in 24 consecutive games.
South Florida (7-5, 3-5) finished the regular season on a five-game losing streak.
NO. 11 TEXAS 24, KANSAS 17 >> Sam Ehlinger threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score and Texas held off Kansas to reach the Big 12 title game.
The Longhorns opened a 24-7 lead on Cameron Dicker’s 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but the lowly Jayhawks responded with Peyton Bender’s 31yard touchdown pass to Daylon Charlot and recovered the ensuing onside kick.
After Gabriel Rui made it a one-score game with a 45-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining, Kansas was unable to recover another onside kick and Texas (9-3, 7-2, No. 15 CFP) closed out its third consecutive victory. Tre Watson finished with 79 yards on 14 carries as Texas continued its strong second season under coach Tom Herman.
Kansas (3-9, 1-8) dropped its last four games in David Beaty’s final season as Jayhawks coach. Les Miles was hired Sunday to replace Beaty.
Rider’s season hasn’t found any real rhythm thanks to a 12-day break between its first two games. There’s another 10day layoff coming following Saturday’s game at Wagner and a Wednesday trip to West Virginia. Coach Kevin Baggett said he didn’t find the break even if his players were anxious to play somebody in a different color. “We needed (the break),” Baggett said. “There were a lot of things we needed to work on to get better, especially after the exhibition game and the UCF game. It just gave us a chance to take our time and break down every segment of our game . ... If I could do it again, I’d do it the same way. I don’t know if I’d play UCF first, but it was a game we needed to play and we’re supposed to be good, so why not go play a good team.” Scouting Wagner: Only one of the Seahawks’ two wins are against Division I opposition, but it came against Rider’s MAAC rival Fairfield. Senior guard Romone Saunders averages 18.2 points, but he’s a volume player, shooting 33.8 percent on 14.2 shots per game. He is an 88.9 percent foul shooter, so Rider needs to keep him off the line. Senior A.J. Sumbry, an East Windsor native, chips in 11 points and 8.2 rebounds.