A win for 10: UCF finishes 12-and-Ohana
A win for 10.
This one was for you, KZ.
This unbelievable, inconceivable comeback victory by your amazingly resilient team was all for you, McKenzie Milton.
For all you have done and all you have meant to this team and this town, your team rose up yet again on Saturday, rallied from a 17-point deficit and sent Memphis back to the land of Elvis where they once
again have a reservation at the Heartbreak Hotel. The Tigers have now lost 13 consecutive games to the Knights, including the last two conference-championship games.
UCF 56, Memphis 41. If you’re scoring at home, the Knights’ record now stands at 12-and-Ohana.
Ohana, of course, is the Hawaiian word for “family” and has become the emotional mantra for Knight Nation this week. UCF’s team wore a helmet sticker Saturday featuring the phrase “10HANA” — which became a viral Twitter hashtag this week and is a mix of Milton’s No. 10 jersey and the “Ohana” rallying cry. On the front of their helmets Saturday, the Knights wore another sticker featuring the numbers “808” — the area code of Milton’s native Hawaii.
“KZ has been a huge part of this program since he got here,” UCF coach Josh Heupel exclaimed afterward. “He is the heart of this football team and has the heart of a champion and a warrior’s spirit. … We’re just so happy we could get this win, not just for KZ but for all of Knight Nation.”
Added new UCF starting quarterback Darriel Mack Jr., one of Milton’s best friends and his roommate when the team is on the road: “After last Friday [when Milton was injured against USF], we had the motto that no matter what happens, we’re going to go out and win it for 10. I told our guys at halftime, I didn’t care what I had to do, I was going to go out and win this game for 10.”
Milton was released from Tampa General Hospital after three surgeries on his dislocated knee just in time to watch the game from home with his father. He has endured a lot of pain and suffering during the last week, but this incredibly inspirational performance by his football brothers had to put a smile on his face.
You see, this was not just a conference-championship game; it was a McKenzie Milton commemorative conference-championship game. One of the most admired and adored college football players in the country, Milton’s gruesome, season-ending injury brought prayers and well-wishes flooding in from across the globe, and his story has captivated college football.
Hours after Milton’s injury, a UCF fan suggested wearing leis to the conference-championship game, and the movement spread like the delicious smell of Kona coffee. A local businessman and UCF alumnus contributed 40,000 multi-colored leis that were handed out to fans at the game. There were leis, leis, everywhere — so many leis that it looked like a cross between a football game, a luau and a Don Ho concert.
Even former coach George O’Leary’s statue in front of the stadium was decked out in multiple leis. UCF wide receiver Dredrick Snelson had a lei around his neck and tucked into his jersey during the game! And, of course, when all was said and done, UCF lei’d waste to Memphis.
As Heupel said after Milton’s injury. “Everybody has to step up and play a little bit better.”
And that’s exactly what happened. Everybody on the team — from coaches to players to fans — somehow, someway found a little bit of that McKenzie magic inside all of them,
Especially Mack, the freshman quarterback who was starting only the second game of his young career. And what a remarkably resilient performance it was. He overcame three first-half fumbles and finished 19-of-27 for 348 passing yards and two TDs (so much for the belief that he’s not an accurate passer). He also tied a school-record with four rushing touchdowns and led the Knights to a season-high 698 yards of total offense, including 206 yards by star running back Greg McCrae.
Touchingly, Mack was coached up during the week by Milton, who was involved in the quarterback meetings throughout the week via FaceTime from his hospital bed. And you wonder why this team keeps racking up victories? What does it tell you when Milton, who was in jeopardy of losing his leg a week ago, is still doing everything in his power to help his team win?
Anybody who thought the Knights would curl up in the fetal position and give up when Milton got hurt simply hasn’t been paying attention. This team and this program has been built on overcoming adversity. The Knights overcame 0-and-12 three years ago. They overcame beloved coach Scott Frost deciding to leave for Nebraska before the bowl game last year. And now they’ve overcome a devastating injury to their best player and team leader.
And they just keep winning … and winning … and winning. Their nationalbest winning streak is at 25 games … and counting. And, sadly, they will likely have their noses pressed against the glass again Sunday afternoon when the College Football Playoff Selection Committee announces the four teams who will play for a national championship.
“If you win 25 straight games and have the heart of a champion, you deserve the opportunity to go earn it on the field,” Heupel said when asked what his message is to the playoff committee.
Added UCF athletics director Danny White, a staunch critic of the exclusive four-team playoff: “Our football team and our student-athletes have now won 25 straight games and deserve to be in the playoff. If that does not occur, it’s another glaring example that a four-team playoff is not adequate.”
On this beautifully uplifting day, who cares about the ugly bias and inequity of the College Football Playoff — otherwise known as the Power 5 Invitational?
Let’s just enjoy what we just witnessed:
A win for 10. 25-and-Ohana. UCFamily.