Undefeated Knights gain much from test
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The chants of “U-C-F, U-C-F, UC-F” rang out into the night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Knights fans who made the road trip were put through a roller-coaster ride of emotions that didn’t subside until the final seconds ticked off the clock and UCF had survived a 31-21 thriller over Navy.
The players, many of whom were battered, bruised and exhausted, couldn’t contain their excitement as they raced toward the stands to celebrate the victory with the fans.
If the first five games of the season were a walk in the park for UCF (6-0, 4-0 American Athletic Conference), Saturday’s game must have felt like a decathlon. The 10-point win was the closest of any game so far this season, with the Knights winning their first five games by an average of 33.8 points.
Every time UCF pulled ahead, Navy (5-2, 3-2 AAC) had an answer until the Knights finally were able to put the Midshipmen away midway through the fourth quarter. It was a good test for a program aiming to be the top Group of 5 program in the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee members.
With the hard-earned victory, UCF moved up to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll and No. 17 in the Amway coaches’ poll.
The Knights are off to the first 6-0 start in school history.
“It was good. It’s going to help us moving forward and facing some adversity,” said junior Pat Jasinski, who finished with a career-high 14 tackles at Navy.
The tight contest wasn’t easy on UCF coach Scott Frost.
“I lost a year off my life tonight,” Frost joked following the win. “You need close games because you need your kids to experience those situations, but they aren’t fun. It was stressful. If you can walk out of here with a win, you have to be happy.”
Quarterback McKenzie Milton expected to be tested by the Midshipmen.
“It was just a lot of fun coming into a hostile environment and getting a big win,” said Milton, who improved to 10-6 as the Knights’ starting quarterback.
The sophomore passed for 233 yards, a touchdown and an interception during the win.
“Obviously, Navy’s always going to keep battling,” Milton said.
“We knew we would probably have to fight to the end, which we did and it was a big win for us.”
Navy managed 419 yards, the highest total a team has amassed against the Knights this season, including a season-high 171 yards through the air.
Quarterback Zach Abey became the first player to rush for more than 100 yards this season against UCF after tallying 126 yards before leaving the game after taking a hit on the head.
The game was hardfought with both teams delivering bone-crushing hits.
“We expected that. It was Navy. We knew they were tough guys,” Jasinski said when asked of the physicality of the game. “These kids are going to be defending our country when they’re done with their time here.
“It was awesome to get to play with guys like that because you know they’re tough dudes and they’re bringing everything they got.”
UCF cornerback Brandon Moore was equally tough, crushing Navy running back Darryl Bonner and forcing a fumble recovered by the Knights.
“That’s probably the biggest hit that I’ve laid on somebody,” Moore said. “Once I saw the ball, I tried to scoop and score. I didn’t even know who tackled me. I was just grateful I was able to make the play.”