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INSTANT REAX: UCF Roasts FAU 48-14

Knights’ defense shoots down the Owls all night

Gabe Davis UCF Football FAU
Gabe Davis
Photo: Derek Warden

For all of the fireworks the offense has been putting up the last three seasons, tonight in Boca Raton, the only thing more oppressive than the heat was the UCF Knights’ defense. Randy Shannon’s unit was sublime, holding FAU and Lane Kiffin’s offense to 3.6 yards per play en route to a 48-14 romp that was mercifully called with 4:20 left due to lightning.

Highlights

Postgame Reaction

Four Downs

  1. The UCF Defense was spectacular. FAU QB Chris Robison was just 18/40 for 177 yards, but spent much of his night on the run from pursuing UCF defenders. The Knights’ defense recorded 16 tackles for loss, five sacks and five QB hurries, mostly due to a total clinic in pass coverage and an average of 2.8 yards per rush given up. FAU ran 87 plays and scored 14 points.
  2. Dillon Gabriel started great, but cooled off. In his first career start, Gabriel hit three of his first six for 105 yards and a TD to Jacob Harris, but then hit only four of his next 13, including an 0/5 spot in the second quarter. Still, he finished with 245 yards through the air on just seven completions, two TDs and no picks. Thats...not bad!
  3. The running game carried the day. With Gabriel struggling, Josh Heupel turned to the running game in the second quarter, and it worked. A 12-play, 84-yard, four-minute drive ended with an Adrian Killins TD, and it was all downhill from there. UCF finished with 312 yards on 47 carries (6.6 yards per rush) and five TDs, each by a different player.
  4. You burn our mascot, we burn your scoreboard. In retrospect, this might not have been wise, Owls:

Stats of the Game

Highlight of the Game

We’d like to show you 5-7 Adrian Killins running over, around and through FAU’s defense on this TD run:

Knights of the Night

Adrian Killins. Nine carries, 35 yards, and a TD. One catch, 74 yards, and a TD. Pick your poison.

Eric Mitchell. 9 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. FOr a defense that would not let FAU get a word in edgewise, Mitchell was all over the place.

Aaron Robinson. Seven tackles, plus one for loss, and two passes broken up. How about it for the kid who ledt last year’s opener on the opening kickoff? In Bam Moore’s stead, he and Tay Gowan, who recorded an interception, were excellent.

Who’s Got Next?

Stanford. Next Saturday. 3:30 p.m.