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The UCF Knights (1-0) play their first football game after announcing their intention to move to the Big 12 against one of their oldest and nearest foes, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.
Let’s get ready:
Game Day Guide
When: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: The Bounce House
Line: UCF -45, Over/under 65.5 (OddsShark)
How to Watch
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Crew: Drew Fellios (play-by-play) and former UCF and NFL star Leger Douzable (analyst)
Series
All-time: UCF leads 11-5.
Last Meeting: 2014 - UCF 41, Bethune-Cookman 7
Keys to the Game
When UCF Has the Ball
It might be a bit wet tonight, so the running game could play a heavier role. If it remains dry, UCF should have a balanced attack. Do not expect Isaiah Bowser to carry the ball as much as last week. UCF should use more reserves in the second half as it's expected for the Knights to win by a wide margin. We might see some Mikey Keene action.
UCF’s Key Players to Watch
- #11 QB Dillon Gabriel — 25/37, 318 yards, 4 TD/2 INT vs. Boise St. last week
- #5 RB Isaiah Bowser — 33 carries, 172 yards, one TD vs. Boise St. last week
Bethune-Cookman’s Key Players to Watch
- #26 Caleb Sutherland — 13 tackles, a sack and a fumble forced last week vs. UTEP
- #19 Tekeven Thomas — 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, and a sack vs. UTEP
When Bethune-Cookman Has the Ball
Before last week, Bethune Cookman had not played a game since 2019. They hung around with a bad UTEP team with a balanced attack. With the game expected to be heavily in favor of UCF, expect Patrick Shannon to throw the ball more than he did against UTEP and the team commit more to the pass.
Bethune-Cookman’s Key Players to Watch
- #10 QB Shannon Patrick — 15/22, 215 yards, 2 TDs vs. UTEP last week
- #22 RB Que-Shaun Byrd — 12 carries, 98 yards, TD (68 yard rush) vs. UTEP
UCF’s Key Players to Watch
- #1 DE/LB Big Kat Bryant — 3 tackles, 2 QB hurries vs. Boise St. last week
- #11 LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste — 9 tackles, 2 TFLs and a QB hurry vs. Boise St. last week
Podcast
Listen to our latest podcast as we preview the game:
Who ya got?
Good morning Knight Nation!
— BIG 12 BANNERET (@UCF_Banneret) September 11, 2021
Who ya got today? #UCF
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