UCF looks to avoid letdown, clinch bowl berth at Texas Tech
The Knights (5-5, 2-5 Big 12) are one win away from being bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season. Two games remain, including a road contest at the Raiders (5-5, 4-3) on Saturday (5 p.m., FS2).
UCF is coming off its remarkable victory over Oklahoma State and the Knights are looking to avoid the same letdown that befell the Cowboys.
When the then-No. 15 Cowboys arrived in Orlando last week, they were fresh off a 27-24 win over rival Oklahoma in the final Bedlam rivalry series game on Nov. 4. They were a 3-point favorite and had everything going for them in the Big 12 race.
But it was UCF which came away riding high after a 45-3 win as fans storm the field at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
“It’s a huge victory and we’re very excited. For UCF, it’s a great step, but it’s just a step,” said offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw. “The bottom line is we’ve got a lot of unfinished business.”
The Knights (5-5, 2-5 Big 12) are one win away from being bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season. Two games remain, including a road contest at Texas Tech (5-5, 4-3) on Saturday (5 p.m., FS2).
“We’re fighting for a chance for a bowl and playing a team that’s just like us,” said coach Gus Malzahn. “This is a really big game coming up and there won’t be any kind of letdown, especially with everything we’ve gone through this season.”
Defensive coordinator Addison Williams said the message to the players this week has been about focus after playing arguably their best game of the season.
“We’ve got this big win [so] what are we going to do?” he said. “The biggest thing is that college football is week to week. Last week, you could be one of the country’s worst teams, and this week, you can be one of the best teams in the country.”
Texas Tech also is seeking to become bowl-eligible for the third consecutive season. The Red Raiders are coming off a 16-13 victory at then-No. 16 Kansas last week.
“We’ve got to bring it and build off it like we did against Cincinnati,” said Hinshaw. “We must put our hard hat on and bring our lunch pail. We’ve got to bring it Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and get ready and prepare to go into a hostile environment on the road.”
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Coaches: Malzahn, 3rd season at UCF, 23-14 (100-42 overall); Joey McGuire, 2nd season at Texas Tech, 13-10 (13-10 overall).
Quick slant: This is the first meeting between the programs. … When Malzahn was an assistant coach at Tulsa, he recruited at Cedar Hills (Texas) High School, where McGuire was the football coach. … Malzahn (Arkansas) and McGuire (Texas) have combined to win six state titles at the high school level. … David Gibbs, UCF co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, was the defensive coordinator for the Red Raiders under Kilff Kingsbury from 2015-18.
About UCF (5-5, 2-5 Big 12): RJ Harvey ranks fourth in the Big 12 in rushing with 1,082 yards and is the first UCF player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Greg McCrae in 2018. He’s on pace to rush for 1,298 yards, the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. … The Knights have scored 24 points off of six forced turnovers during their two-game winning streak.
About Texas Tech (5-5, 4-3 Big 12): Quarterback Behren Morton is 4-1 since taking over the starting duties after Tyler Shough injured his leg. Morton has thrown for 1,859 passing yards with 5 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. … Defensive tackles Jaylon Hutchings and Tony Bradford Jr. have combined for 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
3 things to watch
Slow down Tahj Brooks. This is the second consecutive week in which UCF faces a 1,000-yard rusher after facing the nation’s leading rusher in Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II. Brooks ranks sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards (1,166) and has rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of his last eight games. According to Pro Football Focus, he also leads all Power Five players with 72 missed tackles forced.
Win the field position battle. Texas Tech punter Austin McNamara ranks seventh in the FBS in punting (47.6 yards per game). Fourteen of his 17 punts downed inside the 20-yard line have pinned opponents at the 12 or deeper. The Red Raiders also have two of the nation’s top returners in Drae McCray (26.6 yards per kickoff return) and Myles Price (21.8 yards per punt return).
Get the offense going early. UCF has outscored its opponents 38-10 in the first half during its two-game winning streak. The Knights are 4-1 when leading at the half and face a defense allowing just 24.4 points per game. The Red Raiders are 11-2 when leading at the half under McGuire and 2-8 when trailing.
Where: Jones AT&T Stadium
When: 5 p.m.
TV: FS2; Radio: AM 740/FM 96.9 The Game, Sirius/XM 391
Weather: 63 degrees, 24% rain chance
Favorite: Texas Tech 3 points
Online: orlandosentinel.com/knights; @osmattmurschel on X(Twitter).
Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.