True Freshman Jeff Godfrey’s 5-yard touchdown run 1:23 into the game was the fifth of the season for the UCF quarterback. Godfrey tied Dante Culpepper’s UCF record for rushing touchdowns by a true freshman quarterback with the scamper. Culpepper, who was in attendance Saturday, accomplished the feat in the 1995 season.
Long Drive The Knights’ second-quarter scoring drive was the longest of the season. UCF took 9:06 off the clock as they capped a 17-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run by Ronnie Weaver. The drive was the longest for the Knights since the team had an 18-play drive at Southern Miss on Sept. 12, 2009.
14 and Counting Adam Nissley’s 3-yard touchdown reception late in the second quarter helped put the Knights up by four scores headed into the half. Nissley became the 14th different UCF player to score a touchdown this season with the catch. The score also gave the team a 27-0 lead at halftime, the largest lead at home since Sept. 22, 2007 when UCF held a 42-0 lead over Memphis at the break.
Multiple Men For the first time this season, two members of the Knights had multiple sacks in the same game. Darius Nall and Troy Davis both had 2.5 sacks in Saturday’s win, marking the first time in 2010 that more than one UCF player got to the quarterback on more than one occasion. Only Nall had previously recorded two sacks in a game this year, when he got to the QB twice at Buffalo on Sept. 18. Victory Gray joined his two teammates as he recorded the Knights’ other sack, bringing the total to six in the game for UCF. Gray’s sack was the first of his career.
Weaver’s Magic Ronnie Weaver scored three times on Saturday afternoon. He has now managed to find the end zone multiple times in three of the last five games for the Knights. Prior to Weaver’s three-touchdown effort against the Owls, the last Knight to rush for three scores in a game was Brynn Harvey against Tulane on Nov. 21, 2009.
They Did Protect This House The Knights are now 17-7 all-time at Bright House Networks Stadium. UCF also improved to 7-0 against C-USA opponents at home since the beginning of the 2007 season with the win over Rice. Overall, the Knights are 12-3 against C-USA opponents at Bright House Networks Stadium.
Potent Offense, Solid Defense This season, UCF is outscoring C-USA opponents, 118-35. In each of the last two home games, the Knights have scored more than 40 points as they put 42 on the board against UAB on Oct. 6 in the conference opener. The UCF defense has done its job as well, allowing conference opponents just over 11 points per game. The Knights have allowed just one opponent in seven games this season to reach the 20-point mark.
4-of-4 on Fourth Entering the game, UCF had converted on 4-of-8 fourth-down conversions. Against the Owls on Saturday afternoon, the Knights were a perfect 4-of-4 on fourth down. Three times after converting on fourth down, the Knights would cap the drive with a touchdown.
Late Score L.D. Crow hit Ricky Kay with a 40-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter. The TD pass was the first for Crow at UCF after transferring from Stanford prior to last season. The 40-yard touchdown reception was a new career high for Kay as he ran into the end zone with the final UCF score of the day.
Final Score UCF 41 Rice 14
Up Next The victory pushed the Knights to 3-0 in Conference USA play and set the stage for next Saturday’s huge showdown against arch-rival East Carolina (5-2 and 4-0). The Pirates defeated Marshall 37-10 on Saturday, setting up Saturday’s showdown.