A History of UCF Knights Football in Bowl Games

The UCF Knights football team, representing the University of Central Florida, has a history of competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as part of the Big 12 Conference. Since the program's inception in 1979, the Knights have participated in fifteen bowl games, showcasing their growth and competitiveness on a national stage. UCF has appeared in eight different bowl programs, with multiple appearances in the St. Petersburg/Beef 'O' Brady's/Gasparilla Bowl (6), the Liberty Bowl (2), and the Fiesta Bowl (2). UCF has an overall bowl record of 6-9 (.400).

Early Bowl Appearances

UCF's inaugural bowl game took place during the 2005 season. Under the guidance of Head Coach George O'Leary, the team experienced a remarkable turnaround, boasting the fourth-best improvement in NCAA history during O'Leary's second year. Before O'Leary's arrival, UCF had not secured a postseason berth since joining the FBS. As an FCS program, the Knights made appearances in the 1990 and 1993 playoffs and were recognized as the preseason No.

2005 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: A Heartbreaking Start

UCF's first bowl appearance was a memorable yet painful one, as they faced Nevada in the 2005 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The game was a high-scoring affair, ultimately ending in a 49-48 overtime loss for the Knights. Despite the defeat, several Knights delivered outstanding performances. Brandon Marshall had 11 catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns, including a late score from Steven Moffett that sent the game into overtime. True freshman Kevin Smith, Conference USA's Freshman of the Year, scored on a 78-yard run, the second longest run from scrimmage in UCF history at the time. Unfortunately, Matt Prater's missed extra point in overtime sealed the victory for Nevada.

Following their first bowl appearance in school history, UCF finished the season with an 8-5 record, just one year after going 0-11. The turnaround of seven games from 2004 placed UCF in a tie with seven other schools for the fourth-best single-season turnaround in FBS history. UCF scored for the seventh time on its opening drive. Brandon Marshall became the 10th player in UCF history to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for receiving in a season.

2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl: A Defensive Struggle

Two years later, UCF returned to the bowl scene, this time facing Mississippi State in the 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. This game was a stark contrast to their previous bowl appearance, as it turned into a defensive battle. UCF scored first with Matthew Wright connected on a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, and the game went to the fourth quarter tied at 3. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown with 1:54 to play in the game, and UCF fell to 0-2 in bowl games. Ultimately, the Knights fell to the Bulldogs by a score of 10-3. Despite the loss, junior running back Kevin Smith had 35 carries for 119 yards, leaving him 61 shy of Barry Sanders’ NCAA single season rushing record mark of 2,628 yards set in 1988.

The UCF defense held MSU to a school-record 39 passing yards. Junior Johnell Neal picked off his sixth pass of the season, tying Joe Burnett for the team and Conference USA leads. UCF finished 2007 with a 10-4 record, marking the most wins in a season in program history at the time.

2009 St. Petersburg Bowl: A Disappointing Outing

UCF's third bowl appearance took them to St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl against Rutgers. The game was an incredible environment for UCF, as 20,000 of its fans packed Tropicana Field for the program’s 3rd-ever bowl game. However, the Knights struggled to find their rhythm, allowing an interception return to sap their momentum, and Rutgers secured a decisive 45-24 victory. Junior Kamar Aiken registered a game-high four receptions and two touchdowns to earn UCF's Most Outstanding Player of the Fame. The announced attendance was 29,763 - including approximately 20,000 UCF fans -- still stands as a bowl record.

UCF processed and allocated 15,402 tickets for the St. Petersburg Bowl, encompassing a total of four separate blocks of tickets given to the school. The Knights' fourth-best rushing defense in the nation limited Rutgers to just 86 yards on the ground. Senior quarterback Brett Hodges wrapped up the 2009 campaign with two touchdown passes, increasing his total to 17 on the year. Junior Bruce Miller recorded his 13th sack of the campaign, tying for the third most in program history.

Breakthrough Victory and Continued Success

2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl: A Historic Win

The 2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, marked a turning point for the UCF football program. Facing Georgia, the Knights secured their first-ever bowl victory with a 10-6 triumph. Sophomore tailback Latavius Murray was the game’s MVP, rushing for 104 yards on 18 carries and a 10-yard TD run with 9:01 to play to put the Knights ahead 10-6. UCF sophomore safety Kemal Ishmael batted down a Hail Mary pass that preserved the Knights' victory over Georgia.

No. 24 (Coaches)/ 25 (BCS) UCF completed -- at the time -- the winningest season in school history at 11-3 by registering its first bowl victory. It was also the second-ever win over an SEC foe. UCF finished the season winning nine of its last 10 games after starting 2-2. Freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey completed 16 of 29 passes for 117 yards.

2012 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl: Dominance in St. Petersburg

UCF continued its bowl success in 2012, dominating Ball State in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl in St. Petersburg, Florida. Led by Blake Bortles and Latavius Murray, the Knights won their second bowl game in program history in dominating style, blowing out Ball State 38-17. Bortles capped his first by earning MVP honors, finishing 22-of-33 for 271 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for a career-high 80 yards and one touchdown. Murray was just as impressive, cashing in three touchdowns (all in the first half) and 104 total yards, with 71 on the ground and 33 through the air on a team-high six catches.

True freshman Breshad Perriman tied a personal-best with five receptions while setting a career-high with 90 yards. Senior free safety Kemal Ishmael started his final 49 games and posted seven tackles and forced a fumble for the Knights. UCF finished the 2012 season with a 10-4 record, tying for the second-most victories in a single season, and it was the fourth time since the program's inception in 1979 it collected double-digit victories. By reaching paydirt five times, the Knights eclipsed the most overall touchdowns (67) and the most offensive touchdowns (61) in school history.

2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: A Signature Victory

The 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, stands as one of the most significant victories in UCF football history. Facing a highly ranked Baylor team, the Knights delivered a stellar performance, securing a 52-42 triumph. The #15 Knights won their third-consecutive bowl game and finished the season 12-1, ranked 10th in the country. Junior quarterback Blake Bortles was named the Offensive Player of the Game after racking up 301 passing yards and three touchdowns to go along with a career-high 93 yards rushing and a touchdown. Terrance Plummer was named Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Defensive Player of the Game after racking up a team-high 14 tackles, 0.5 sacks and 0.5 tackles for loss.

Storm Johnson set a season high with 124 rushing yards and tied a season-high with three rushing touchdowns. Rannell Hall recorded a 50-yard and 34-yard touchdown reception in the first half. UCF (12-1) won its third straight bowl game and set a school record with its 12th victory. The winningest senior class in school history ended their career with a four-year record of 38-15 from 2010-13. The .717 winning percentage also is a school record over a four-year span. The Knights entered the year with one win in program history over a ranked team (No. 13/12 Houston in 2009). UCF finished the season with two - both over top-10 teams in No. 8/6 Louisville and No. 6/5 Baylor.

2014 BitCoin St. Petersburg Bowl: A Comeback Falls Short

Later that year, UCF faced N.C. State in the BitCoin St. Petersburg Bowl. Despite a late rally, the Knights fell short, losing 34-27. Senior Josh Reese scored 3 touchdowns in the losing effort.

Read also: Best Seats at the Rose Bowl

Josh Reese was named team MVP with a Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl-record three receiving touchdowns (14-yd, 6-yd, 2-yd), tying a school bowl game record. Breshad Perriman finished with nine receptions for 138 years A UCF bowl record was tied by Justin Holman with three touchdowns. He finished with 23 completions for 291 yards. The Knights trailed 34-13 in the fourth quarter and rallied before falling 24-27. UCF sold out two allotments of tickets (7,500 in total). Attendance at Tropicana Field was 26,675, marking the second-highest crowd in bowl history (29,763, 2009, UCF vs. Rutgers). UCF concluded 2014 with a 9-4 record, marking the fifth time in the six seasons the Knights reached eight wins.

Recent Bowl Games

2016 Cure Bowl: A Return to the Postseason

After a challenging 0-12 season in 2015, UCF made a surprising return to the bowl scene in 2016, participating in the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida. However, the Knights were unable to overcome Arkansas State, falling by a score of 31-13. The Cure Bowl marked the Knights’ return to a bowl game after an 0-12 season in 2015. It also marked UCF’s return the stadium formerly known as the Citrus Bowl, which UCF called home until 2007 when the Knights opened their on-campus stadium.

2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Undefeated Season

Behind 21 unanswered points in the second half, the Knights capped a perfect 13-0 season with a 34-27 win over #7 Auburn in the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day. In just a short span, the Knights have a memorable bowl history, which includes the 2014 Fiesta Bowl victory over Baylor that capped a 13-1 campaign. UCF has been to a bowl seven times over an 11-year span.

2019 Fiesta Bowl: Winning Streak Snapped

In Glendale, Arizona, after leading UCF to its second consecutive undefeated regular season, Mackenzie Milton suffered a gruesome injury against USF in the last game of the regular season. Darriel Mack Jr. did an admirable job filling in, leading UCF to an AAC title victory over Memphis, but the Knights’ 25-game winning streak was snapped in the Fiesta Bowl by LSU and Joe Burrow, who threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns.

2019 Gasparilla Bowl: Defense Shines

In Tampa, UCF’s defense was on display, as Richie Grant intercepted a pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown, and Tre’mon Morris-Brash returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown. The Knights led 21-0 after one quarter and never looked back.

2020 Boca Raton Bowl: BYU's Offensive Outburst

In Boca Raton, future No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick quarterback Zach Wilson shredded UCF for 425 yards and three touchdowns. Wilson also ran for two scores and caught a 16-yard pass. These teams ordinarily would not play in the Boca Bowl, but the usual C-USA vs. Sun Belt matchup was scrapped in the season of COVID-19.

2021 Gasparilla Bowl: Malzahn's First Season

In his first season as UCF head coach, Gus Malzahn stewarded the Knights to an 8-4 season. Despite losing starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the second game of the season, true freshman Mikey Keene showed steady improvement, helping the Knights make a bowl for the sixth season in a row. When UCF plays the Florida Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 23, it will be the 13th bowl in Knights history.

Individual Bowl Records

Several UCF players have etched their names in the program's bowl game record books:

Most rushing yards in a game: Kevin Smith, 202 yards (2005 Hawaii Bowl)
Most rushing touchdowns in a game: 3, Smith (2005 Hawaii Bowl) and Storm Johnson (2014 Fiesta Bowl)
Most passing yards in a game: 301, Steven Moffett (2005 Hawaii Bowl) and Blake Bortles (2014 Fiesta Bowl)
Most passing touchdowns in a game: 3, Moffett (2005 Hawaii Bowl), Blake Bortles (2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl) and Justin Holman (2014 St. Petersburg Bowl)
Most receiving yards in a game: 201, Brandon Marshall (2005 Hawaii Bowl)
Most receiving touchdowns in a game: 3, Brandon Marshall (2005 Hawaii Bowl), John Reese (2014 St. Petersburg Bowl)
Most tackles in a game: 11, Terrance Plummer (2014 Fiesta Bowl, Clayton Geathers (2014 St.

tags: #UCF #football #bowl #game #history