USF at UCF
Thursday, Nov. 26 • 7:30 p.m. • ESPN
Bright House Networks Stadium (43,323/Grass)
Orlando, Fla.
#USFvsUCF



Television
ESPN - WATCH LIVE - LIVE STATS
Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer,
David Pollack and Kaylee Hartung

USF Radio - WWBA-AM 820 (flagship)
UCF Radio - WYGM-AM 740 (flagship)

THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the fifth meeting between The American’s two Florida-based schools … USF holds a 4-2 series lead, but UCF has taken the last two matchups, including a 16-0 win last year in Tampa … All three meetings in Orlando have been decided by seven points or fewer.

rv/- USF
7-4, 5-2 American

Head Coach
Willie Taggart (Western Kentucky ’98)
13-21, third season at USF
31-41, sixth season as collegiate head coach

NOTES
USF has won six of its last seven after a 65-27 victory against Cincinnati … The Bulls started the season at 1-3 and had not scored more than 17 points against an FBS opponent, but USF has averaged  37.0 points per game in its last seven games … USF is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010 … RB Marlon Mack leads The American  in rushing at 117.1 yards per game … Mack has rushed for 1,171 yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries and has turned in back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons … QB Quinton Flowers has completed 134 of 222 passes (60.4 percent) for 1,841 yards and 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions … Flowers also has rushed for 796 yards and eight TDs … WR Rodney Adams has 34 receptions for 660 yards and eight touchdowns and has been a key part of USF’s recent resurgence … Adams also averages 30.5 yards on kickoff returns … LB Auggie Sanchez leads the team with 98 tackles to go with 7.5 tackles for loss … S Jamie Byrd has 78 tackles with 5.0 sacks, 10.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions and two forced fumbles … CB Deatrick Nichols has a team-high four interceptions.

UCF
0-11, 0-7 American

Interim Head Coach
Danny Barrett (Cincinnati ’88)
0-3, first season

NOTES
UCF fell to 0-11 overall and 0-7 in The American after a 44-7 setback to East Carolina Nov. 19 … Head coach George O’Leary announced his retirement after the Knights fell to Houston Oct. 24 … Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett, a former head coach of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League, is serving as the interim head coach … Despite the record, UCF has held a lead in nine of its 11 games, including five times after the second quarter or later … QB Justin Holman has completed 117 of 224 passes for 1,258 yards and seven touchdowns with 12 interceptions  … WR Tre’Quan Smith has been a bright spot with a team-high 45 receptions for 622 yards and four TDs … RB C.J. Jones enters as the leading rusher on the year with 334 yards and a touchdown … The Knights have scored four rushing touchdowns this season … LB Domenic Spencer has 89 tackles with a team-leading 8.0 tackles for loss … CB Shaquill Griffin leads the team with 12 pass breakups and has two interceptions … DE Jamiyus Pittman has a team-leading 4.5 sacks to go with 42 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss … K Matthew Wright has accounted for 53 of 164 points (12-16 FG, 17-17 PAT).