FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL at UCF
Thursday, Aug. 31 • 6 p.m. • CBS Sports Network
Spectrum Stadium (44,206/Natural Grass)
Orlando, Florida
Television
CBS Sports Network
Sean Grande, Aaron Murray and John Schriffen
Radio
WYGM-FM 96.9 (UCF flagship)
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the sixth meeting between UCF and Florida International … The schools have met five times in the last six years as UCF holds a 3-2 series lead … Last year’s meeting saw the Knights rush for six touchdowns, including three from RB Dontravious Wilson, in a 53-14 win in Miami.
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
0-0, 0-0 Conference USA
Head Coach
Butch Davis (Arkansas ’74)
0-0, first season at Florida International
79-43, 11th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Florida International went 4-8 last season and was picked to finish sixth in the Conference USA East Division in the league’s 2017 media poll … The Panthers have turned to veteran head coach Butch Davis as they look for their first winning season since 2011 … Davis previously served as head coach at Miami (Fla.) (1995-2000) and North Carolina (2007-10) as well as with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns (2001-04) … The Panthers return 57 letterwinners and 16 starters from last season … Florida International returns its top six tackles leaders from last year, including all-conference LB Anthony Wint (108) and LB Treyvon Williams (109), who both hit triple digits in tackles for the season … RB Alex Gardner is the top returner on offense after he rushed for 930 yards with six touchdowns in 2016.
UCF
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Scott Frost (Nebraska ’97)
6-7, second season
Notes
UCF made a remarkable turnaround in Scott Frost’s first year in Orlando as the Knights went 6-7 only one year removed from a winless season … The six-win improvement tied six other schools for the best turnaround in the nation in 2016 … UCF has won two American Athletic Conference titles (2013, 2014) in the first four years of the league and the Knights are expected to challenge once again based on their second-place pick in The American’s preseason media poll … UCF returns 14 starters from last year, including nine from an offense that more than doubled its scoring production from 2015 to 2016 … LB Shaquem Griffin was the 2016 American Defensive Player of the Year after he registered 92 tackles, 20.0 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.