2023 UCF Knights football team

The 2023 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida (UCF) as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights were led by Gus Malzahn in his third year as the Knights head coach. The team played their home games at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

UCF officially moved into the Big 12 Conference for the 2023 season. In doing so, the Knights became the first NCAA football program to play at every sanctioned level: Division III, Division II, Division I-AA, Division I-A (Independent), Group of Five, and Power Five.

In their first season as part of the Big 12, the Knights jumped out to a 3–0 start, including a last-second victory at Boise State. However, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee suffered an ankle injury in the final minute of the Boise State game, which would sideline him for a month. Redshirt sophomore Timmy McClain took over at quarterback as the Knights entered the conference portion of their schedule. In their first intra-conference home game, the Knights jumped out to a 35–7 lead over Baylor, but blew a 28-point lead, and lost 36–35. The Knights suffered a five-game skid, slipping to 3–5. With Plumlee back to full strength in November, the Knights won three of their last four games to finish the regular season 6–6 overall (3–6 in the Big 12), and became bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season. Of the four newcomers that joined the Big 12 for 2023 (BYU, Cincinnati, and Houston being the others), UCF finished with the best record, and was the only one bowl-eligible.

Incoming

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Spring game
The 2023 UCF spring exhibition game was played on Friday April 14 at FBC Mortgage Stadium. The team was split into two squads for gameplay, the Knights and the 'Nauts.

Award watch lists
A total of eight players were named to the preseason All-Big 12 mentions, and eight players were named to the Senior Bowl watchlist.

Big 12 preseason poll
The Big 12 preseason poll was released on July 6. UCF was voted 8th in the conference. First place votes in parentheses.

Schedule
The 2023 season is UCF's first as a member of the Big 12 Conference. The conference utilizes a nine-game conference schedule, with three out-of-conference games annually. Furthermore, the conference requires at least one of the three out-of-conference games to be against a Power Five opponent. UCF successfully petitioned for a first-year, one-time waiver to count their game at Boise State as their Power Five non-conference opponent, taking into account Boise State's recent successes and status as a top Group of Five team.


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Kent State
Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw for 281 yards and rushed for 90 yards as the Knights routed Kent State 56–6 on Thursday night. The game marked UCF's first football game as a member of the Big 12. The Knights won their 8th consecutive season opener.

at Boise State
Colton Boomer kicked a 40-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lift the Knights over the Boise State Broncos by the score of 18–16. Boomer went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a school record-tying 55 yarder in the second quarter. Late in the game, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee suffered a leg injury which will require him to miss multiple weeks.

No. 24 (FCS) Villanova
Timmy McClain started at quarterback for the injured John Rhys Plumlee. McClain threw for 321 yards, and the UCF offense racked up 600 total yards as the Knights soundly defeated FCS #24 Villanova by the score of 48–14.

at Kansas State
UCF traveled to Kansas State for their first-ever intra-conference game in the Big 12. Timmy McClain once again started at quarterback, throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns. The Knights defense, however, could not contain the Wildcats offense, and lost by the score of 44–31. D.J. Giddens rushed for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns, and caught 8 balls for another 86 yards. The game was tied 24–24 midway through the third quarter, but Kansas State put the game away with 20 unanswered points. Ten penalties for 80 yards on UCF, two turnovers in Wildcats territory, plus a lopsided time of possession were factors in the loss.

Baylor
UCF hosted Baylor for their first intra-conference home game in the Big 12. The game was a rematch of the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The Knights blew a 35–7 lead. Baylor scored a go-ahead field goal with 1:21 remaining and won 36–35. On the first play from scrimmage, Johnny Richardson broke free for a 79-yard touchdown run, and after two more quick scores, UCF jumped out to an early 21–0 lead. The Knights eventually built a 35–7 lead, which they held late in the third quarter. Baylor scored 29 unanswered points, including two touchdown passes from Blake Shapen, and a 72-yard fumble return for a touchdown. UCF got the ball back one last time with 1:21 remaining. Colton Boomer's 59-yard field goal attempt fell no good as time expired, and Baylor escaped with the victory.

at Kansas
John Rhys Plumlee returned to start at quarterback, but played for only three drives in the first half. Timmy McClain took over and played the rest of the game. Kansas dominated UCF, jumping out to a 31–0 lead, and pulling away for a 51–22 victory. The Jayhawks put up 399 yards rushing, while UCF was held to a season-low 371 total yards.

at No. 6 Oklahoma
UCF traveled to Norman to take on Oklahoma. Facing former quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Knights nearly upset the No. 6 ranked Sooners. UCF led 23–17 after three quarters, before Oklahoma scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to take a 31–23 lead. John Rhys Plumlee, back in the starting lineup, drove the Knights 75 yards in 9 plays. On 4th & 10 at the Oklahoma 12, Plumee found Javon Baker for a 12-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 31–29 with 1:16 left in regulation. UCF's two-point conversion attempt was snuffed out, and the Sooners held on for the victory.

West Virginia
UCF hosted West Virginia on Homecoming. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, as the Mountaineers won 41–28. West Virginia put up 286 yards rushing, and quarterback Garrett Greene ran for three touchdowns.

at Cincinnati
UCF traveled to rival Cincinnati, and won their first conference game in Big 12 conference play. Running back R. J. Harvey had a career-best 164 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Harvey scored a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up 28–20 with 2:41 left in regulation. Emory Jones then drove the Bearcats 75 yards in five plays for a touchdown, making the score 28–26 with 1:27 left. Jones' two-point conversion pass was tipped and fell incomplete, and the Knights held on to win 28–26.

No. 15 Oklahoma State
UCF hosted then-No. 15 Oklahoma State in their seventh annual "Space Game". The Knights dominated the game from start to finish, and routed the Cowboys 45–3. John Rhys Plumlee threw for 299 yards and three touchdown passes, while R.J. Harvey rushed for a career-best 206 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The UCF defense held Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II (the nation's leading rusher) to only 25 yards, and forced four turnovers. The Knights won their first Big 12 intra-conference home game, and first Big 12 intra-conference game against an existing/original team from the conference. After the game, fans stormed the field to celebrate.

UCF jumped out to a quick 14–0 lead in the first quarter. R.J. Harvey got the Knights on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run on their first drive. Ollie Gordon then fumbled in Knights territory, which led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from John Rhys Plumlee to Kobe Hudson. Braeden Marshall picked off Alan Bowman's deflected pass, which led to a Knights field goal early in the second quarter. A huge downpour then pelted the stadium, but it did not slow down the Knights offense. Plumlee found Kobe Hudson for a 75-yard touchdown, and the Knights led 24–0 at halftime.

Oklahoma State got the ball to start the third quarter. The Cowboys drove to the Knights 7 yard line, but had to settle for a field goal. On the ensuing drive, Plumlee was sacked and fumbled, giving the Cowboys the ball at the UCF 24. Two plays later, however, Demari Henderson tipped and intercepted a pass by Bowman at the 8 yard line. It was Bowman's third interception of the game, and Henderson's second such of the game defensively. On the very next play from scrimmage, R.J. Harvey took a handoff and blasted through for a 92-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up 31–3. UCF would tack on two more scores, and defeated Oklahoma State by the final score of 45–3.

at Texas Tech
UCF traveled to take on Texas Tech. The Knights jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with two touchdown runs by R. J. Harvey. With 5:30 left in the fourth quarter, UCF was trailing 24–17. John Rhys Plumlee found Javon Baker wide open for a 71-yard touchdown pass. But Colton Boomer's game-tying extra point attempt was blocked and sailed wide left. The Red Raiders were able to run out the clock and held on for a 24–23 victory.

Houston
UCF hosted Houston in their regular season finale. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw for 253 yards and running back R. J. Harvey rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns, as the Knights defeated the Cougars 27–13. With the win, UCF finished the regular season 6–6 overall (3–6 in the Big 12), and became bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season. The UCF offense put up 476 total yards, but the kicking game struggled for the second week in a row. Colton Boomer missed two field goals and an extra point.

Gasparilla Bowl
UCF faced Georgia Tech in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl. It was the sixth meeting between the two teams. UCF had won the most recent meeting 27–10 in 2022. This was UCF's sixth appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl (formerly known as the St. Petersburg Bowl). George O'Leary, formerly the head coach of both teams, took part in the pre-game coin toss.

The Knights jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter. John Rhys Plumlee threw touchdown passes to Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson. UCF was looking to go up 21–0 when their drive was snuffed out as R.J. Harvey fumbled away the ball at the Georgia Tech 42. The turnover led to a Yellow Jackets field goal, and was a turning point in the game. The Knights defense held Georgia Tech to only 87 yards passing, but the Yellow Jackets put up 284 yards on the ground. Trailing 17–3, Georgia Tech scored 27 unanswered points, and won by the score of 30–17.

National honors

 * FWAA Cheez-It National Team of the Week: (Week 11)
 * Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week (Week 11): Gus Malzahn
 * Manning Award Star of the Week — John Rhys Plumlee (Week 11)
 * On3 True Freshman All-American: John Walker

Big 12 Conference honors

 * Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 2): Colton Boomer
 * Co-Offense Player of the Week (Week 10): R. J. Harvey
 * Defensive Player of the Week (Week 11): Demari Henderson
 * Tre'mon Morris-Brash (Defensive Lineman of the Year - Honorable Mention)
 * Randy Pittman Jr. (Offensive Freshman of the Year - Honorable Mention)
 * John Walker (Defensive Freshman of the Year - Honorable Mention)

School records

 * Longest field goal (ties school record): 55 yards, Colton Boomer (at Boise State), September 9, 2023