Knights Score Season-high 63 Points in Homecoming Win Over ECU

The No. 22 UCF Knights' No. 1 offense scored a season-high against the bottom-dwelling ECU Pirates.

By
Ryan Weiss
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University of Central Florida quarterback McKenzie Milton looks for a receiver in the end zone during a 40-13 win over the University of Memphis at Spectrum Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. (Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)

Game Recap

ORLANDO, Fla. – Last week against the University of Cincinnati, the University of Central Florida scored 51 points in just three quarters. This week against East Carolina University, the offense made up for that lost quarter, picking up right where it left off and scoring points in bunches.

The homecoming game for the No. 22 Knights (5-0, 3-0 in American Athletic Conference) resulted in a 63-21 home-team win over the ECU Pirates (1-6, 1-2 in AAC) behind the arm of sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton Saturday night at Spectrum Stadium.

“I told the guys, ‘This is what we’re supposed to do.’ You know, I got a lot of respect for East Carolina and [Pirates head coach] Scottie [Montgomery], but I think we’re a better football team,” Knights head coach Scott Frost said after the game. “And that’s what you’re supposed to do tonight when you’re the better football team than someone.”

Coming off last week’s career game of five touchdown passes, Milton impressed again. The sophomore threw for 324 yards, including 291 in the first half and accounted for three total touchdowns. Entering the fourth quarter, UCF led 49-14, sidelining Milton for the rest of the game.

“I think [our offensive success is] a combination of things,” Milton said after the game. “The coaches are putting us in awesome opportunities to succeed, the O-line is doing a great job in protection—in the run and pass game—and the skill players are just making plays.”

With UCF ahead just 14-7 late in the first quarter, the Knights responded in turn with a touchdown in the waning minutes of the first. To cap off the first quarter, UCF drove 69 yards in six plays. On the three-yard line, Frost opted to try the option. Milton took the snap and stutter-stepped to freeze the defender before pitching Adrian Killins the ball for his third rushing touchdown of the season and a 21-7 lead.

UCF’s defense also put points on the board. Midway through the second quarter, junior linebacker Titus Davis ran a stunt up the middle and got a free hit on ECU quarterback Thomas Sirk. Redshirt junior safety Tre Neal intercepted the ensuing pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown and a 35-7 advantage on his second interception of the season.

After a Taj McGowan four-yard run gave the Knights a 42-14 lead entering halftime, UCF’s offense went scoreless in the third quarter. Fortunately for the Knights, starting cornerback and punt returner Mike Hughes was up to the task. Hughes let a deep punt bounce once, caught the ball and sprinted away for a 66-yard score.

In the first half, the No. 1 scoring offense in college football proved it earned its ranking by scoring 21 points in each of the first two quarters. It began quickly, as the Knights scored on the fourth play of their opening drive. Milton first found a wide-open Jordan Akins down the seam for a career-high third touchdown.

UCF scored its second touchdown of the game courtesy of an unlikely player. On first-and-goal from the four-yard line, defensive lineman Jamiyus Pittman lined up in the backfield for presumably more blocking duties. This time, though, Pittman darted to the flat and caught his first-career touchdown to put the Knights up 14-0.

“It was slow-motion,” Pittman said after the game. “Thank God for McKenzie. He threw it perfect. I think if he threw it any other way, I probably would’ve dropped it.”

Sirk scored ECU’s first two touchdowns on short-yardage situations, throwing for a five-yard score to Deondre Farrier in the first and a four-yard score to Davon Grayson in the second.

Player of the Game: QB McKenzie Milton

For the second week in a row, Milton brought his “A” game. After the first half the Kapolei, Hawaii, native had 291 yards on 19 of 22 passing with two passing touchdowns and one rushing.  Milton would go down late in the second quarter with an apparent injury but would stay in the game.

What’s Next?

UCF travels to Annapolis, Maryland, to take on the Navy Midshipmen (5-1, 2-1 in AAC) on Oct. 21.

UCF Defense Gets Its 2nd Touchdown of the Season

Against the University of Maryland, the UCF defense scored its first touchdown of the year when Hughes returned a tipped-ball interception. This week, the defense scored its second touchdown of the year when Neal caught a pick-six. Neal’s pick was the Knights’ eighth interception of the season.

“If you saw the way he threw the ball, they were in his face,” Neal said after the game. “When they have that kinda thing, they get nervous. So, it just makes it—they’re basically letting us know that we can make a play and be aggressive on the ball when they’re getting pressure like that.”

Mike Hughes Continues to Make Impact on Special Teams

Entering the win over ECU, Hughes had a season-high punt return of 43 yards. Against the Pirates, he set a new high, returning a third-quarter punt 66 yards for his second score of the season. Hughes’ first punt return for a touchdown a block-in-the-back penalty negated the score. The first-year Knight scored his first touchdown of the season on a pick-six against Maryland.

“Special teams is a game-changer,” Hughes said after the game. “A lot of people don’t realize it, but it could change the game around. That’s what I like to do, so I like being back there.”

Scott Frost Impressed With Homecoming Crowd

For the 2017 homecoming game, UCF unveiled space-themed uniforms complete with a special helmet. The 40,287 fans in attendance pulled out their phones for kickoffs, too. Frost described the UCF community and fans as family.

“When those cellphones were shining with the lights before the kickoffs, I thought that was really neat,” Frost said. “The space game was fun. It’s fun to have people back in town for homecoming. We have some of the old players in town. It’s starting to really feel like a UCF family, and I’m glad I’m a part of it.”

Highlights

NDR Notes

  • Dating back to the 2016 AutoNation Cure Bowl, Milton has thrown at least one touchdown in the past six games.
  • Milton has thrown for at least two touchdowns in the last three games.
  • The last time UCF scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams was in a 47-29 victory against ECU last season on Oct. 1, 2016.
  • The Knights went over 500 yards of total offense for the third-straight game. The last time this happened was in 1988.
  • UCF scored at least 60 points for the second time this season and scored over 50 in back-to-back games.
  • Darius Pinnix’s 57-yard run is the longest UCF has given up this season.
  • Back-up quarterback and true freshman Noah Vedral scored his first-career touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Scoring

Time Team Play PAT Score
Q1, 13:44 University of Central Florida McKenzie Milton to Jordan Akins, 48-yard pass GOOD 7-0, UCF
Q1, 6:17 University of Central Florida McKenzie Milton to Jamiyus Pittman, 4-yard pass GOOD 14-0, UCF
Q1, 4:32 East Carolina University Thomas Sirk to Deondre Farrier, 5-yard pass GOOD 14-7, UCF
Q1, 0:12 University of Central Florida Adrian Killins, 3-yard run GOOD 21-7, UCF
Q2, 7:49 University of Central Florida McKenzie Milton, 1-yard run GOOD 28-7, UCF
Q2, 7:25 University of Central Florida Tre Neal, 50-yard pick-six GOOD 35-7, UCF
Q2, 1:41 East Carolina University Thomas Sirk to Davon Grayson, 4-yards GOOD 35-14, UCF
Q2, 0:40 University of Central Florida Taj McGowan, 3-yard run GOOD 42-14, UCF
Q3, 4:48 University of Central Florida Mike Hughes, 66-yard punt return GOOD 49-14, UCF
Q4, 12:58 University of Central Florida Noah Vedral, 13-yard run GOOD 56-14, UCF
Q4, 10:41 East Carolina University Gardner Minshew to Tahj Deans, 17-yard pass GOOD 56-21, UCF
Q4, 5:19 University of Central Florida Greg McCrae, 18-yard run GOOD 63-21, UCF

Statistics

Passing

Player Team Completed Attempted Yards Touchdowns Interceptions
McKenzie Milton University of Central Florida 21 27 324 2 0
Thomas Sirk East Carolina University 9 21 91 2 1
Gardner Minshew East Carolina University 1 0

Rushing

Player Team Rushes Yards Yards/Rush Touchdowns Long
Adrian Killins University of Central Florida 8 52 6.5 1 18
Greg McCrae University of Central Florida 5 64 12.8 1 20
Taj McGowan University of Central Florida 8 26 3.3 1 9
Cordarrian Richardson University of Central Florida 8 59 7.4 0 18
Darius Pinnix East Carolina University 13 93 7.2 0 57
Hussein Howe East Carolina University 8 37 4.6 0 21

Receiving

Player Team Catches Yards Yards/Catch Touchdowns Long
Tre’Quan Smith University of Central Florida 5 93 18.6 0 37
Otis Anderson University of Central Florida 7 76 10.9 0 20
Jordan Akins University of Central Florida 2 52 26.0 1 48
Cam Stewart University of Central Florida 2 49 24.5 0 42
Davon Grayson East Carolina University 6 96 16 1 41

For more on the Knights, as they look to continue their five-game winning streak, follow Ryan Weiss on Twitter at @NDR_RyanWeiss.

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