Adrian Killins, Brandon Moore Lead UCF to Close Win Over Navy

The No. 20 University of Central Florida won its closest game of the season, beating the Navy Midshipmen by just 10 points.

By
Ryan Weiss
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10
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University of Central Florida running back Adrian Killins, right, runs the ball during a 61-17 win over the FIU Panthers at Spectrum Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. (Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)

Game Recap

The University of Central Florida was in danger of letting the game slip away. After a McKenzie Milton interception, the Navy Midshipmen were threatening to score a game-winner. The triple-option offense was grinding its way downfield, eventually getting the Midshipmen into scoring range. With Navy at the UCF 38-yard line facing a third-and-five, UCF needed a big play. The Knights got one from redshirt freshman cornerback Brandon Moore.

With about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Midshipmen trailing 24-21, Navy backup quarterback Garret Lewis ran to the outside and pitched the ball to his running-back. As soon as the back caught the pitch, Moore came in and delivered a ball-jarring tackle. Moore recovered the ball to secure the Knights’ narrow lead and eventually the win.

Moore’s play helped the No. 20 UCF Knights (6-0, 4-0 in American Athletic Conference) defeat Navy (5-2, 3-2 in AAC) 31-21 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon. Despite the win, UCF head coach Scott Frost thought his team could have played better.

“We didn’t play as well as we could play,” Frost said after the game, per the CBS Sports Network broadcast. “I give a ton of credit for that to Navy. They confused us, and we made mistakes when we couldn’t. ‘Cause we knew they’d get back into the game, and that’s what happened. We’re lucky to get out of here with a win.”

After the Moore fumble recovery, UCF drove 54 yards in seven plays behind the legs of Otis Anderson, who got in the end zone with 3:30 left on a 10-yard run to make the lead 31-21. Apart from Milton’s seven-yard run, Anderson accounted for the other 47 yards, including a six-yard reception and personal-long rush of 26 yards.

Moore helped the Knights complete their victory with an interception on Navy’s own 29-yard line with 1:29 to go.

UCF survived a scare earlier in the game as well. To open the third quarter, Navy completed its longest pass of the game, a 75-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. Looking for an answer, the Knights turned to running-back Adrian Killins, who scored UCF’s second touchdown, a 15-yard rush, late in the second quarter.

On the first play of the first UCF drive of the second half, Milton handed the ball to Killins, who sped outside to the right sideline for a 79-yard touchdown. The play’s success was due largely in part to a key block by Tre’Quan Smith on the flank to spring Killins for the touchdown and a 21-14 lead.

After Milton suffered an injury that kept him out for part of the second quarter, Navy created momentum for itself and went 92 yards in 12 plays to tie the game at 7-7. The Midshipmen gained 40 of those 92 yards on a Tyler Carmona catch when the UCF secondary was drawn in for a run on third-and-eight. Quarterback Zach Abey kept the ball for a six-yard rush to tie the game with 4:46 left in the second.

Milton eventually returned to the game before halftime to help the Knights regain the lead. UCF’s offense was aided by kick-returner Mike Hughes who returned the ensuing kickoff to Navy’s 35-yard line. With prime field position, the Knights scored in five plays when Killins ran for a 15-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead.

Player of the Game: RB Adrian Killins

Killins continued to show his explosive abilities in the win over Navy, scoring his second-longest touchdown this season on a 79-yard rush. The sophomore back finished the day with 15 carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Killins suffered an injury scare after landing hard out of bounds in the fourth quarter but seemed to be alright afterward. He also caught three passes for 19 yards.

What’s Next?

UCF takes on FCS school Austin Peay State University (4-3) on Oct. 28 at Spectrum Stadium. Week 9 was originally scheduled to be the Knights’ bye week.

Knights Leave Points on the Board

While UCF’s nation-leading offense did score 31 points today, its average was 50.6 entering the Week 8 matchup. The Knights missed out on at least two field goals, turning the ball over on downs on Navy’s three-yard line and missing a 45-yard, half-ending field goal.

In the first quarter, the Knights also had a drive stall on back-to-back penalties from wide receivers Smith and Gabriel Davis. On the drive Milton suffered his injury, the Knights were on the edge of field-goal range at the 35-yard line when backup quarterback Noah Vedral dropped a snap that moved UCF 10 yards backward.

“[Navy] never stopped fighting,” Milton said after the game, per the CBS Sports Network broadcast. “I mean, you expect that from a naval-academy team. So, Coach [Ken] Niumatalolo does a great job getting his guys prepared, and they gave us everything we could handle. So, hats off to them.”

UCF Run Defense Worn Down by Navy’s Nation-leading Rushing Attack

In the first quarter of the game, UCF was defending the option terrifically. Four of Navy’s first six plays went for zero yards or less, and the Midshipmen did not have a third-down attempt shorter than eight yards. Navy ended the first quarter with only 36 rushing yards, however, finished the game with 248 yards. While the Knights did hold the Midshipmen under their average of 397.5 rushing yards per game, they also allowed more than 200 rushing yards in the final three quarters.

Despite Navy’s Run-1st Offense, Knights Allow Big Plays in Passing Game

As the No. 1 rushing team in the country, it’d be an understatement to say Navy is known for its running game. Navy’s passing game was only averaging 81.8 yards per game, entering the loss to UCF. This week, Navy had its best passing performance of the season. The UCF defense naturally, consistently played the run first, and it cost them.

First-year starter Tre Neal got beat on Navy’s 75-yard passing touchdown after biting heavily on the run, as Navy’s Malcolm Perry sped past him for the tying score. Between Abey and Lewis, the Midshipmen went 5-for-14 passing for 171 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Navy’s Zach Abey Left Loss with Head Injury

In the third quarter, Abey, who entered Week 8 with the fourth-most rushing yards in the country, suffered a head injury after receiving a hit from linebacker Shaquem Griffin and his facemask. Before leaving the game, Abey went 2-for-4 through the air for 115 yards and a touchdown and had 126 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. He would not return for the rest of the game and was replaced by Lewis. Lewis finished 3-for-9 through the air for 56 yards and an interception while running for 39 yards on 11 carries.

 

Highlights

NDR Notes

  • Abey is the first player to rush for 100 yards against UCF this season.
  • Anderson scored his first collegiate touchdown.
  • Kyle Gibson caught his third interception of the season.
  • Milton threw his third interception of the season against Navy.
  • UCF gave Navy its first home loss since September 2014.
  • Moore caught his first collegiate interception in the win over Navy.
  • Ten points is UCF’s closest win margin this season.

Scoring

Time Team Play PAT Score
Q1, 11:48 University of Central Florida McKenzie Milton to Tre’Quan Smith, 6-yard pass GOOD 7-0, UCF
Q2, 4:46 United States Naval Academy Zach Abey, 6-yard run GOOD 7-7, T
Q2, 2:46 University of Central Florida Adrian Killins, 15-yard run GOOD 14-7, UCF
Q3, 12:23 United States Naval Academy Zach Abey to Malcom Perry, 75-yard pass GOOD 14-14, T
Q3, 12:08 University of Central Florida Adrian Killins, 79-yard run GOOD 21-14, UCF
Q3, 2:41 University of Central Florida Matthew Wright, 35-yard field goal n/a 24-14, UCF
Q4, 12:50 United States Naval Academy Anthony Gargiulo, 7-yard run GOOD 24-21, UCF
Q4, 3:30 University of Central Florida Otis Anderson, 10-yard run GOOD 31-21, UCF

Statistics

Passing

Player Team Completed Attempted Yards Touchdowns Interceptions
McKenzie Milton University of Central Florida 15 23 233 1 1
Zach Abey United States Naval Academy 2 4 115 1 1
Garret Lewis United States Naval Academy 3 9 56 0 1

Rushing

Player Team Rushes Yards Yards/Rush Touchdowns Long
Adrian Killins University of Central Florida 15 122 8.1 2 79
Otis Anderson University of Central Florida 9 56 6.2 1 26
Zach Abey United States Naval Academy 25 126 5.0 1 14
Anthony Gargiulo

Receiving

Player Team Catches Yards Yards/Catch Touchdowns Long
Tre’Quan Smith University of Central Florida 1 6 6.0 1 6
Dredrick Snelson University of Central Florida 3 72 24.0 0 35
Jordan Akins University of Central Florida 3 47 15.7 0 20
Malcolm Perry United States Naval Academy 1 75 75.0 1 75
Tyler Carmona United States Naval Academy 3 66 22.0 0 40

For more on the Knights, as they look to carry momentum from their closest victory to date, follow Ryan Weiss on Twitter at @NDR_RyanWeiss.

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