(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
ATLANTA, Ga. – Gabriel Davis and the No. 12 UCF Knights are in relatively unfamiliar territory. For starters, Davis, a Sanford native, and the Knights have traveled north of the Sunshine State border to Georgia for the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, tolerating sub-50-degree weather (when this piece was written, it was a brisk 60 degrees in Orlando). The Peach Bowl will also be the Knights’ second New Year’s Day bowl game in its approximately half-century school history, beating Baylor University in the 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Now, in the Knights’ first-ever undefeated regular season, UCF has a chance to remain the only undefeated team in 2017 in a matchup with No. 7 Auburn University. Davis has experience with undefeated regular-season teams, playing on one in his senior year at Seminole High School last season.
“It’s crazy looking back—back in high school,” Davis said after practice Thursday. “I know I miss it a little bit, but, still, just, the year went by so fast, already being undefeated and coming in at UCF. And now we’re already about to be in January, playing in a bowl game.”
Davis was an integral part of the Seminole team that won 12-straight games, including playoffs, before falling to Dr. Phillips High School in the Class 8A state semifinals 37-34. He caught 69 passes for 1,347 yards (19.5 yards per reception) and 17 touchdowns.
With UCF, the true freshman has also had a significant role, starting all 12 of UCF’s games leading to Auburn and the Peach Bowl. This season, he caught 25 passes for 353 yards (14.1 yards per reception) and 4 touchdowns.
“I didn’t think that, probably, that we were probably gonna be in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl,” Davis said. “But, I mean, I’m not surprised that we are, at the same time, ‘cause we earned it. I mean, we worked hard all year, all offseason. So, I expected us to be here.”
Coincidentally enough, Davis is now in the same position he was in last season with the Seminoles. Standing at 12-0 in one of the final games of the year, Davis has a chance to achieve what he couldn’t in high school: a 13-0 record.
A mighty Auburn team stands in his and the Knights’ way, though. The Tigers have beaten two No. 1 teams this season and just missed out on a College Football Playoff spot after a loss to the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Despite his stalwart opponent, Davis is reveling in the opportunity to play in the Peach Bowl, perhaps looking to make a point.
“Walking in there—I remember the first day—you kinda just get stuck that you’re even sitting in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, you know?” Davis said. “Not a lot of guys get the opportunity for that, especially being out of the Power Five, you know? They kinda look down on us.”
UCF and Auburn face off on New Year’s Day in front of a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 12:30 p.m. The Peach Bowl will be broadcast on ESPN.
For more on the Knights, as they prepare for the Peach Bowl, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
