ATLANTA, Ga. – “Why not us?”
That was the question UCF Knights quarterback McKenzie Milton posed to his teammates in the spring-ball session before UCF’s first-ever undefeated regular season. Back then, the true sophomore said he knew his team would play in a big game—like the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl—at the end of the season.
That realization took time, though, as UCF’s offense faltered in a season-ending, three-game losing streak, including a 31-13 loss in the 2016 AutoNation Cure Bowl. It didn’t help that UCF’s defense also dominated Milton and the offense for most of spring. But one competition day was all the offense needed to start the Knights on the path for one of their most historic seasons.
“You know, defense was getting the better of us for most of the spring,” Milton said during media availability on Dec. 29. “Then we had competition day coming up. You know, I just saw the potential our team had, our offense had, and I told them I see us playing in a big game like this. I see us playing a [University of Alabama], an Auburn [University]—a team like that.
“And I said, ‘Why not us? Why not us to go win the American [Athletic Conference]? Why not us to go undefeated?’”
It was in that moment Milton began to see the team buy into his message. And perhaps a sense of unprecedented confidence played in the Knights’ favor. Milton recalled scanning the then-upcoming 2017 schedule and figured this team was poised to win its third AAC title.
After all, the Knights just recorded a six-game improvement in the 2016 season after going winless the season before. UCF also competed well with top teams in the conference, narrowly losing to the eventual AAC champion, Temple University, 26-25 on a last-second touchdown and even held a 21-3, halftime lead over the Houston Cougars before losing 31-24.
“We look at all the teams on our schedule; I see we can beat all those teams,” Milton said. “And I think, from that point, guys just kept buying in. ‘Cause that day, when we said [‘Why not us?’], we kicked the defense’s butt in that competition day. I think we scored every drive except maybe one. And, from that point on, it’s just kinda been history. Guys just kept buying in, kept buying in… It’s just been a special ride, you know?”
As offensive coordinator and the wide-receivers coach, Troy Walters saw first-hand the evolution of UCF’s offense. In addition to eventually becoming the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense, the Knights fared better off the field, too. Walters saw that as a contributing factor to UCF’s 2017 successes.
“When we first got here, our list of misses was huge. You know, 20, 30 guys didn’t go to breakfast, didn’t go to study hall—didn’t do this, didn’t do that,” Walters said during media availability on Dec. 29. “And, now, this year, each week, maybe two or three guys. And it’s about players holding other players accountable, letting them know that if I don’t do this, then I’m letting my brothers to my left and right [down].”
Walters credits UCF’s defense for giving his offense the spark it needed. More than anything, it was a matter of staying the course, according to Walters. That, coupled with UCF’s mastery of the offense, propelled the Knights into a 12-0 season, so far. Walters didn’t see that mastery in last year’s team.
“It’s a credit to the guys that they didn’t lose faith,” Walters said. “They kept working. I think our defense, in the spring and even in fall camp, you know, really prepared us for what we were gonna face this year… The confidence of really mastering this offense, that’s what’s gotten us this far. Those guys know the offense. Last year, I couldn’t say that.”
Now, the Knights are scoring nearly 50 points per game, even putting up a school record 73 points in a single game this season. For Walters, he didn’t see UCF’s 49.4 points-per-game average coming, but he knew it was possible.
“Even fall camp, you didn’t see that,” he said. “It was possible because of the scheme, because of the type of players we had. You know, I think after the first game, we saw what we could do, and it just kept rolling, and we knew our defense was gonna be good to create turnovers, and that always helps. And the guys just kept believing and, you know, just kept getting more confident every game, and here we are.”
Here we are, indeed. The Knights are about to take on the No. 7 Tigers in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day. It’s UCF’s second-ever New Year’s Day bowl, and, if history has any say, the future bodes well. UCF won its last New Year’s Day bowl against Baylor University and the then-No. 1 scoring offense, despite being 17-point underdogs, in the 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Against Auburn on Monday, UCF is a 10-point underdog.
For Milton and his team, they know what’s at stake: a complete undefeated season, the first since Florida State University did so in 2013.
“You know, I don’t think we really even talk about it too much,” Milton said. “I think we all kinda know what’s at stake. We know we’ve had a special year, so far, and we know we got a tall task ahead of us, but I think we’re definitely up to it, and I think the guys are locked into our game plan on both sides of the ball. I’m just excited to get after it.”
UCF and Auburn kick off at 12:30 p.m. in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Peach Bowl will be broadcast on ESPN.
For more on the Knights, as they prepare for Auburn, the Peach Bowl and the biggest game in school history, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
