UCF KNIGHTS

154

1979 - Inaugural game vs. St. Leo

1979• During his inaugural address, UCF President Trevor Colbourn announces that the school will “explore the possi-bility of developing a football program.” Later, Colbourn and director of athle� cs Jack O’Leary approve a decision to form a football team to begin play in the fall of 1979 as an NCAA Division III program. Former professional football player Don Jonas becomes the school’s fi rst coach on a volunteer basis. On Aug. 28, 148 prospec� ve players par� cipate in the program’s fi rst prac� ce. Less than one month later on Sept. 22, UCF travels to St. Leo for its fi rst game and wins 21-0. Bobby Joe Plain scores the school’s fi rst touchdown on a 13-yard pass recep� on from Mike Cullison in the fi rst quar-ter. The following week, UCF plays its fi rst home contest at the Tangerine Bowl and posts a 7-6 victory over Fort Benning in front of 14,138 fans.

1980• A� er the UCF Athle� c Authority votes in January to make the foot-ball head coaching job a full-� me posi� on, Don Jonas is selected for the role. The Knights win four games during the campaign and in an 18-14 victory over Emory and Henry, Michael O’Shaughnessy tallies a school-record fi ve sacks. Following the season, cor-nerback Tim Kiggins earns third-team All-America honors and becomes the fi rst UCF player to sign a professional contract when he joins the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Michael O’Shaughnessy

1981• UCF begins a local rivalry, mee� ng Bethune-Cookman in the fi rst Mayor’s Trophy game. The Wildcats escape with a 24-20 win. Kicker Sco� Ryerson is a third-team All-America selec� on, while center Dan Burke and lineback-ers Eddie James and Bill Giovane� earn honorable men� on status. Fol-lowing the season, head coach Don Jonas resigns to become director of the UCF Gridiron Club.

1982• Following Don Jonas’ resigna� on, as-sociate head coach Sam Weir is named the program’s interim head coach. New athle� cs director Bill Peterson announc-es that UCF will compete as a Division II program during the year. With the move to D-II, the school begins award-ing athle� cs scholarships. Following the season, four Knights sign professional contracts: � ght end Mike Cater with the Na� onal Football League’s Denver Broncos and defensive end Ed Gantner, linebacker Bill Giovane� and off ensive lineman Mike Sommerfi eld with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. Following the season, New York Yankees president and former Buff alo Bills head coach Lou Saban is named UCF’s head coach.Don Jonas

1983• UCF records its fi rst win against an NCAA Football Championship Subdivi-sion opponent, defea� ng Aus� n Peay, 10-7 on the road. Ted Wilson returns a kick 100 yards for a touchdown against Southeastern Louisiana and fi nishes second in the na� on in kick return aver-age with 30.5 yards per return.

1984• A� er the squad gets off to a slow start, head coach Lou Saban announces his resigna� on. Jerry Anderson is named interim head coach. Following the campaign, off ensive lineman Dan Burke signs a contract with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League. Kicker Sco� Ryerson is dra� ed by the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL and signs a free-agent deal with the Na� onal Foot-ball League’s Atlanta Falcons.

1985• Gene McDowell, an assistant at Florida State, is named UCF’s head coach and athle� cs director. UCF wins its fi rst game under McDowell when Ed O’Brien kicks a school-record 55-yard fi eld goal as � me expired to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 39-37. UCF meets its fi rst NCAA Bowl Subdivi-sion opponent, playing at Louisville.

1986• The team begins the season 4-1. UCF sets a new a� en-dance record when 23,760 watch the Knights play Woff ord for Homecom-ing. The con-test features a post-game performance by the Beach Boys. The Knights went 6-5 during the year to post their fi rst win-

ning campaign since the inaugural s e a s o n in 1979.

Lineback-er Wya�

B o g g a n leads the

team with 143 tackles

and earns F o o t b a l l

News All-America First

Team honors. Wide receiver Ted Wilson becomes the fi rst UCF player selected in the Na� onal Football League Dra� when the Washington Redskins take him in the 10th round. Tailback Elgin Davis is picked in the 12th round by the New England Patriots.

Mike Cullison

Ed O’Brien

Sco� Ryerson

Gene McDowell

1986 - Ted Wilson becomes the fi rst Knight to be dra� ed by the NFL

FOOTBALL

155

1987• The Knights post a school-record fi ve-game winning streak during the year, outscoring their opponents, 242-67, during the stretch. UCF fi nishes the regular season with an 8-3 record, good

enough for its fi rst bid to the Division II playoff s. In the fi rst round of

the playoff s, the host Knights record a 12-10 win over Indi-

ana University of Pennsylva-nia. The following week the

squad falls to eventual na� onal champion Troy. Wideout Bernard Ford and

kicker Ed O’Brien earn All-America First Team honors

from several outlets, includ-ing the Associated Press. Quarterback Darin Slack and linebacker Mike Coad receive Football News All-America Second Team recogni-� on. Ford is tabbed in

the third round of

the Na� onal Foot-ball League Dra� by the Buff alo Bills and defensive back Corris Ervin is taken in the fi � h round by the Den-ver Broncos.

1988• UCF opens the cam-paign with fi ve-con-secu� ve wins and moves to second in the NCAA Division II na� onal rankings. A crowd of 31,789 a� ends UCF’s 26-18 victory over defending na� on-al champion Troy at the Citrus Bowl. Defensive lineman Steve Spears and off ensive lineman Dave Underwood earn Football Ga-ze� e All-America honors.

linebacker Mike Coad receive Football News All-America Second Team recogni-� on. Ford is

1989• In its fi nal campaign at the Division II level, UCF defeats three Football Cham-pionship Subdi-vision schools. The Knights fi n-ish the sea-son strong, winning six of their fi nal seven games to complete the year 7-3.

1990• UCF moves to the Football Championship Subdivision ranks and goes 10-4. The Knights be-come the fi rst school in history to qualify

for the FCS playoff s in their fi rst season of eligibility.

In the fi rst round of the playoff s, UCF draws

previously undefeated Youngstown State on

the road. Franco Grilla hits a 34-

yard fi eld goal as � me ex-pires to give the Knights a 20-17 vic-tory. Host

UCF downs William & Mary,

52-38, in the sec-ond round of the

playoff s to set up a semifi nal matchup

with eventual na� onal champion Geor-gia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. Follow-ing the year, Gene McDowell is award-ed the Eddie Robinson Trophy by The Sports Network as the na� onal coach of the year. Wide receiver Shawn Jef-ferson is dra� ed in the ninth round by the Na� onal Football League’s Hous-ton Oilers.

1991• The Knights host their fi rst Foot-ball Bowl Subdivision squad, facing

East Carolina at the Citrus Bowl. Linebacker Bobby Spitulski is

named to Associated Press All-America Third Team and is selected in the third round of the Na� onal Football

League Dra� by the Sea� le Seahawks.

1992• UCF President John C. Hi� an-

nounces UCF’s inten� on to move to the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks by 1996. UCF makes history as the fi rst college squad to a play a Rus-

sian team on American soil as it de-feats the Moscow Bears of the Russian League of American Football, 42-6, on Oct. 3. During the year, Gene McDow-ell relinquishes his du� es as athle� cs director to concentrate his eff orts on coaching the football team.

1993• UCF wins six of its fi rst seven games, with the only loss coming from Football Bowl Subdivision’s East Carolina. The Knights claim three of their fi nal four games to fi nish the regular season with a 9-2 mark. The squad earns a berth in the playoff s and faces host Youngstown State in the opening round.

1994• The Knights begin the year as Sports I l lustrated’s pick to win the Football C h a m p i o n -ship Subdivision � tle. Due a rash of inju-ries on defense, UCF fi nishes the year 7-4. Kick returner Todd Cleveland garners The Sports Network All-America Second Team honors. Defensive end Greg Jef-ferson is picked in the third round of the Na� onal Football League Dra� by the Philadelphia Eagles.

1995• On June 21, UCF receives offi cial word from the NCAA that its bid for reclassifi ca� on to the Football Bowl Subdivision has been approved and will take eff ect Sept. 1, 1996. Against a top-notch schedule, UCF goes 6-5. The Knights open the season with a 40-32 victory over fi � h-ranked Eastern Kentucky. Freshman Daunte Culpep-per completes 20 of 25 passes for 254 and three scores and earns na� onal player of the week honors. Tailback Marque� e Smith is named to the Foot-ball Gaze� e All-America Second Team and is dra� ed in the fi � h round by the Na� onal Football League’s Carolina Panthers.

1996• The Knights play their inaugural cam-paign at the Football Bowl Subdivision level and go 5-6. Behind quarterback Daunte Culpepper, UCF fi nishes the campaign 16th in the na� on in passing off ense.

Gene McDowell

Bernard Ford

1987 - Darin Slack named a second-team All-American

Franco Grilla

Shawn Jeff erson

Greg Jeff erson

Daunte Culpepper

1993 - The Knights went 9-3

1995 - Marque� e Smith was dra� ed in the fi � h round by the Carolina Panthers

UCF KNIGHTS

156156

1997• UCF faces a tough schedule that in-cludes four squads from the South-eastern Conference and na-� onal champion Nebraska. UCF garners na� onal a� en-� on a� er leading Nebraska by three points at hal� ime before falling by two touchdowns to the host Corn-huskers. A re-cord crowd of 41,827 turns out for UCF’s home opening victory over Idaho. Quar-terback Daunte Culpepper sets 15 school records. He is a fi nalist for the Davey O’Brien Na� onal Quarterback Award, a semifi nalist for the Football News Off ensive Player of the Year and is named to the American Foot-ball Coaches Associa� on Good Works Team. Tailback Dwight Collins, who is deaf, receives Disney’s Wide World of Sports Spirit Award for being the na� on’s most courageous student-ath-lete. Running backs coach Alan Gooch is named the assistant coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Associa� on for his work with Collins. Following the season, Gene McDowell resigns as head coach and is replaced by long� me off ensive coordinator Mike Kruczek.

1998• Quarterback Daunte Culpepper earns preseason All-America honors from sev-

eral outlets, including Sports Illus-trated and The Spor� ng News. UCF makes its fi rst na� onal television appearance when ESPN televises

its game at Purdue. The Knights fi nish the campaign 9-2. Cul-pepper breaks Steve Young’s 1983 single-season comple� on percentage record of 71.3 by complet-ing 73.6 percent of his passes. He be-comes only the third player in school his-tory to pass for more than 10,000 yards

and rush for more than 1,000 yards in a

career. Culpepper concludes the year with more than 30 school records to his credit. The signal caller fi nishes sixth in the ballo� ng for the Heisman Trophy and is named na� onal co-player of the year by The Sports Network. Culpepper becomes UCF’s fi rst Na� onal Football League fi rst-round dra� pick as the Min-nesota Vikings select him 11th overall. Cornerback Paul Miranda is taken in the fourth round by the Indianapolis Colts.

1999• UCF starts the campaign with the toughest September schedule in the na� on, facing four bowl winners from the previous year. All four teams enter the games with the Knights ranked in the top 25. UCF hosts a top-25 foe for the fi rst � me, play-ing No. 22 Purdue in front of 40,112 fans at the Cit-rus Bowl. Wideout Charles Lee is dra� ed in the seventh round by the Na� onal Foot-ball League’s Green Bay Packers.

2000• The Knights record one of the biggest victories in school history by defea� ng tradi� onal power Alabama, 40-38, in Tuscaloosa. Javier Beorlegui gives UCF the win with a 37-yard fi eld goal with three seconds remaining to spoil the Crimson Tide’s homecoming game. A school record 50,220 fans watch the Knights host No. 8 Virginia Tech.

2001• The biggest news for UCF comes off of the fi eld when the school fi nally fi nds a conference home for football. On Nov. 1, UCF signs an agreement to enter the Mid-Ameri-can Con-f e r e n c e for football in 2002. On the fi eld, off en-sive lineman Steve Edwards and defensive lineman Elton Pa� erson earn Football NewsAll-America honorable men-� on honors. Following the year, defensive back Travis Fisher is dra� ed in the second round by the Na� on-al Football League’s St. Louis Rams.

Crimson Tide’s homecoming game. A school record 50,220 fans watch the Knights host No. 8 Virginia Tech.

• The biggest news for UCF comes off of the fi eld when the school fi nally fi nds a conference home for football. On Nov. 1, UCF signs an agreement to enter the Mid-Ameri-can Con-f e r e n c e for football in 2002. On the fi eld, off en-sive lineman Steve Edwards and defensive lineman Elton Pa� erson earn Football NewsAll-America honorable men-� on honors. Following the year, defensive back Travis Fisher is dra� ed in the second round by the Na� on-al Football League’s St. Louis Rams.

2002• UCF plays its fi rst season as a member of the Mid-American Conference and fi n-ishes second in the east division with a 6-2 league mark. Three Knights earn All-MAC First Team

honors. Wideout Doug Gabriel becomes the fi rst player from UCF to

play in the Senior Bowl. Four Knights are se-

lected in the Na� onal Football League Dra� : cornerback Asante Samuel (New England Patriots, fourth round), Gabriel (Oakland Raiders, fi � h round), off ensive lineman Mike Mabry (Bal� more Ravens, seventh round) and defensive lineman Elton Pa� erson (Cincinna� Bengals, seventh round). Off ensive lineman Tay-lor Robertson is tabbed by the Calgary Stampeders with the 13th overall selec-

� on in the Canadian Foot-ball League Dra� .

Mike Kruczek

Dwight Collins

Daunte Culpepper

1998 - Daunte Culpepper guided the Knights to a 9-2 record1997 - The Knights

nearly defeated Nebraska

Asante Samuel

Elton Pa� erson

2003 - The program moved into the Wayne Densch Sports Center

2000 - UCF defeated Alabama on the road

FOOTBALL

157

2003• UCF’s football program moves into its new home as the state-of-the-art Wayne Densch Sports Center opens just 16 months a� er construc� on began. The school accepts an invita� on into Confer-ence USA for all sports. The Knights will end t h e i r b r i e f fo o t b a l l a f f i l i a -� on with the Mid-American C o n f e r -ence fol-lowing the 2004 cam-paign. The year serves as the 25th season of UCF football. A� er a 3-7 start, head coach Mike Kruc-zek is relieved of his du� es and long-� me assistant Alan Gooch is promoted to interim head coach for the fi nal two games. Gooch makes his coaching de-but when the Knights play Marshall on ESPN2 in Orlando. The contest serves as the fi rst na� onally-televised home game in school history. Following the season, George O’Leary is selected as UCF’s new head coach. Tight end Michael Gaines is taken in the seventh round of the Na� onal Football League Dra� by the Carolina Panthers.

2007• A� er a season-opening win at NC State, the Knights play on campus for the fi rst � me, hos� ng sixth-ranked Texas in the inaugural game at Bright House Networks Stadium. In front of 45,622 fans, the Longhorns escape with a 35-32 victory. The Knights complete the regular season with six-straight vic-tories, earning the right to host Tulsa in the Conference USA Championship Game. UCF captures the C-USA � tle with a 44-25 victory and earns a spot in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Mississippi State. During the cam-paign, tailback Kevin Smith posts one of the fi nest seasons in NCAA history. He rushes for 2,567 yards, which ranks second all-� me behind only Barry Sanders. Smith earns C-USA Co-Player of the Year recogni� on and becomes the fi rst player in UCF history to earn consensus All-America honors. Head coach George O’Leary is named the C-USA Coach of the Year and defensive lineman Keith Shologan is named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team. The Detroit Lions take Smith in the third round of the Na� onal Football League Dra� , while off ensive lineman Josh Si� on (Green Bay Packers, fourth round) and � ght end Mike Merri� (Kansas City Chiefs, seventh round) are also selected. Shologan is picked by the Saskatche-wan Roughriders with the fourth over-all selec� on in the Canadian Football League Dra� .

2008• The Knights post a 4-8 record and 3-5 mark in league play, but see punt and kickoff returner Joe Burne� become a fi rst-team All-America selec� on a� er

breaking every major school and C-USA career punt return record. He fi nishes his career ranked 19th in NCAA his-tory in career punt return yardage and is dra� ed in the fi � h round of the NFL Dra� by the Pi� sburgh Steelers.

2006• Prior to the season, Bright House Net-works acquires the naming rights to the new stadium. UCF closes out its long tenure at the Citrus Bowl on Nov. 25, with a 31-22 Conference USA win over UAB. A� er a record-breaking season in which he recorded a school-best 90 re-cep� ons, wide receiver Mike Walker is selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the Na� onal Football

League Dra� . Off ensive lineman Cedric Gagne-Marcoux is picked eighth overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Foot-ball League Dra� .

2004• A� er missing the team’s fi rst game of the season, new head coach George O’Leary makes his UCF debut as the Knights host 10th-ranked West Virginia at the Citrus Bowl. The Knights open

the campaign with one of the na� on’s toughest schedules, traveling to face Wisconsin and Penn State and hos� ng West Virginia.

2005• The Knights win their inaugural Conference USA contest, record-ing a 23-13 win over visi� ng Marshall. The victory snaps a 17-game losing streak for the Knights.

The team goes on to win eight contests, including seven in league play, during the regular season. UCF hosts the inaugural C-USA Championship game, which is played in front of a school-record 51,978 fans at the Citrus Bowl. Despite falling to Tulsa in the � tle game, UCF earns an invita� on to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, marking the fi rst bowl game in program history. The Knights post one of the top turnarounds in college football history, going 8-5 a� er an 0-11 campaign in 2004. Head coach George O’Leary is named the C-USA Coach of the Year, in addi� on to garner-ing na� onal coach of the year honors

from CBSsports.com and Sportsllus-trated.com. Tailback Kevin Smith garners the C-USA Freshman of the Year award. Wideout Brandon Marshall is selected in the fourth round of the Na� onal Football League Dra� by the Denver Broncos. During the year, the

UCF Board of Trustees approves a fi nancing plan for an on-campus

stadium that will open in 2007.

2003 - The program moved into the Wayne Densch Sports Center

Brandon Marshall

Mike Walker

2005 - UCF hosted the Conference USA Championship Game

2007 - Bright House Networks Stadium opened

2007 - Kevin Smith had a record-se� ng campaign