Josh Heupel has enormous shoes to fill, as he attempts to build off the most successful season in program history when No. 21 UCF travel to take on Connecticut to open the 2018 regular season on Thursday.
The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ESPNU. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
While ESPN and ESPN 2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel package, ESPNU is in the “Sports Extra” add-on. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of both bundles, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
Heupel spent last season as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the University of Missouri. He replaces Scott Frost as head coach of the Golden Knights.
Frost made a tremendous impact in such a small period of time in Central Florida after moving coast to coast – he spent 2013-15 with Oregon, serving as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
In 2015, UCF finished an astonishing 0-12. In Frost’s first season, the program improved six games (6-7), which seemed like a monumental achievement. Nobody expected Frost to lead UCF to an undefeated season and Peach Bowl appearance in year two. The Golden Knights defeated No. 7 Auburn to complete their 12-0 season. For his efforts, Frost moved on and is now entering his first season as head coach of Nebraska.
Back to UCF, who are looking to prove last season was no fluke.
In order to do that, McKenzie Milton has to replicate what he accomplished in 2017. Milton, quietly, finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season, as he accumulated 4,037 yards through the air with 37 touchdowns and just nine interceptions on 67.1% passing; Milton finished with 613 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as well. The Frost-Milton partnership is what made the Golden Knights’ offense prosper, but Heupel is no slouch either.
Heupel, who has a second-place Heisman Trophy finish to his credit as well, has a background working with quarterbacks as much as Frost had when he first took the job in 2016.
UCF lost Tre’Quan Smith (New Orleans Saints) to the NFL in May, but return key juniors, wide receiver Dredrick Snelson and running back Adrian Killins Jr., who will go a long way in making sure the offense doesn’t skip a beat in 2018.