The moment UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a huge hit and immediately grabbed for his leg, the stadium went completely silent. In a heated rivalry game between Central Florida and South Florida, all sides came together to support a talented player who had just suffered a gruesome injury.
Following the play and seeing Milton carted off the field, South Florida took to Twitter to send a classy message of support for the young signal-caller.
Great respect for a great player. Our sincerest wishes for all the best for McKenzie Milton. 🙏
*Note: The video below of the play and injury is graphic.
The play was so gruesome that ESPN chose not to show it again after it happened. Here’s a video of the play and a look at how it happened.
It was a strong message sent from South Florida in an intense rivalry known as the War on I-4. The Knights and Bulls meet on Thanksgiving weekend for the matchup and there’s actually a point system which includes nine different sports. UCF has won each of the past two years, outscoring South Florida 51-33 in 2016-17 and 49-35 last year.
Central Florida vs. South Florida Matchup History
As Winsipedia shows, the Bulls actually hold a 6-3 advantage dating back to the 2005 season. After winning four-straight from 2005 to 2008, the teams didn’t meet again until the 2013 season. Since that point, UCF has won three of five, but the largest margin of victory was a USF route 44-3 in 2015.
This was the third matchup against South Florida that Milton had taken part in. After his team lost the first one back in 2016 by a score of 48-31 as he failed to throw a touchdown, the team flipped the script last year. During UCF’s undefeated 2017 campaign, they won a high-scoring game against South Florida 49-42 while Milton threw for 373 yards and scored five total touchdowns (four passing).
Thoughts certainly go out to the young quarterback and we’ll update as additional information on the injury is provided.
READ NEXT: LOOK: Graphic Photo Shows Severity of McKenzie Milton Injury
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McKenzie Milton Injury: UCF Rival South Florida Sends Classy Message