Getty UCF is headed to their second straight New Years Six bowl game.
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he self proclaimed National Champions will be in action on Thursday night. The UCF Knights have gone 25-1 over the last two seasons and own one bowl victory over Auburn. They have not been granted access to the playoff because of their weak schedule. With that being said, they open their season against the Florida A&M Rattlers.
UCF finished their season 12-1 in 2018. They took home their second straight American Conference Championship, but were handed a 40-32 loss by LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. The Knights were without quarterback McKenzie Milton after he suffered a gruesome leg injury.
Florida A&M finished with a 6-5 record last season, but they did win five out of seven games in conference play. The Rattlers finished tied for second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Florida A&M vs. UCF Preview
Week one of the college football season is usually a cupcake week for the nation’s top teams. This is no different for No. 17 UCF. According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Knights will jog onto the field on Thursday night as 47.5-point favorites.
Even with Milton on the sidelines, this is an offensive powerhouse. The Knights averaged 523.5 yards per game last season. On average, they gained 6.9 yards per play. These are eye-opening offensive numbers. The Knights run game was one of the best in the nation in 2018. They ran for 266.1 yards per game. UCF head coach Josh Heupel named Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush as the starting quarterback. He added that true freshman Dillon Gabriel will play in the first half against Florida A&M. This is something to keep an eye on if you are thinking about laying 47.5 points with the Knights.
“First of all, it was incredibly hard. I think that’s evident by how we’ve handled it up to this point. Obviously Dillon playing in the first half speaks volumes to how it all worked out and transpired through fall camp,” Lebby said of the decision to name Wimbush the starter.
▪️◾️◼️⬛️ BOOM ⬛️◼️◾️▪️
For Florida A&M, they are clearly overmatched. But do not discount their ability to move the ball against UCF in this one. The Knights have a rebuilding defense. They lost four of their top six leading tacklers from last season. One thing that the Rattlers have is experience. Quarterback Ryan Stanley is a veteran player that will be able to make some throws if he is given time.
“We have our hands full, but, again, a great barometer and test for this football team to see how we stack up against bigger, faster, stronger competition,” FAMU coach Willie Simmons said of UCF.
Florida A&M vs. UCF Pick & Prediction
The only doubt in this game is if you are willing to go to war with 47.5 points. That is a high spread under any circumstance, but in this game it makes sense.
The Knights are a machine on offense. There is no doubt that this game will hit the over, no matter what it ends up being set at. UCF is also a team that does not let up. They will continue to play until zeroes no matter which quarterback is under center. This is a game where the Knights will score quick and often.
Florida A&M will have to use their offense to keep the ball away from the Knights but that is easier said than done. Despite their age and experience, talent will take over in this game.
PICK: UCF -47.5
OVER: 65.5
SCORE PREDICTION: UCF 63, Florida A&M 13