College Sports

No. 25 UCF heads to Memphis looking for 1st league road win

Posted November 03, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Central Florida defensive lineman Tre'mon Morris-Brash, left, and linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste (11) celebrate after their win over Cincinnati in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Gus Malzahn hopes his UCF Knights have learned an important lesson about consistency no matter where they're playing.

The 25th-ranked Knights get their chance Saturday when they visit Memphis still looking for their first road win in the American Athletic Conference. It won't be easy against the Tigers, who are refreshed from an open date and desperate to snap a three-game skid.

'œThe last time we went on the road we didn't handle it very well,'ť Malzahn said of a 34-13 loss at East Carolina. 'œWe expect our guys to be in a different spot. ... We got momentum. We need to carry it over, and we need to play with the same energy and that same approach each game moving forward.'ť

UCF (6-2, 3-1 AAC) jumped into the 25th spot of the AP Top 25 after beating then-No. 20 Cincinnati 25-21 last week. It's the first time the Knights have been ranked since the third week of the 2020 season, and they're also still in the chase for the AAC championship.

The Knights visit Tulane next to cap a two-game road swing, the team they trail in the AAC standings. Malzahn hopes his Knights know they must stay focused on the road and try to be as comfortable there as they are at home where they are 7-0 with him as coach.

'œI think because of that lesson learned two weeks ago I really feel strong we'll not do that again,'ť Malzahn said.

Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield is feeling a different kind of pressure. The Tigers (4-4, 2-3) have lost three straight, and a program that won the league championship in 2019 is working on a stadium renovation that could make Memphis more attractive to a Power Five conference looking to expand.

Two of the Tigers' three losses came by a combined three points. Silverfied and the Tigers are coming off an open date, so they're rested up. This also starts a three-game home stand for Memphis.

'œMan it's nice to be back and, I think our players know that and that's part of the belief, the hope that we can get this going in the right direction,'ť Silverfield said.

STARTING QB

John Rhys Plumlee is day to day after an injury knocked him out of UCF's last game, and Mikey Keene came in to lead the Knights to the big win. Malzahn said the Knights have two quarterbacks they can rely on.

Keene is as capable of running the same offense as Plumlee. But Malzahn said Plumlee will start if healthy enough.

'œMikey was in there and the team rallied around him,'ť Malzahn said. 'œIt was just a good way to win a football game that will help us moving forward.'ť

PICK YOUR POISON

UCF ranks fifth nationally averaging 510.2 yards of total offense, and a big part of that is a three-headed running attack led by Isaiah Bowser. He leads the league and ranks nationally with 11 rushing touchdowns. The Knights rank eighth nationally averaging 244.4 yards per game. RJ Harvey ran for the winning TD last week.

FIRST CHANCE

The only game Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan has missed in his career was last year's 24-7 loss to UCF in Orlando because of an injury. He's healthy for this game and ranks second in the league and 18th nationally with 2,224 yards passing. Henigan has thrown 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions.

Henigan has heard the chatter about Silverfield's future possibly being at risk depending on how the Tigers finish.

'œAs long as we finish the rest of the season the right way, then I feel like the noise will quiet down a little bit and people will look back at the season and be like, that was a good team,'ť Henigan said.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Central Florida head coach Gus Malzahn acknowledges fans in the stands while leaving the field after an NCAA college football game against Cincinnati, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) The Associated Press

Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield watches a play from the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Tulane in New Orleans, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Tulane won 38-28. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman) The Associated Press

Central Florida running back Isaiah Bowser (5) scores a touchdown on a 3-yard run over Cincinnati safety Armorion Smith (27) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) The Associated Press

Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan (5) throws the ball during an NCAA college football game against Tulane in New Orleans, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Tulane won 38-28. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman) The Associated Press

Central Florida quarterback Mikey Keene (13) looks to throw a pass in front of Cincinnati defensive lineman Noah Potter (95) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) The Associated Press

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt (7) dives in the end zone past Memphis linebacker Xavier Cullens (8) to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football in New Orleans, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.