Congratulations to your 2013 Fiesta Bowl champion… UCF Knights?? If I had said this back in August many would have laughed at me and shrugged me off. Even I wouldn’t have thought that UCF could go so far and have as much success as they did.
2013 was a special year for the UCF Knights. Looking at their schedule, there were bound to be tough tests for this program. Road games against Penn St. and Louisville and home games against South Carolina and rival USF were the games that stuck out in the preseason. UCF would not disappoint in their first true road test in Happy Valley. In front of over 92,000 people, the stars shined as QB Blake Bortles and RB Storm Johnson led the Knights to a 34-31 victory. Two weeks later, South Carolina out of the powerhouse SEC came marching into Central Florida. In what was at the time the biggest game in UCF history, the Knights led 10-0 at halftime only to fall short in the end 28-25.
One of the biggest upsets in all of college football this past year may have occurred on October 18th when UCF shocked the 8th ranked Louisville Cardinals on the road. Things weren’t looking good for the Knights down 28-7 in the third quarter. After an amazing comeback, UCF sealed the deal with the go-ahead TD with 23 seconds left. After another thrilling win against rival USF, the stage was set for a Fiesta Bowl showdown with 6th ranked Baylor.
In what was their first BCS bowl game in school history, the Knights came to play. As 17 point underdogs they prevailed 52-42 to cap off a magical season. With great plays and stunning finishes, the 2013-2014 UCF season was truly unbelievable and a Knightmare for opposing teams.