UCF Defeats Kent State On A Stormy Night

Kevin Deutsch 

Knightsnews Staff Writer

Game Photos

Haynes carried the ball 23 times for 149 yards and one touchdown. Ryan Schneider wasn’t as accurate as usual, tossing two interceptions, but he still managed to throw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights offense overall was able to amount 527 total yards, but were overshadowed by the brilliant defensive display of their teammates.

The stifling Knights defense gave up just 141 yards of total offense. It seemed Kent State could do nothing right against a unit which forced them to punt eight times, while UCF kicked the ball away just twice.

With the season nearing its end, it was clear that the Knights wanted to lay it all on the line. They played a hard-hitting game for four quarters, and forced Kent State to fumble seven times, recovering three.

Another bright spot on the day was the accuracy of Matt Prater, who converted on four field-goals and put important points on the board after promising drives had stalled.

The victory brings the Knights to .500 for the first time this season, and keeps their remote MAC East title hopes alive. While their chances of finishing first in their division are slim, the Knights have yet to give up on the idea.

“We still have goals to reach and there is still an opportunity,” said UCF Coach Mike Kruczek about his teams championship hopes. “Marshall still has two games to play and they are both in conference.”

The Knights must win the final two games of the season to finish with a winning record for the third consecutive year. However the season ends, its clear the team has grown since their entry into a major conference.

 “It’s a great opportunity for us to be a part of the MAC,” said Ivery Gaskins. “We’ve faced a lot of criticism from the outside. A lot of people can judge what we have not done, but if you want to look at it from a positive perspective, we’ve grown as a program.”

Game Photos

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