UCF Press Release

November 19, 2002

ORLANDO - After catching a break from the weather Saturday against Kent State when a day-long rain storm ended an hour prior to the game, UCF might not be as lucky this week when temperatures are expected to be in the 40s for the Golden Knights final road game. UCF (5-5, 4-2)) is scheduled to travel to Oxford, Ohio to take on the Miami University Redhawks (7-4, 5-2) Saturday in a 1 p.m. game televised in the Orlando and Tampa markets on Sunshine Network. The game will be replayed statewide Sunday night at 8.

The cold weather is something quarterback Ryan Schneider is actually looking forward to. "I'm hoping it is snowing," Schneider said. "All I heard all preseason is, we can't play in the cold games, we are going to fold when it gets cold and snowy and we are Florida boys who can't handle the cold weather. I want to go out and show everyone that we can handle it and we are just as good in 80 degree weather as we are in 20 degree weather."

    The cold was not as much of a factor as anticipated earlier this season when UCF played at Buffalo Nov. 9. The temperature at kickoff was 58 degrees with winds gusting up to 25 miles per hour. Schneider threw five touchdown passes and rushed for a touchdown in a 45-21 win en route to being named MAC Offensive Player of the Week in the East Division.

The coldest game of Schneider's career was a wind-swept game at Northern Illinois his freshman season in 2000, when the temperature was 41 degrees at kickoff with a 16 mile per hour wind. UCF turned the ball over seven times, including six fumbles in a 40-20 loss.

    "It was windy that day, kind of like Buffalo" Schneider said. "I think that day it may have been like 40 degrees, but the wind was blowing and the wind-chill was way down. If you threw the ball one way you could throw it a hundred yards and the other way you threw it you were lucky if it went 10 yards."

Notes: Freshman placekicker Matt Prater (Estero HS) was named Special Teams Player of the Week in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference Monday as a result of his performance in UCF's 32-6 win against Kent State Saturday, when he tied a school record with four field goals in the game. Trailing 3-0 late in the first half, Prater tied the game with a 44-yard attempt and then extended UCF's lead with three second-half field goals (26, 25, 25). He went four-for-four on the day and also kicked a pair of extra points for a total of 14 points.

Prater leads the team in scoring with 74 points. He has connected on 14 of 20 field goal attempts this year, including a 53-yarder in front of a crowd of 103,029 in his college debut at Penn State. Of his six misses, three were as a result of a block.

He is the fourth different player from UCF to earn player of the week honors in the MAC this year. Cornerback Asante Samuel has earned the honor twice, while defensive end Elton Patterson and quarterback Ryan Schneider were each was named once.

 

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