Oct 33 min read

Florida Looks to Defend The Swamp Against the UCF Knights

UF's Graham Mertz — ©Matt Bush-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators (2-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) will play host to the Central Florida Knights (3-1, 1-1 Big 12 Conference) on Oct. 5 in Gainesville, Fla. This will be the first time these two will be meeting up since their clash in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl. In that game, the Knights defeated the Gators 29-17 in Tampa, Fla. This time, the Knights head straight into the heart of Gator Country as they enter The Swamp. The question is will they come out alive?

The Game's Ramifications

For Florida, every game is crucial to many different parties. First, the fans are getting tired of being mediocore and losing games in general. Winning a game against a fairly decent UCF team will brighten Gators fans' moods everywhere. Second, Gators' head coach Billy Napier has been on the hot seat since the season started. A win against the Knights could slightly cool the figurative hot seat. The Gator players also will want to do well as there are several of them who played in the game in 2021. There might be some desire to get revenge for their loss in Tampa a few years ago. With the difficult schedule that the Gators have, this could be one of the last real opportunities they have to get a win. As it stands, the Knights are 2.5-point favorites over the Gators in The Swamp.

For UCF, they are coming off a conference loss to Colorado (4-1, 2-0), 48-21 on Sept. 28. A win will help them right the wagon and get back on track as they navigate their first season in the Big 12 and in a Power Four conference. While they did lose to the Buffaloes, they did beat the TCU Horned Frogs (3-2, 1-1) on Sept. 14, 35-34. It proved that they could contend with the rest of the Big 12. After their clash with the Gators, they return to their Big 12 schedule with games against Cincinnati (3-2, 1-1) on Oct. 12 and a road game No. 16 Iowa State (4-0, 1-0) on Oct. 19.

Key Players: Florida Gators

Once again, the Gators will be employing the two-quarterback system against the Knights. Both Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway will be significant pieces to the Gators offense now and in the future if they are to succeed. Since he was injured, Mertz has returned and looked great in every game, even if the Gators have lost. His performance against Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2) showed flashes of his brilliance as one of the most accurate passers in the SEC.

The Gators rushing game has been a one-man show in Montrell Johnson Jr. The running back has 234 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season. The Gators also signed receiver Elijhah Badger in the Transfer Portal from Arizona State. He leads the Gators with 14 catches, 305 yards and a touchdown.

Key Players: UCF Knights

The Knights are led by transfer quarterback KJ Jefferson and star running back RJ Harvey. Jefferson has thrown for 847 yards and 7 touchdowns. Harvey has rushed for 525 yards and 8 touchdowns. Jefferson has been a bit of dual threat, rushing for 211 yards himself, nearly as much as the Gators' Johnson. The leading receiver has been Kobe Hudson who has 349 yards and 2 touchdowns.

UCF's RJ Harvey — ©Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Defensively, the Knights have two players with around 20 tackles (DeShawn Pace, Quadric Bullard). Pace also leads the Knights in interceptions with two as a linebacker. Outside of that, stats-wise, the Knights haven't been very flashy despite being 3-1.