| 1979 UCF Knights football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 6–2 [a] |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wabash | – | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norwich | – | 8 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryville (TN) | – | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dayton | – | 8 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | – | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Millsaps | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albany | – | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catholic University | – | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salisbury State | – | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hofstra | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frostburg State | – | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saint Mary's | – | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brockport | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canisius | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duquesne | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rochester (NY) | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wagner | – | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffalo | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado College | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union (NY) | – | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grove City | – | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saint Francis (PA) | – | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DePauw | – | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cortland | – | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Norbert | – | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fordham | – | 0 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1979 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida (UCF) as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division III football season. This was first varsity football team fielded by UCF. The Knights were led by head coach Don Jonas and played their home games at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, now known as Camping World Stadium in downtown Orlando.
UCF played its first football game on Saturday September 22, at Saint Leo. The game took place on a rainy, water-logged and muddy field, which was a said to be a cow pasture. [2] Quarterback Mike Cullison, a graduate of nearby Evans High School, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another touchdown, as UCF was victorious by the score of 21–0. [3] Running back Mike Stapp rushed for 101 yards on 15 carries, and the Knights defense held the Lions to only 92 yards of total offense.
One week later, the Knights won their first home game by defeating Fort Benning, 7–6. [4] Jonas led the Knights to a 6–2 inaugural season, behind an average attendance of 11,240, including an NCAA Division III record crowd of 14,138 for the game against Fort Benning. [4] [5]
The humble beginnings for the Knights football team were exemplified during their inaugural season. The team had no locker room, the coaching staff was composed of volunteers, players were asked to bring their own cleats, and all equipment and supplies were donated. Practices took place on a driving range, and players had to go to a classroom building on campus to find showers. Jonas famously offered to take the head coaching position for no salary. [6]
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22 | at Saint Leo | St. Leo, FL | W 21–0 | 1,000 |
| September 29 | Fort Benning | W 7–6 | 14,138 | |
| October 13 | Maryville (TN) |
| W 10–7 | 7,350 |
| October 20 | at Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale, FL | W 14–0 | 500 |
| October 27 | at Presbyterian | L 0–48 | 3,800 | |
| November 3 | at Emory and Henry | Emory, VA | L 14–28 | 1,000 |
| November 10 | Sewanee |
| W 24–0 | 10,111 |
| November 17 | Morehouse |
| W 14–7 | 13,309 |
The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida in the sport of American football. The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are a member of the Big 12 Conference. Their head coach was Gus Malzahn. The Knights play their home games at the 45,301-seat FBC Mortgage Stadium, which is located on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida, United States.
FBC Mortgage Stadium is an American football stadium located near Orlando in Orange County, Florida, United States, on the main campus of the University of Central Florida. It is the home field of the UCF Knights of NCAA Division I FBS college football; also it was home of the now defunct Orlando Apollos during the first and only 2019 season of the Alliance of American Football.
Donald Walter Jonas is a former American football player and coach. Jonas played in the American minor leagues (semi-pro) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was also the first head coach of the UCF Knights (1979–1981).
The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in unincorporated Orange County, Florida near Orlando. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Since men's soccer is not sponsored by the Big 12, they play in the Sun Belt Conference.
The 2007 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, in his fourth season with the school. The season was highlighted by the completion of their new on-campus stadium. The Knights moved out of the aging Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando, and began playing their home games at Bright House Networks Stadium, located on the main campus of UCF in east Orlando, Florida. In addition, the team changed its nickname from "Golden Knights" back to simply "Knights." From its inception in 1979 to 1992, the football team had been known as the Knights, then used the name "Golden Knights" from 1993 until 2006.
Alan Gooch is an American sports executive and former college football coach. He is the executive director of the Orlando Sports Foundation (OSF), which raises funds and awareness for cancer research and sponsors the Cure Bowl, a bowl game played each December in Orlando, Florida. Gooch spent most of this coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater, the University of Central Florida (UCF). In 1997, he was the inaugural recipient of the AFCA NCAA Division I-A Assistant Football Coach of the Year. Gooch served as the interim head coach for the final two games of UCF's 2003 season following the dismissal of Mike Kruczek.
The 2005 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, in his second season with the team. It was their first year as a member of Conference USA, playing in the East Division.
George Joseph O'Leary is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 1994 to 2001 and the UCF Knights from 2004 to 2015. He was famously hired in 2001 to be the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish but resigned after five days for lying on his resume. O'Leary was an assistant coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) from 2002 to 2004, and an assistant coach for the Syracuse Orange and San Diego Chargers.
The 2000 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Their head coach was Mike Kruczek, who was in his third season with the team. The 2000 season marked the Golden Knights fifth year since ascending to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996.
The 2005 Conference USA Football Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 3, 2005, at Citrus Bowl in Orlando. This was the 1st Conference USA Championship Game and determined the 2005 champion of the Conference USA. The game featured the UCF Golden Knights, champions of the East division, and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, champions of the West division.
The 1996 UCF Golden Knights football season was the eighteenth season for the team and Gene McDowell's twelfth as the head coach of the Golden Knights. McDowell's 1996 team compiled a 5–6 overall record. The season marked UCF's first as a member of Division I-A, officially joining on September 1, 1996. At that time, the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions.
The 1997 UCF Golden Knights football season was the nineteenth overall season for the team, and second season as an NCAA Division I-A Independent. It would be the thirteenth and final season for head coach Gene McDowell. McDowell's 1997 team finished with a 5–6 overall record, matching the record from the previous season. McDowell would resign at season's end in the wake of a cell phone fraud scandal. His tenure as head coach came to a close after compiling an 86–61 record. To-date, McDowell still has the most wins as head coach in program history.
The 1998 UCF Golden Knights football season was the twentieth season overall for the team, and third season as an NCAA Division I-A Independent. After the resignation of Gene McDowell, Mike Kruczek became the new head coach of the Golden Knights. Kruczek led UCF to a 9–2 record in 1998, the program's best season at the time. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting and set a then-NCAA record for completion percentage (73.4%). UCF received a tentative verbal agreement to play in the Oahu Bowl. However, the arrangement fell through in the final week of the season.
The 1999 UCF Golden Knights football season was Mike Kruczek's second year as the head coach of the Golden Knights. Looking to build on the success of a nine-win season the year before, the Knights visited five high-profile opponents. Kruczek led UCF to an overall record of 4–7. With the departure of Daunte Culpepper to the NFL draft, the quarterback duties were taken over by college journeyman Vic Penn. On two occasions, the Golden Knights nearly upset a major SEC opponent on the road.
The 2013 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights were members of the American Athletic Conference, and played their home games at Bright House Networks Stadium on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida. The Knights were led by head coach George O'Leary, who was in his tenth season with the team.
The 1988 UCF Knights football season was the tenth for the team. It was Gene McDowell's fourth season as the head coach of the Knights. After making the playoffs the year before, UCF started off the season ranked in the top 5 of Division II. After defeating the defending Division II national champions Troy State in week 3, the Knights jumped to No. 2 in the nation, a spot they held for three consecutive weeks. The Knights faltered, however, and lost five of their last six games. McDowell's 1988 Knights finished the season with a 6–5 overall record and missed the Division II playoffs.
The South Florida–UCF football rivalry, better known as the War on I-4, is an American college football rivalry between the South Florida Bulls football team of the University of South Florida and UCF Knights football team of the University of Central Florida. As of the 2022 meeting, the Knights hold a 8–6 lead in the series.
The 2017 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights played their home games at the newly renamed Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and competed in the East Division of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by second year head coach Scott Frost.
Mike Hughes is an American professional football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina before transferring to Garden City Community College and later to UCF. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
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