2015 UCF Knights football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 2015 UCF Knights football UCF Knights logo.svg 115px American Athletic Conference East Division The American 0–12 0–8 George O'Leary 12th first 8 games Danny Barrett interim; remainder of season Brent Key 1st Chuck Bresnahan 1st Pro-style, option 4–3 Bright House Networks Stadium The 2015 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights were members of the East Division of the American Athletic Conference (The American), defending conference co-champions, 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 12th and final season with the team. After starting the season 0–6, O'Leary resigned as UCF's interim athletic director, a position he had held since June when Todd Stansbury left for the same position at Oregon State.UCF's George O'Leary Resigns AD Job, but Is Still Football Coach David Whitley http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ucf-knights/os-ucf-george-oleary-ad-david-whitley-1013-20151012-column.html Orlando Sentinel October 12, 2015 October 17, 2015 Following UCF's 59–10 defeat by Houston on homecoming, dropping the Knights to an 0–8 record, O'Leary resigned as head football coach. Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.UCF Coach George O'Leary Retires, Knights Move Forward During Winless Season Shannon Green Mike Bianchi http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-ucf-george-oleary-retires-1026-20151026-story.html Orlando Sentinel October 25, 2015 October 26, 2015George O'Leary Steps Down as UCF Knights Head Coach Brett McMurphy https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/13969897/george-oleary-ucf-knights-head-coach ESPN October 25, 2015 October 25, 2015 The 2015 season was UCF's third in the American Athletic Conference, and the first year the conference split into two divisions. This was the Knights' first season since 2011 in which they would fail to be eligible for postseason play. This campaign marks UCF's third winless season in program history (along with the 1982 and 2004 seasons). Coming just two years after the banner BCS-bowl-winning 2013 season that saw them finish in the top 10 nationally, and a year after winning the conference for the second straight year, the 2015 season was not just a failure, but a shocking one. In the aftermath, UCF finally moved on from the O'Leary era and hired renowned offensive coordinator Scott Frost from the Oregon Ducks to be their head coach. After a 6–7 2016 bounce-back campaign, the Knights would go undefeated in 2017 and win the Peach Bowl, completing a turnaround from 0–12 to 13–0 in just two years. Personnel thumb|Head Coach George O'Leary Coaching staff 2015 UCF Knights coaching staffHead coaches Head coach – George O'Leary (resigned after 8 games), Danny Barrett (Interim) Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/running backs – Brent Key Quarterbacks – Danny Barrett Wide receivers – Sean Beckton Offensive line – Allen Mogridge Tight ends/h-backs – Keegan Kennedy Graduate assistants – Rob Calabrese and Josh Linam Offensive quality control – Sean Fitzgerald Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Chuck Bresnahan Safeties – Andrew Thacker Cornerbacks – Travis Fisher Defensive line – Lorenzo Costantini Graduate assistant – Pat Bastien and Zach Crespo Defensive quality control – Mike Sims-Walker Special teams Special teams coordinator – Keegan Kennedy Administrative staff Athletic Director (A.D.) – George O'Leary (resigned after 6 games), Brad Stricklin (Interim) Assistant A.D. for Football Operations – Marty O'Leary Director of player development – Kristy Belden Director of player personnel – Mike Buscemi Recruiting assistant – Ryan Callaghan Special assistant to head coach – Manny Messeguer Roster 2015 UCF Knights rosterQuarterbacks 8 Tyler Harris – 10px|Redshirt freshman 9 Bo Schneider – freshman 12 Sean Pratt – sophomore 13 Justin Holman – junior Halfbacks 17 Cedric Thompson – 10px|Redshirt senior 31 Gary Demarest – 10px|Redshirt freshman 32 Mario Mathis – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 39 Joseph Puopolo – 10px|Redshirt senior 40 Chris Larsen – 10px|Redshirt freshman 42 Justin Rae – 10px|Redshirt freshman 43 Aaron Cochran – freshman Fullbacks 44 Mark Messeguer – 10px|Redshirt freshman Running backs 7 Dontravious Wilson – junior 27 Taj McGowan – freshman 28 William Stanback – junior 29 CJ Jones – 10px|Redshirt freshman 37 Michael Willett – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 45 Daron Humphrey – 10px|Redshirt junior Wide receivers 2 Nick Patti – 10px|Redshirt junior 5 Jordan Franks – sophomore 6 Tristan Payton – freshman 10 Kyle Coltrain – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 12 Blake Tiralosi – 10px|Redshirt junior 14 Pete DiNovo – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 20 Taylor Oldham – 10px|Redshirt junior 21 Jamari Fye – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 23 Adrian Gordon – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 25 Tristan Reaves – 10px|Redshirt freshman 26 Trace Ryan – 10px|Redshirt freshman 80 Tre'Quan Smith – 10px|Redshirt freshman 81 Chris Johnson – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 82 D'erren Wilson – freshman 83 Cam Stewart – freshman 86 Michael Colubiale – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 88 Jordan Akins – sophomore 89 Hayden Jones – 10px|Redshirt junior Tight ends 46 Zack Laurinaitis – 10px|Redshirt freshman 49 Joe Turk – freshman 84 Michael Campbell – 10px|Redshirt junior 87 Cal Bloom – 10px|Redshirt junior Offensive line 55 Joey Grant – Graduate Student 61 Tarik Cook – 10px|Redshirt senior 62 Micah Anderson – 10px|Redshirt junior 63 Nick George – 10px|Redshirt freshman 66 Aaron Evans – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 67 Jared Warren – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 68 Charles Sprenkel – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 70 Luke Palmer – 10px|Redshirt freshman 71 Chester Brown – 10px|Redshirt junior 72 Tyler Hudanick – freshman 73 Jason Rae – junior 74 Jake Brown – freshman 75 Tate Hernly – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 76 Colby Watson – junior 78 Wyatt Miller – 10px|Redshirt freshman 79 Chavis Dickey – sophomore Linebackers 16 Mark Rucker – 10px|Redshirt junior 34 Justin McDonald – junior 40 Chequan Burkett – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 41 Demeitre Brim – 10px|Redshirt junior 50 Domenic Spencer – senior 51 Errol Clarke – 10px|Redshirt junior 52 Maurice Russell – 10px|Redshirt junior 53 Quintin Hampton – freshman 54 Alex Hunt – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 56 Pat Jasinski – freshman 57 Neal Nelson – freshman 58 Marcus Foster – freshman Defensive line 49 Seyvon Lowry – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 59 Monte Taylor – junior 69 Thomas Niles – 10px|Redshirt senior 90 Lance McDowdell – senior 91 Joey Connors – 10px|Redshirt freshman 92 Luke Adams – 10px|Redshirt junior 93 Tony Guerad – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 94 Demetris Anderson – 10px|Redshirt senior 95 Jamiyus Pittman – sophomore 96 A.J. Wooten – 10px|Redshirt freshman 97 Jock Petree – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 98 Brendon Hayes – freshman 99 Titus Davis – freshman Defensive backs 3 Mike Rogers – freshman 10 Shaquill Griffin – junior 18 Shaquem Griffin – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 21 Drico Johnson – 10px|Redshirt junior 22 T.J. Mutcherson – Graduate Student 24 D.J. Killings – junior 25 Kyle Gibson – 10px|Redshirt freshman 26 Brandon Scott – freshman 30 Rashard Causey Jr. – freshman 31 Jeremy Boykins – junior 33 Tre Neal – 10px|Redshirt freshman 35 Brendin Straubel – 10px|Redshirt senior 38 Nevelle Clarke – freshman 48 Jerod Boykins – junior Punters/Kickers 11 Matthew Wright – 10px|Redshirt freshman 19 Donald De La Haye – freshman 36 Caleb Houston – 10px|Redshirt junior 47 Connor O'Sullivan – 10px|Redshirt sophomore 48 Mac Loudermilk – 10px|Redshirt freshman Snappers 53 Mason Bedell – freshman 54 Gage Marsil – 10px|Redshirt junior 60 Caleb Perez – 10px|Redshirt freshman Terms: Freshman – A player in his first year. Sophomore – A player in his second year. Junior – A player in his third year. Senior – A player in his fourth year. 10px|Redshirt Redshirt – A player who sat out a previous season.2015 UCF Knights roster http://www.ucfknights.com/roster.aspx?path=football&roster=13 UCF Athletics Association 31 August 2016 Recruiting class yes yes 2015 Rashard Causey Jr. CB Miami, FL St. Thomas Aquinas 6 0 190 4.44 2015-01-30 3 3 81 Nevelle Clarke DB Coral Springs, FL JP Taravella 6 2 185 NA 2015-5-12 N/A Aaron Cochran HB Atlanta, GA Benjamin E. Mays High School 6 3 250 NA 2015-2-4 3 3 74 Titus Davis DE Stockbridge, GA Stockbridge 6 2 228 5.28 2014-7-16 3 3 78 Marcus Foster OLB League City, TX Clear Falls 6 1 200 NA 2014-7-28 2 2 NR Quintin Hampton ILB Moultrie, GA Colquitt County 5 11 225 NA 2014-7-18 3 3 74 Brendon Hayes DE New Orleans, LA Brother Martin 6 4 240 NA 2014-12-14 2 2 NR Luke Hiers OC Lake Wales, FL Lake Wales 6 3 290 5.62 2014-9-28 3 3 77 Tyler Hudanick OG Harmony, PA Seneca Valley Senior 6 5 290 NA 2015-1-18 3 2 NR Pat Jasinski OLB Roswell, GA Blessed Trinity 6 2 200 5.02 2014-6-18 3 2 75 Taj McGowan RB Hallandale Beach, FL Hallandale 6 1 190 4.45 2014-6-13 3 3 72 Neal Nelson OLB Sicklerville, NJ Timber Creek 6 1 225 4.81 2014-6-24 3 2 76 Tristan Payton WR Jacksonville, FL First Coast 6 0 187 4.63 2015-1-25 4 3 83 Bo Schneider QB-PP Dallas, TX Jesuit 6 3 219 NA 2014-6-10 3 3 76 Brandon Scott S Destrehen, LA Destrehen 6 0 183 4.5 2015-2-4 3 3 78 Cameron Stewart WR Snellville, GA Snellville 6 3 190 4.8 2014-4-15 3 3 80 Monte Taylor DE Brooklyn, NY ASA College 6 4 260 NA 2015-1-18 2 2 NR D'erron Wilson WR Greenville, TX Greenville 6 3 187 4.71 2015-1-25 2 3 NR yes 2015 UCF 2015 Football Commitments 2015 UCF Football Commits ESPN ucf 339 2116 76 June 6, 2015 no yes Schedule The 2015 schedule was officially released by The American on February 19, 2015.American Athletic Conference Announces 2015 Football Schedule http://theamerican.org/news/2015/2/19/FB_0219151927.aspx American Athletic Conference February 19, 2015 February 19, 2015 The 2015 schedule is the first for the conference under a new permanent system developed to address expanded membership and the creation of divisions. UCF will face eight conference opponents: Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina, Houston, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, and Tulsa. The Knights will also play four non-conference games: Florida International (C-USA), Furman (FCS), South Carolina (SEC), and Stanford (Pac-12). 2015 AP Eastern September 3 Thursday 6:00 pm l y FIU Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL CBSSN 14–15 39,184 September 12 10:30 pm l y y Stanford Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA FS1 7–31 50,420 September 19 6:00 pm l y Furman (FCS) Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL ESPN3 15–16 36,484 September 26 12:00 pm l y y South Carolina Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC ESPNU 14–31 78,411 October 3 12:00 pm l y Tulane Yulman Stadium New Orleans, LA ESPNews 31–45 20,024 October 10 3:45 pm l UConn Civil Conflict Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL ESPNews 13–40 26,669 October 17 7:30 pm l y Temple Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA CBSSN 16–30 31,372 October 24 12:00 pm l y Houston 21 Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL ESPNews 10–59 28,350 October 31 12:00 pm l y Cincinnati rivalry Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH ESPNews 7–52 30,131 November 7 12:00 pm l y Tulsa Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK ESPNews 30–45 16,128 November 19 Thursday 7:30 pm l East Carolina Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL ESPN 7–44 23,734 November 26 Thursday 7:30 pm l South Florida War on I–4 Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL ESPN 3–44 25,967 Source:2015 UCF Knights Football Schedule http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-15/aac/2015-ucf-knights-football-schedule.php FB Schedules April 8, 2015 Game summaries FIU 2015 FIU Panthers football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed FIU vs. UCF – Game Summary September 3, 2015 6:00 p.m. EDT Panthers 3 0 6 6 Knights 7 7 0 0 Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando, Florida 39,184 91 °F °C, Sunny Daniel Gautreaux (C-USA) CBSSN Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Corey Chavous (color commentator), and Lauren Gardner (sideline reporter) Recap First quarter FIU – Austin Taylor 28 yard field goal, 6:10 (FIU 3–0) UCF – Jordan Akins 9 yard pass from Justin Holman, 0:16 (UCF 7–3) Second quarter UCF – Jordan Akins 33 yard pass from Justin Holman, 10:07 (UCF 14–3) Third quarter FIU – Alex Gardner run for 7 yards (2-pt. conv. failed), 8:41 (UCF 14–9) Fourth quarter FIU – Ya'Keem Griner 3 yard pass from Alex McGough, 12:52 (FIU 15–14) Top Passer Justin holman – 23/34, 249 YDS, TD Top Rusher Dontravious wilson – 12 CAR, 34 YDS Top Receiver Jordan akins – 9 REC, 104 YDS, 2TD This was the fourth meeting between UCF and the FIU Golden Panthers, with the series tied 2–2. The Knights won the previous meeting, a 38–0 shutout at FIU in 2013. FIU got onboard first with a field goal. UCF then responded with two touchdowns by Jordan Akins to take a 14–3 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Knights were plagued with defensive struggles which allowed FIU to take the lead 15–14. UCF then set up within field goal distance with thirty-seconds left; however, a Matthew Wright field goal was blocked and FIU ran out the clock. The loss was UCF's first to a Florida opponent since September 17, 2011, UCF's first meeting with FIU, as well as UCF's first home opener loss since 2007 to Texas. The loss also marks UCF's first home loss since September 28, 2013 to South Carolina, as well as UCF's first Thursday night loss since November 3, 2011 against Tulsa. Stanford 2015 Stanford Cardinal football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UCF vs. Stanford – Game Summary September 12, 2015 10:30 p.m. EDT Knights 0 0 0 7 Cardinal 0 10 7 14 Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California 50,240 70 °F °C, Perfect Rick Loumiet (The American) FS1 Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (color commentator) Recap Second quarter STAN – Michael Rector 53 yard pass from Kevin Hogan, 4:23 (STAN 7–0) STAN – Conrad Ukropina 52 yard field goal, 0:52 (STAN 10–0) Third quarter STAN – Christian McCaffrey 7 yard pass from Kevin Hogan, 1:15 (STAN 17–0) Fourth quarter STAN – Bryce Love 93 yard pass from Kevin Hogan, 9:06 (STAN 24–0) STAN – Barry Sanders run for 20 yards, 2:13 (STAN 31–0) UCF – Tre'Quan Smith 36 yard pass from Tyler Harris, 1:22 (STAN 31–7) Top Passer Tyler harris – 7/15, 105 YDS, TD Top Rusher Taj mcgowan – 20 CAR, 67 YDS Top Receiver Jordan akins – 5 REC, 48 YDS This was the first meeting between UCF and the Stanford Cardinal. The trip represented the longest travel for any FBS team during the 2015 season, at 2,427 miles. The loss also results in UCF's second consecutive season starting with an 0–2 record. Furman 2015 Furman Paladins football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UCF vs. Furman – Game Summary September 19, 2015 6:00 p.m. EDT Paladins 0 7 6 3 Knights 7 5 3 0 Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando, Florida 36,484 80 °F °C, Clear Charles Lamertian (The American) ESPN3 Drew Fellios (play-by-play) and Forrest Conoly (color commentator) Recap First quarter UCF – Nick Patti run for 5 yards, 1:45 (UCF 7–0) Second quarter UCF – Matthew Wright 24 yard field goal, 13:07 (UCF 10–0) UCF – Safety by Chequan Burkett, 9:06 (UCF 12–0) FUR – Ernie Cain run for 1 yard, 1:10 (UCF 12–7) Third quarter FUR – Andrej Suttles 61 yard pass from Reese Hannon (2-pt. conv. failed), 10:24 (FUR 13–12) UCF – Matthew Wright 29 yard field goal, 0:11 (UCF 15–13) Fourth quarter FUR – Jon Croft Hollingsworth 55 yard field goal, 12:10 (FUR 16–15) Top Passer Bo schneider – 7/11, 63 YDS, INT Top Rusher Nick patti – 14 CAR, 58 YDS, TD Top Receiver Blake tiralosi – 5 REC, 35 YDS This was the second meeting between UCF and the Furman Paladins, with the Paladins winning a 1984 game, 42–6. This was QB Bo Schneider's first career start, going 7-for-11 for 63 yards. UCF initially took a 12–0 lead, which included the first sacks of the season for defense, one of those resulting in a safety. After getting a turnover on downs, Furman scored a touchdown with 1:10 remaining in the half. At the third quarter, Tyler Harris started as QB. A few minutes into the 3rd quarter, Furman scored a 61-yard touchdown which gave them the lead 13–12. Towards the end of the quarter, UCF kicked a field goal to retake the lead 15–13. Furman responded with a 55-yard field goal to retake the lead 16–15. With forty-nine seconds remaining, QB Tyler Harris threw an interception which sealed the victory for the Paladins. The game marked the Knights first loss to an FCS team since ascending to Division I-A (FBS) in 1996 (20–1), as well as their first 0–3 start since 2004. South Carolina 2015 South Carolina Gamecocks football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UCF vs. South Carolina – Game Summary September 26, 2015 12:00 p.m. EDT Knights 0 14 0 0 Gamecocks 3 5 20 3 Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina 78,411 72 °F °C, Cloudy Michael Roche (The American) ESPNU Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and John Congemi (color commentator) Recap First quarter USC – Elliott Fry 52 yard field goal, 9:47 (USC 3–0) Second quarter USC – Safety, 14:42 (USC 5–0) UCF – Nick Patti run for 1 yard, 11:04 (UCF 7–5) UCF – Tre'Quan Smith 30 yard pass from Bo Schneider, 5:23 (UCF 14–5) USC – Elliott Fry 27 yard field goal, 1:04 (UCF 14–8) Third quarter USC – Pharoh Cooper run for 29 yards, 7:41 (USC 15–14) USC – Jacob August 13 yard pass from Lorenzo Nunez, 4:39 (USC 22–14) USC – Pharoh Cooper 35 yard pass from Lorenzo Nunez (2-pt. conv. failed), 1:47 (USC 28–14) Fourth quarter USC – Elliott Fry 33 yard field goal, 2:53 (USC 31–14) Top Passer Bo schneider – 20/35, 189 YDS, TD, 2 INT Top Rusher C.J. Jones – 9 CAR, 22 YDS Top Receiver Tre'Quan Smith – 5 REC, 82 YDS, TD This was the fifth meeting between UCF and the South Carolina Gamecocks. With the loss, UCF remains winless against South Carolina. After falling behind 5–0, Bo Schneider, in his second career start, led the Knights to fourteen unanswered points to take a 14–5 lead with five minutes remaining in the second quarter. After entering halftime with a six-point lead, UCF was held scoreless in the second half. USC QB Lorenzo Nunez threw for two scores, Pharoh Cooper had two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, and K Elliott Fry had a field goal to give the Gamecocks a 31–14 win. The loss dropped the Knights to 0–4, the first time the team has started the season winless through four games since 2004, when UCF went 0–11. Tulane 2015 Tulane Green Wave football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UCF vs. Tulane – Game Summary October 3, 2015 12:00 p.m. EDT Knights 7 3 0 21 Green Wave 7 17 14 7 Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana 20,024 64 °F °C, Cloudy Adam Savoie (The American) ESPNews Jason Benetti (play-by-play) and Brian Kinchen (color commentator) Recap First quarter UCF – Jordan Franks 8 yard pass from Bo Schneider, 7:27 (UCF 7–0) TULN – Kendall Ardoin 2 yard pass from Tanner Lee, 1:32 (Tied 7–7) Second quarter TULN – Andrew DiRocco 23 yd field goal, 4:54 (TULN 10–7) TULN – Teddy Veal 49 yard pass from Tanner Lee, 4:20 (TULN 17–7) TULN – Sherman Badie run for 4 yards, 2:22 (TULN 24–7) UCF – Matthew Wright 34 yd field goal, 0:05 (TULN 24–10) Third quarter TULN – Devon Breaux 8 yard pass from Tanner Lee, 5:50 (TULN 31–10) TULN – Rob Kelley 4 yard pass from Tanner Lee, 4:52 (TULN 38–10) Fourth quarter UCF – Tyler Harris D'erren Wilson 14 yard pass from Tyler Harris, 10:49 (TULN 38–17) TULN – Devin Powell pass complete to Rickey Preston for 17 yards, 8:20 (TULN 45–17) UCF – Tyler Harris D'erren Wilson 24 yard pass from Tyler Harris, 6:33 (TULN 45–24) UCF – D'erren Wilson 13 yard pass from Tyler Harris, 2:57 (TULN 45–31) Top Passer Bo schneider – 20/37, 236 YDS, TD, 3 INT Top Rusher Taj mcgowan – 9 CAR, 11 YDS Top Receiver D'erren Wilson – 7 REC, 114 YDS, 3 TD The game marked the seventh meeting between UCF and the Tulane Green Wave. UCF holds a 5–2 advantage against Tulane, losing for the first time in the series since 2006. The loss marks the first time UCF lost their first conference game of the season since 2009 when they fell to Southern Miss. After going ahead 7–0 with a pass from Bo Schneider to Jordan Franks, Tulane scored 24 unanswered points taking a 24–10 halftime lead. By the end of the 3rd quarter, Tulane took a 38–10 lead. Additionally, Bo Schneider was sacked 7 times for a total of 45 yards, one of those resulting in a fumble, and threw 3 interceptions, each resulting in Tulane touchdowns. Tyler Harris entered after the beginning of the 4th quarter and scored 3 touchdowns on all of his drives, each connecting to D'erren Wilson, who finished the game with 7 receptions, 114 yards, and 3 touchdowns. UConn 2015 UConn Huskies football team Civil Conflict (college football game) #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UConn vs. UCF – Game Summary October 10, 2015 12:00 p.m. EDT Huskies 9 14 17 0 Knights 3 0 0 10 Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando, Florida 26,669 85 °F °C, Overcast Rick Loumiet (The American) ESPNU Anish Shroff (play-by-play) and Ahmad Brooks (color commentator) Recap First quarter UCF – Matt Wright 19 yard field goal, 10:06 (UCF 3–0) CONN – Arkeel Newsome run for 5 yards for a TD, 6:02 (CONN 7–3) CONN – Safety, 6:01 (CONN 9–3) Second quarter CONN – Bryant Shirreffs run for 1 yard for a TD, 1:22 (CONN 16–3) CONN – Noel Thomas 16 yard pass from Bryant Shirreffs, 0:49 (CONN 23–3) Third quarter CONN – Bobby Puyol 21 yard field goal, 11:50 (CONN 26–3) CONN – Ron Johnson run for 12 yard for a TD, 9:12 (CONN 33–3) CONN – Arkeel Newsome run for 8 yard for a TD, 1:53 (CONN 40–3) Fourth quarter UCF – Matt Wright 45 yard field goal, 9:22 (CONN 40–6) UCF – Nick Patti 11 yard pass from Justin Holman, 1:38 (CONN 40–13) Top Passer Justin holman – 27/50, 256 YDS, TD, 3 INT Top Rusher C.J. Jones – 7 CAR, 44 YDS Top Receiver Michael Willett – 5 REC, 65 YDS This was the third meeting between UCF and the UConn Huskies. UCF beat UConn in 2013 62–17 in Orlando, while in 2014, UConn upset UCF 37–29 in East Hartford. As of the start of the 2015 season, the 2014 meeting was the only conference loss for UCF since joining The American. QB Justin Holman returned for the Knights after a three-game absence following his injury against Stanford. On the first drive, Holman led the Knights seventy-three yards but UCF had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Matthew Wright. Afterwards the Huskies dominated the Knights both defensively and offensively and scored forty unanswered points to score their second consecutive victory over UCF. Through six games, the Knights were outscored 70–3 in the third quarter. 3 turnovers doomed the Knights, including Hayden Jones accidentally stepping out of his end zone on a kickoff return and going back in to take a knee that ended up giving UConn a safety in the 1st quarter. This loss broke UCF's thirteen game home conference win streak dating back to November 25, 2011 against UTEP. This was also the lowest home attendance for a UCF game since November 25, 2011 against UTEP with an average of 26,669 fans. The 40–13 loss became the largest loss deficit in Bright House Networks Stadium history at this point, as well as the largest home loss deficit for UCF since they fell to Pittsburgh 52–7 in 2006 in the Citrus Bowl. The Knights are one of five winless teams remaining following week seven. Two days after the game, George O'Leary announced that he was stepping down as the interim director of athletics. Temple 2015 Temple Owls football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UCF vs. Temple – Game Summary October 17, 2015 7:30 p.m. EDT Knights 3 10 3 0 Owls 7 7 0 16 Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 31,372 52 °F °C, Cloudy Todd LaPenta CBSSN Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Corey Chavous (color commentator), and Lauren Gardner (sideline reporter) Recap This will be the third meeting between UCF and the Temple Owls. UCF holds a 2–0 advantage, with their first victory involving a one-handed catch by JJ Worton in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, which to this day remains one of the best catches in college football. UCF then beat Temple 34–14 in Orlando in 2014, their last meeting. At the beginning of the second quarter, Temple got on top 14–3. Later on in the second quarter, UCF recorded their first interception of the season as Shaquill Griffin caught a pass by P.J. Walker and returned it for an 81-yard touchdown. At halftime, UCF trailed Temple 14–13 after a field goal by Matthew Wright. UCF then took the lead in the third quarter after another Matthew Wright field goal, 16–14. Temple, however, pulled away with two touchdowns both with 2-point conversions. 2 interceptions by Holman in the second half as well as penalties from offense ended UCF's quest for bowl eligibility for the first time since 2011. Houston 2015 Houston Cougars football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed Houston vs. UCF – Game Summary October 24, 2015 12:00 p.m. EDT #21 Cougars 7 17 28 7 Knights 7 3 0 0 Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando, Florida 28,350 82 °F °C, Partly cloudy Michael Roche ESPNews Mike Corey (play-by-play), Rene Ingoglia, and Ahmad Brooks (color commentators) Recap This was the seventh meeting between UCF and the Houston Cougars. UCF had won the previous four games, with the two most recent victories from defensive plays, both from Brandon Alexander. The Knights had a promising opening drive, which ended on an 85-yard fumble return for Houston to take a 7–0 lead. Afterwards, Holman connected with Tristan Payton for a 46-yard touchdown, the first of Payton's career, to tie the game 7–7. After taking a 10–7 lead in the second quarter the Knights allowed 52 unanswered points. The 49-point loss is the largest home-loss in UCF history, and the 59-points allowed is the fourth-most in program history. Following the loss, UCF head football coach George O'Leary resigned. Cincinnati 2015 Cincinnati Bearcats football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UCF vs. Cincinnati – Game Summary October 31, 2015 12:00 p.m. EDT Knights 0 0 0 7 Bearcats 21 14 14 3 Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 30,131 47 °F °C, Rain ESPNews Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (color commentator) Recap This was the first meeting between UCF and the Cincinnati Bearcats. In a disastrous first game as interim head coach, Danny Barrett's team struggled offensively and defensively against his alma mater, the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati QB Gunner Kiel managed to complete all 15 of his passes for 319 yards and 5 TDs, as defense struggled tremendously despite the second interception of the season by Shaquill Griffin. Field goals were also a struggle for UCF this game, as the Knight's two field goal attempts were all missed. CJ Jones managed to score the only points for UCF in the 4th quarter to avoid the shutout. Tulsa 2015 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed UCF vs. Tulsa – Game Summary November 7, 2015 12:00 p.m. EDT Knights 3 0 17 10 Golden Hurricane 14 10 0 21 Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, Oklahoma 16,128 58 °F °C, Sunny Tracy Jones ESPNews Eamon McAnaney (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (color commentator) Recap This was the ninth meeting between UCF and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Tulsa holds a 5–3 advantage, but UCF won the most recent one in 2014 with a 31–7 blowout. UCF has yet to defeat Tulsa at H.A. Chapman Stadium. During the first quarter, Holman threw an underthrown deep pass to Tre'Quan Smith, who turned around and leaped over a Tulsa defensive back to catch the ball in midair. However, UCF trailed at halftime 24–3. UCF came alive in the third quarter and scored 2 touchdowns as well as a field goal to only trail 24–20 by the beginning of the 4th quarter, one of the touchdowns being the first of Taj McGowan's career. Additionally, defense recorded two interceptions by Brendin Straubel and Chequan Burkett, as well as a fumble forced by Tre Neal on a Tulsa kickoff return. UCF's offense ended up scoring on all of those opportunities. Despite this, Tulsa ended up pulling away with a 45–30 victory, which included a pick-six. As of this week, UCF is one of two winless teams, the other one being the Kansas Jayhawks. East Carolina 2015 East Carolina Pirates football team #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed East Carolina vs. UCF – Game Summary November 14, 2015 7:30 p.m. EST Pirates 14 17 13 0 Knights 7 0 0 0 Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando, Florida 23,734 75 °F °C, Showers Michael Roche ESPN Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), David Pollack, Jesse Palmer (color commentators), and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) Recap This was the fourteenth meeting between UCF and the East Carolina Pirates. East Carolina has a 10–4 advantage, UCF had won the last two games, the most recent being in 2014 with a Hail Mary pass in the final seconds from Justin Holman to Breshad Perriman, 32–30. UCF's first drive ended on a Tre'Quan Smith TD while Jordan Franks caught a 44-yard pass beforehand. That was the last time the Knights scored. Plagued by turnovers and injuries, including one to starting QB Justin Holman, UCF lost 44–7 to East Carolina. South Florida 2015 South Florida Bulls football team South Florida–UCF football rivalry #fff #eee UCF Knights white; text-align:center; collapsed South Florida vs. UCF – Game Summary November 26, 2015 7:30 p.m. EST Bulls 7 17 14 6 Knights 3 0 0 0 Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando, Florida Tracy Jones ESPN Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), David Pollack, Jesse Palmer (color commentators), and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) Recap This was the seventh meeting between UCF and the South Florida Bulls in the War On I–4. USF has a 5–2 advantage. UCF had won the last two, with the most recent giving the USF Bulls their first home shutout in school history as well as UCF's first victory at Raymond James Stadium, 16–0. This was the first game since 1995 that UCF wore both black jerseys and black pants. Similar to the last game, UCF ended up scoring only on their first drive, which was a field goal by Matthew Wright. UCF then allowed 44 unanswered points by the Bulls, which gave UCF their first loss to USF since 2008, as well as their first conference loss in the series. This was the 12th loss of the season, which made UCF finish winless for the third time in their history. UCF was not alone, as the Kansas Jayhawks finished their season 0–12 as well, both teams being the only FBS teams to go winless. References UCF Category:UCF Knights football seasons Category:College football winless seasons UCF Knights football Category:2015 in Orlando, Florida