2006 UCF Golden Knights football team
Encyclopedia
The 2006 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida
in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary
, in his third season with the team. They played in Conference USA
, in the East Division.
After a surprise showing in 2005, where they went 7-1 in C-USA and 8-3 in the regular season overall, UCF suffered a bit of a letdown, going 4-8 in 2006 under the new 12-game regular season schedule, and 3-5 in-conference. Their sole non-conference win came against I-AA Villanova
. Part of the problem was the transition from a pass-dominated offense led by graduated wide receiver Brandon Marshall
to a run-dominated offense led by sophomore running back Kevin Smith
.
2006 was the final year that UCF would play at the Citrus Bowl
. Under construction by the time the season started was a new 45,000-seat on-campus stadium
, which would open in time for the 2007 season
as part of a massive upgrade of the school's on-campus athletic facilities. It would also be the final year that UCF would play under the "Golden Knights" nickname. They would drop "Golden" before the 2007 season, becoming simply the UCF Knights.
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary
George O'Leary
George Joseph O'Leary is the head football coach of the UCF Knights football team that represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida; he previously coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 1994 to 2001, and served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota...
, in his third season with the team. They played in Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
, in the East Division.
After a surprise showing in 2005, where they went 7-1 in C-USA and 8-3 in the regular season overall, UCF suffered a bit of a letdown, going 4-8 in 2006 under the new 12-game regular season schedule, and 3-5 in-conference. Their sole non-conference win came against I-AA Villanova
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
. Part of the problem was the transition from a pass-dominated offense led by graduated wide receiver Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
to a run-dominated offense led by sophomore running back Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith (running back)
Kevin Smith is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Central Florida.-Early years:Smith attended Southridge High School...
.
2006 was the final year that UCF would play at the Citrus Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
. Under construction by the time the season started was a new 45,000-seat on-campus stadium
Bright House Networks Stadium
Bright House Networks Stadium is the football stadium for the University of Central Florida’s football team, nicknamed the Knights. Located in Knights Plaza on the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, the stadium was the first on-campus stadium in NCAA Division I...
, which would open in time for the 2007 season
2007 UCF Knights football team
The 2007 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach is George O'Leary...
as part of a massive upgrade of the school's on-campus athletic facilities. It would also be the final year that UCF would play under the "Golden Knights" nickname. They would drop "Golden" before the 2007 season, becoming simply the UCF Knights.
Season schedule