2007 UCF Knights football team
Encyclopedia
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
. 2007 was the first year the UCF Knights played all of their home games at Bright House Networks Stadium
, which they had just opened on the main campus of UCF in Orlando, Florida
.
The Knights were led on offense by quarterback
Kyle Israel
and Consensus All-American running back
Kevin Smith
. UCF sought to prove they belonged on the big stage, and got their first chance by hosting the Texas Longhorns, ultimately losing by only a field goal.
UCF ultimately went 9-3 in the regular season and 7-1 in C-USA, with their only conference loss being at East Carolina
, and won the Eastern Division. They would go on to host their second Conference USA Championship
. Taking revenge on Tulsa for beating them two years before, UCF won the game, 44-25, to take their first Conference USA title.
They would go on to their first Liberty Bowl
berth against Mississippi State
. Their defense held it close, but the offense was unable to re-fire, and UCF lost the game, 10-3.
Kevin Smith would ultimately forego his senior year and go to the 2008 NFL Draft
, where he was selected with the first pick of the third round by the Detroit Lions
, the highest Knight to go in the draft since Daunte Culpepper
in 1999.
played the Knights for the first game of the season. This is the first game where the UCF Knights played with their new logo and white helmet, and also marked UCF's first win over an ACC opponent ever, and was the first win over a BCS team since George O'Leary became head coach.
This was the first ever meeting between the Texas Longhorns and the UCF Knights. Texas was the first opponent in the Knights new stadium, Bright House Networks Stadium
, and the 2007 game is the first of three scheduled meetings between the schools.
During the game, lightning
spotted near the stadium caused a fifteen minute delay.. The game was a back-and-forth contest. Texas took an early three point lead and then UCF made a touchdown to go ahead 7 3. The Longhorns led 20 10 at half-time, but the Knights came back to take a 24 23 lead early in the fourth quarter. Texas then scored two field goals and a touchdown and appeared to be on the way to running out the clock before a Jamaal Charles
fumble gave the Knights the ball back with about two minutes left in the game. UCF made a touchdown and a two-point conversion to cut Texas' lead to 35–32 with 35 seconds remaining. When the Knights were unable to recover their onside kick attempt, Texas was able to run out the clock and preserve their three-point victory.
Jamaal Charles of Texas rushed 22 times for 157 yards and UCF's Kevin Smith
rushed 27 times for 150 yards for UCF. UT's Colt McCoy
completed 68% of his passes for a total of 227 yards; UCF's Kyle Israel
completed 35% of his passes for a total of 133 yards. Texas ran 47 passing plays and 43 rushing plays to UCF's 26 plays passing and 41 rushing attempts.
game for both teams. UCF took a strong lead early in the game, with the halftime score at 42-0, and a lead at one point of 49-0. The UCF Knights have beaten Memphis every time they have played them since joining Conference USA three years ago. During the game Kyle Israel and freshman Michael Greco were used in tandem at quarterback, and their success in the game drew immediate comparisons to Chris Leak
and Tim Tebow
at Florida
the previous year.
and Coaches Poll
s going into the game, but UCF would not hold the game as close as they did when they faced then-#6 Texas. UCF scored their only offensive points—a Kyle Israel rush for a touchdown, and a field goal—in the first half. UCF and USF would also exchange safeties, but South Florida held a commanding lead at halftime and proceeded to rout the Knights in the second half, with USF's second- and third-string QBs throwing long touchdown passes against a demoralized UCF defense enroute to a 64-12 thrashing of the Knights. UCF was held to just 145 yards total offense, while South Florida used several big plays to dominate the UCF defense, advancing 543 total yards even though UCF controlled the ball for three minutes longer than South Florida.
South Florida emerged #2 in the BCS
and AP Poll
s, and #3 in the Coaches
and Harris Poll
s.
three times, and Kevin Smith ran the ball a UCF-record 43 times for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Smith reasserted himself as the nation's #2 rusher, and the Junior tailback took the school's career rushing yards record (3,372). UCF minimized its mistakes, getting through the game without turning the ball over for the first time since their first game against NC State.
, UCF beat UTEP 36-20. Aided by two late touchdowns, UCF sealed the victory, their sixth straight. With the win, UCF clinched the Conference USA
East Division crown, and will host the 2007 C-USA Championship
against West Division winner Tulsa.
Kevin Smith
rushed for 219 yards, continuing to add to his historic season.
Week 14: Conference USA Championship
Tulsa and UCF met at the C-USA Championship for the second time; Tulsa beat UCF at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Downtown Orlando in 2005.
Kevin Smith continued his dominance, running for 284 yards with 4 touchdowns. Tulsa kept it close in the first half as UCF's defense seemed slow to get started. In the second half, however, they only scored on a safety. Paul Smith, the Tulsa quarterback, threw for 426 yards and three touchdowns, but also gave up three interceptions. UCF won their first ever conference title in football.
Kevin Smith finished the game with 2,448 rushing yards on the season, second all-time for single-season rushing yards in FBS history. Only Barry Sanders
, who rushed for 2,628 yards in 1989 for Oklahoma State, has rushed for more yards in a single season.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
With their Conference USA championship, UCF got an automatic berth at the AutoZone
Liberty Bowl
in Memphis
, Tennessee
on December 29, 2007. It was just their second ever bowl game. They faced Mississippi State
from the Southeastern Conference
.
After trading 2nd quarter field goals, neither team scored again until MSU's Anthony Dixon
leapt into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown run with under two minutes remaining to put Mississippi State up by the final score.
Kevin Smith tried for Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record but was shy of it by 61 yards, finishing with 119 yards rushing against MSU. He was one of only four players to rush for over 100 yards on MSU's defense all season.
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 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
. Their head coach is 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...
. 2007 was the first year the UCF Knights played all of their home games at Bright House Networks 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 they had just opened on the main campus of UCF in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
The Knights were led on offense by quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Kyle Israel
Kyle Israel
Kyle Israel was the starting college football quarterback for the UCF Knights football team at the University of Central Florida. He majored at UCF in radio/television. As of September 2007, Israel is being tracked as a NFL professional football prospect by NFL Draft News...
and Consensus All-American running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
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...
. UCF sought to prove they belonged on the big stage, and got their first chance by hosting the Texas Longhorns, ultimately losing by only a field goal.
UCF ultimately went 9-3 in the regular season and 7-1 in C-USA, with their only conference loss being at East Carolina
2007 East Carolina Pirates football team
The 2007 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the college football season of 2007-08 and playws their home games in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium...
, and won the Eastern Division. They would go on to host their second Conference USA Championship
2007 Conference USA Football Championship Game
The 2007 Conference USA Football Championship Game was played on December 1, 2007 between the UCF Knights, the champion of C-USA's East Division, and the West Division champion, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Florida...
. Taking revenge on Tulsa for beating them two years before, UCF won the game, 44-25, to take their first Conference USA title.
They would go on to their first Liberty Bowl
2007 Liberty Bowl
The 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 29, 2007 at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee....
berth against Mississippi State
2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Sylvester Croom, who served his fourth season in the position...
. Their defense held it close, but the offense was unable to re-fire, and UCF lost the game, 10-3.
Kevin Smith would ultimately forego his senior year and go to the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, where he was selected with the first pick of the third round by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, the highest Knight to go in the draft since Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
in 1999.
Schedule
Week 1: North Carolina State (September 1)
The NC State WolfpackNC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
played the Knights for the first game of the season. This is the first game where the UCF Knights played with their new logo and white helmet, and also marked UCF's first win over an ACC opponent ever, and was the first win over a BCS team since George O'Leary became head coach.
Week 3: Texas (September 15)
This was the first ever meeting between the Texas Longhorns and the UCF Knights. Texas was the first opponent in the Knights new stadium, Bright House Networks 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...
, and the 2007 game is the first of three scheduled meetings between the schools.
During the game, lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
spotted near the stadium caused a fifteen minute delay.. The game was a back-and-forth contest. Texas took an early three point lead and then UCF made a touchdown to go ahead 7 3. The Longhorns led 20 10 at half-time, but the Knights came back to take a 24 23 lead early in the fourth quarter. Texas then scored two field goals and a touchdown and appeared to be on the way to running out the clock before a Jamaal Charles
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
fumble gave the Knights the ball back with about two minutes left in the game. UCF made a touchdown and a two-point conversion to cut Texas' lead to 35–32 with 35 seconds remaining. When the Knights were unable to recover their onside kick attempt, Texas was able to run out the clock and preserve their three-point victory.
Jamaal Charles of Texas rushed 22 times for 157 yards and UCF's 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...
rushed 27 times for 150 yards for UCF. UT's Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
completed 68% of his passes for a total of 227 yards; UCF's Kyle Israel
Kyle Israel
Kyle Israel was the starting college football quarterback for the UCF Knights football team at the University of Central Florida. He majored at UCF in radio/television. As of September 2007, Israel is being tracked as a NFL professional football prospect by NFL Draft News...
completed 35% of his passes for a total of 133 yards. Texas ran 47 passing plays and 43 rushing plays to UCF's 26 plays passing and 41 rushing attempts.
Week 4: Memphis (September 22)
This was the first Conference USAConference 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...
game for both teams. UCF took a strong lead early in the game, with the halftime score at 42-0, and a lead at one point of 49-0. The UCF Knights have beaten Memphis every time they have played them since joining Conference USA three years ago. During the game Kyle Israel and freshman Michael Greco were used in tandem at quarterback, and their success in the game drew immediate comparisons to Chris Leak
Chris Leak
Christopher Patrick Leak is an American professional football player who is currently a quarterback for the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League. He played college football for the University of Florida, and led the Florida Gators to victory in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game...
and Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
at Florida
2007 Florida Gators football team
The 2007 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2007 college football season...
the previous year.
Week 5: Louisiana-Lafayette (September 29)
UCF again took a command lead of 30-6 into halftime, but this time permitting the winless Louisiana-Lafayette team within 20 was more concerning. After the game, Coach O'Leary resolved to remind his team of the importance of playing hard all four quarters of the game, which would be important especially with two road games coming up.Week 6: East Carolina (October 6)
After going into the half up 28-17, UCF took a surprising downturn with five turnovers in the third quarter: 2 Kyle Israel interceptions, one Michael Greco interception, and two lost fumbles between Israel and running back Kevin Smith. ECU outscored UCF 28-3 in the third to take the win.Week 7: South Florida (October 13)
South Florida came into the game ranked #5 in both the APAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
s going into the game, but UCF would not hold the game as close as they did when they faced then-#6 Texas. UCF scored their only offensive points—a Kyle Israel rush for a touchdown, and a field goal—in the first half. UCF and USF would also exchange safeties, but South Florida held a commanding lead at halftime and proceeded to rout the Knights in the second half, with USF's second- and third-string QBs throwing long touchdown passes against a demoralized UCF defense enroute to a 64-12 thrashing of the Knights. UCF was held to just 145 yards total offense, while South Florida used several big plays to dominate the UCF defense, advancing 543 total yards even though UCF controlled the ball for three minutes longer than South Florida.
South Florida emerged #2 in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
and AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
s, and #3 in the Coaches
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
and Harris Poll
Harris Interactive College Football Poll
The Harris Interactive College Football Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football teams. The rankings are compiled by Harris Interactive, a market research company that specializes in Internet research....
s.
Week 8: Tulsa (October 20)
UCF broke free of the two-game losing streak at home against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, taking the lead in the 2nd quarter and never looking back. Kyle Israel completed 21 of 29 for 229 yards, passing and running for touchdowns, and Kevin Smith rushed for 178 yards with three running touchdowns, catching another. Michael Torres kicked three field goals.Week 9: Southern Miss (October 28)
UCF's defense intercepted Southern Miss QB Stephen ReavesStephen Reaves
Stephen Reaves is a professional Canadian football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League as a street free agent in 2009 but was released at the end of training camp. He was re-signed to the practice roster on June 27, 2009...
three times, and Kevin Smith ran the ball a UCF-record 43 times for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Smith reasserted himself as the nation's #2 rusher, and the Junior tailback took the school's career rushing yards record (3,372). UCF minimized its mistakes, getting through the game without turning the ball over for the first time since their first game against NC State.
Week 10: Marshall (November 3)
This was the Homecoming game for UCF, and was the first time that all of the Homecoming festivities, including the Homecoming parade, occurred on campus. The Knights rolled over the Herd in this game.Week 11: Alabama-Birmingham (November 10)
UCF traveled to Birmingham and went on to defeat UAB in a hard fought game. The 2-8 Blazers proved troublesome for the Knights, but UCF finished them off towards the end of the fourth quarter. Earlier in the day, Marshall defeated ECU giving UCF the lead in the C-USA East Division, and due to a blowout win over Houston by Tulsa, the Knights are set to host the Conference Championship at their new on-campus stadium. Kevin Smith broke more records this game. He had 320 yards, 41 carries, and 4 touchdowns. He became the state of Florida's all-time single season rushing yards leader. He won the ESPN All-America Player of the Week for his effort.Week 12: Southern Methodist (November 17)
Khymest Williams started the game off with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Knights. After trading scores through the first quarter, UCF took control of the game. Kevin Smith ran in two touchdowns, and Johnell Neal intercepted a pass and ran it back 72 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.Week 13: UTEP (November 24)
Despite suffering a 100-yard interception returned for a touchdownTouchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, UCF beat UTEP 36-20. Aided by two late touchdowns, UCF sealed the victory, their sixth straight. With the win, UCF clinched the 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...
East Division crown, and will host the 2007 C-USA Championship
Conference USA Football Championship
The Conference USA Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of Conference USA. From 1996–2004, the champion of Conference USA was determined by regular season record...
against West Division winner Tulsa.
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...
rushed for 219 yards, continuing to add to his historic season.
Week 14: Conference USA ChampionshipConference USA Football ChampionshipThe Conference USA Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of Conference USA. From 1996–2004, the champion of Conference USA was determined by regular season record...
(December 1)
Tulsa and UCF met at the C-USA Championship for the second time; Tulsa beat UCF at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Downtown Orlando in 2005.Kevin Smith continued his dominance, running for 284 yards with 4 touchdowns. Tulsa kept it close in the first half as UCF's defense seemed slow to get started. In the second half, however, they only scored on a safety. Paul Smith, the Tulsa quarterback, threw for 426 yards and three touchdowns, but also gave up three interceptions. UCF won their first ever conference title in football.
Kevin Smith finished the game with 2,448 rushing yards on the season, second all-time for single-season rushing yards in FBS history. Only Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
, who rushed for 2,628 yards in 1989 for Oklahoma State, has rushed for more yards in a single season.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl2007 Liberty BowlThe 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 29, 2007 at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee....
(December 29)
With their Conference USA championship, UCF got an automatic berth at the AutoZoneAutoZone
AutoZone is a retailer and distributor of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories. based in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:Originally a division of Memphis-based wholesale grocer Malone & Hyde, the company went under the name Auto Shack...
Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
on December 29, 2007. It was just their second ever bowl game. They faced Mississippi State
2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Sylvester Croom, who served his fourth season in the position...
from the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
.
After trading 2nd quarter field goals, neither team scored again until MSU's Anthony Dixon
Anthony Dixon
-2010 season:With the announcement of the sudden retirement of second year player Glen Coffee on August 13, former head coach Mike Singletary stated that Dixon and veteran Michael Robinson would compete for the number 2 running back spot behind Pro Bowler Frank Gore...
leapt into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown run with under two minutes remaining to put Mississippi State up by the final score.
Kevin Smith tried for Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record but was shy of it by 61 yards, finishing with 119 yards rushing against MSU. He was one of only four players to rush for over 100 yards on MSU's defense all season.