Three touchdowns in the first nine minutes and 10 seconds of the game set the path for the UCF Knight as they came away with a big win at home against UConn 49-17 Saturday.
The Knights continued their winning streak at home this season with the victory, moving to 6-0, with one home game left on the schedule, a Black Friday War On I-4 battle with South Florida.
The aforementioned trio of touchdowns in the first quarter were all rushing scores by different Knights. Johnny Richardson was first, running in from nine yards out. Then it was Mikey Keene, who scored on a 30-yard scamper. And finally, it was Mark-Antony Richards on a 8-yard run to make give UCF (7-4) a 21-0 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Knights defense got one interception in the first quarter and then two more in the second to keep the Huskies (1-10) at bay. Justin Hodges and Cam Goode each got their first-career picks, while Divaad Wilson snagged his second of the season.
Each team scored twice in the second quarter to make it 35-14 at the break.
Keene found Richardson for a 17-yard touchdown pass to cap off a 98-yard drive, UCF’s longest of the season, and Ryan O’Keefe hit Brandon Johnson for a 49-yard touchdown score. It was O’Keefe’s second touchdown pass of the season on just his second attempt, while Johnson became the first American Athletic Conference player to haul in 10 touchdown passes this season.
After a scoreless third quarter, UCF found the end zone twice more in the fourth to extend the lead to 49-14, before UConn tacked on a final field goal.
Backup quarterback Parker Navarro scored on a 5-yard rush, his second score in the last two games, and Amari Johnson caught a 3-yard pass from Keene to round out the UCF scoring.
SOURCE: UCFKnights.com
PhotoL: UCF Knights