2007 UCF Knights football team

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2007 Conference USA football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
UCF x$		7	–	1					10	–	4
East Carolina		6	–	2					8	–	5
Memphis		6	–	2					7	–	6
Southern Miss		5	–	3					7	–	6
Marshall		3	–	5					3	–	9
UAB		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Tulsa xy		6	–	2					10	–	4
Houston x		6	–	2					8	–	5
Tulane		3	–	5					4	–	8
Rice		3	–	5					3	–	9
UTEP		2	–	6					4	–	8
SMU		0	–	8					1	–	11
Championship: UCF 44, Tulsa 25
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

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. 2007 was the first year the 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 went 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 ultimately left before his senior year and went 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.

Schedule

Bright House Networks Stadium, the Knights home field.

September 16:00pmat NC State*

• Carter–Finley Stadium
• Raleigh, North Carolina

ESPN360W 25-2357,283 September 153:30pmNo. 6 Texas*

• Bright House Networks Stadium
• Orlando, Florida

ESPN2L 32-3545,622 September 223:30pmMemphis

• Bright House Networks Stadium
• Orlando, Florida

CSSW 56-2042,153 September 296:00pmLouisiana–Lafayette*

• Bright House Networks Stadium
• Orlando, Florida

-W 37-1942,646 October 67:30pmat East Carolina

• Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium
• Greenville, North Carolina (Rivalry)

CSTVL 38-5242,777 October 1312:00pmat No. 5 South Florida*

• Raymond James Stadium
• Tampa, Florida (UCF–USF football rivalry)

ESPNUL 12-6465,948 October 204:00pmTulsa

• Bright House Networks Stadium
• Orlando, Florida

-W 44-2345,510 October 288:00pmat Southern Miss

• M. M. Roberts Stadium
• Hattiesburg, Mississippi

ESPNW 34-1727,103 November 33:30pmMarshall

• Bright House Networks Stadium
• Orlando, Florida

CSSW 47-1346,103 November 107:30pmat UAB

• Legion Field
• Birmingham, Alabama

CSTVW 45-3112,621 November 173:00pmat SMU

• Gerald J. Ford Stadium
• Dallas, Texas

W 49-2010,271 November 2412:00pmUTEP

• Bright House Networks Stadium
• Orlando, Florida

CSTVW 36-2041,967 December 112:00pmTulsa

• Bright House Networks Stadium
• Orlando, Florida (C-USA Championship)

ESPNW 44-2544,128 December 294:30pmMississippi State

• Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
• Memphis, Tennessee (Liberty Bowl)

ESPNL 3-1063,816

Game summaries

NC State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	15	10	0	0	25
Wolfpack	0	3	7	13	23

The NC State Wolfpack 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 AQ team since George O'Leary became head coach.

Texas

UCF on offense against Texas

	1	2	3	4	Total
#6 Longhorns	10	10	3	12	35
Knights	7	3	7	15	32

Bright House Networks Stadium at twilight.

See also: 2007 Texas Longhorns football team

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.

Memphis

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	6	14	20
Knights	14	28	7	7	56

This was the first Conference USA 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.

Louisiana-Lafayette

	1	2	3	4	Total
Ragin' Cajuns	3	3	7	6	19
Knights	10	20	7	0	37

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.

East Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	14	14	3	7	38
Pirates	7	10	28	7	52

See also: East Carolina–UCF football rivalry

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.

South Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	7	3	0	2	12
#5 Bulls	12	17	14	21	64

See also: 2007 South Florida Bulls football team and UCF–USF football rivalry

South Florida came into the game ranked #5 in both the AP and Coaches Polls 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 en route 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 Polls, and #3 in the Coaches and Harris Polls.

Tulsa

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Hurricane	14	3	0	6	23
Knights	7	17	7	13	44

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.

Southern Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	7	14	10	3	34
Golden Eagles	7	3	7	0	17

UCF's defense intercepted Southern Miss QB Stephen Reaves 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.

Marshall

	1	2	3	4	Total
Thundering Herd	0	3	3	7	13
Knights	10	17	0	20	47

See also: Marshall–UCF football rivalry

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. On one series, after Marshall had punted to the UCF 1, Kevin Smith rushed for 12 yards to the UCF 13. On the next play, Smith ran up the middle, cut to his right and raced down the sideline to UCF's longest-ever run from scrimmage and a touchdown.

UAB

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	10	7	14	14	45
Blazers	14	3	7	7	31

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.

SMU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	21	14	14	0	49
Mustangs	10	3	7	0	20

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.

UTEP

	1	2	3	4	Total
Miners	0	10	7	3	20
Knights	0	16	6	14	36

Despite suffering a 100-yard interception returned for a touchdown, 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.

Conference USA Championship

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Hurricane	13	10	0	2	25
Knights	10	21	6	7	44

See also: 2007 Conference USA Football Championship Game

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 1988 for Oklahoma State, has rushed for more yards in a single season.

Liberty Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	0	3	0	0	3
Bulldogs	0	3	0	7	10

See also: 2007 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.

Awards & Milestones

In addition to winning the Conference USA title, UCF and its players won several other awards. Head coach George O'Leary was named C-USA Coach of the Year for the second time. Having twice won ACC Coach of the Year, O'Leary has now been awarded coach of the year four times, trailing only South Carolina's Steve Spurrier (six) and Utah's Dennis Erickson (six) among active FBS coaches.

All-Conference teams

• C-USA First Team: Kevin Smith, Leger Douzable, Joe Burnett, Michael Buscemi
• C-USA Second Team: Josh Sitton, Kyle Smith, Keith Shologan, Sha'Reff Rashad

School records

• Best record: 9–3 (regular season), 10–4 (final including bowl game)
• Best regular season conference record: 7–1 (T–2005)

Offseason

NFL Draft

Three former players were selected in the 2008 NFL Draft:

Round	Pick	Overall	Name	Position	Team
3rd	1	64th	Kevin Smith	Running back	Detroit Lions
4th	36	135th	Josh Sitton	Offensive tackle	Green Bay Packers
7th	32	239th	Michael Merritt	Tight end	Kansas City Chiefs