TAMPA, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn said he believes a victory over Georgia Tech in Friday night’s Gasparilla Bowl will do more than enable the Knights to finish with a winning record in their first season in a Power 5 conference.
What You Need To Know
- A Gasparilla Bowl win would give UCF or Georgia Tech a winning record
- The game in Tampa is on Friday night
- Neither team has had many players enter the transfer portal or declare for the NFL Draft
It also could be a springboard toward Big 12 championship aspirations in a revamped conference as Texas and Oklahoma move to the Southeastern Conference next season. And, there’s the expansion of the college football playoffs from four to 12 teams.
“It will be really good for us,” Malzahn said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to be in that 12-team playoff next year. This bowl game is really important to keep that momentum going.”
UCF beat Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State 45-3 and played then-No. 6 Oklahoma close before losing 31-29. Their biggest losses during the season were to Kansas (22-51) and West Virginia (28-41). The Knights (6-6) ended the regular season by winning three of four.
“This season, there’s been some roller coasters,” UCF redshirt senior quarterback John Rhys Plumlee said. “Everything you could think of that happens in a football season. So, we definitely want to end this thing the right way, go out on a high note and get some momentum going into the next year for the next guys up.”
Georgia Tech (6-6) is also looking to end the season with a winning record after getting its first bowl berth since 2018.
“I want to see our team not be satisfied right now just getting to a bowl game,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. “Keep that hunger.”
As of the day before the game, both teams will be mostly intact, with few key players leaving to enter the transfer portal or NFL Draft. UCF defensive back Corey Thorton did enter the portal.
Key matchup
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King against UCF’s defense. King is one of only two players with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes and five touchdowns runs this season. The other is LSU Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“Electric-type player.” Malzahn said. “A guy that I recruited out of Texas coming out of high school. He’s having a great year of throwing, running it and all that.”
Memories
Key spent 11 years (2005-15) as an assistant coach at UCF.
“The greatest connection I have from Orlando is meeting my wife down there,” Key said. “Starting our family there.”
Last dance
Plumlee, limited to nine games by a leg injury, completed 145 passes in 227 attempts (63.9%) for 2,073 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games.
“Super excited,” Plumlee said of his final college game. “Every opportunity is a blessing, right?”
Travel woes
Malzhan saw the bright side after one of the UCF team buses blew a tire Tuesday while making the trip from Orlando to Tampa. Players and staff on that bus were moved to other ones.
“It was a lot better than flying a long way,” Malzahn said.
The Knights traveled almost 15,000 on road trips during their first season in the Big 12. The away schedule also included a game at Boise State.
Quotable
“People have this crazy notion there’s too many bowl games. There’s no way I would ever think that. Be a college football coach and sit at home and watch all those games. You’ll think a lot different, that’s for sure,” Key said.
Associated Press
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