Pegasus Magazine Football Issue 2019 by University of Central Florida

The Magazine of the University of Central Florida

FOOTBALL ISSUE 2019

U C F C H A R G E O N T O T H E F I E L D . W I T H O U R S P I R I T, W E ' L L N E V E R Y I E L D . B L AC K A N D G O L D, C H A R G E R I G H T T H R O U G H T H E L I N E . V I C T O R Y I S O U R C R Y, V- I - C -T- O - R -Y. T O N I G H T O U R K N I G H T S W I L L S H I N E !

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MAY LOYALTY AND FRIENDSHIP WITHIN OUR HEA RTS UN I TE...

A N D LI GHT THE STAR TO GUIDE US, EVER UPWARD IN OU R FLIGH T.

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2018

SSIVE E R P AN IM EAK. R T S ING WINN CE. N E S PRE L A N TIO A NA R I T. I P S ABLE K A E NBR AN U

AY S W L A ILL W E W DS. D O THE DEFY

The Buzz

PEGASUS

FOOTBALL ISSUE 2019

WHEN I FIRST CAME TO UCF, I CHOSE THE SCHOOL because I wanted to be part of something great. I wanted to help build everything that we’re doing right now. And so that meant something to me. It means a lot more when I go out there on Sundays, and I’m able to represent where we’ve been and where we came from and the things we’re doing now. It makes me proud. LATAVIUS MURRAY ’12 • MINNESOTA VIKINGS RUNNING BACK

CHIEF OF STAFF AND VP FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Grant J. Heston ’13MBA

TWITTER @StockbergerK: I randomly witnessed this adorable @LSUfootball fan congratulate a @UCF_Football player on a great season and the player [Brandon Moore] thanked him and said, “I know I’m not your team but I want to give you my gloves,” and they hugged! #ThisIsWhyWePlay #FiestaBowl

COPY EDITOR Ginny Justice ’94 MULTIMEDIA Thomas Bell ’08 Nick Leyva ’15 Austin Warren

LANE KIFFIN • FAU HEAD COACH

PRODUCTION MANAGER Sandy Pouliot

SPORTS HAVE THE POWER TO BRING COMMUNITIES together. There’s no question that UCF football has helped our city continue to unite, and we are so proud of Orlando’s Hometown Team.

ONLINE PRODUCER Roger Wolf ’07 WEB PROGRAMMERS Jim Barnes Cadie Brown RJ Bruneel ’97 Jo Dickson ’11

BUDDY DYER • ORLANDO MAYOR

KYLE GIBSON ’18 • UCF DEFENSIVE BACK

IT’S AMAZING WHAT THESE STUDENT-ATHLETES were able to accomplish and the way it lifted our entire university and certainly propelled the growth of our athletics department. I think Knight Nation and the city of Orlando should be really excited about UCF football as we move forward. DANNY WHITE • UCF VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Pegasus is published by UCF Marketing in partnership with the UCF Foundation, Inc. and UCF Alumni. Opinions expressed in Pegasus are not necessarily those shared by the University of Central Florida.

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Email:

pegasus@ucf.edu

Mail: UCF Marketing P.O. Box 160090 Orlando, FL 32816-0090 Phone: 407.882.1238

ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lauren (Haar) Waters ’06

DESIGNERS Mario Carrillo Janeza Dino

IF UCF HAS A DIFFERENT LOGO ON THEIR SHIRT, by their name that’s SEC or ACC or something, you guys are voting them top probably six in the country. They have the nation’s longest winning streak, two blowouts already this season, finished last season beating Auburn. That’s a really good team.

TOUGH LOSS BUT WE STILL DID WHAT A LOT OF people said we could never do. Created some haters along the way and I love it. I’m forever UCF ride or die. I thank God, my teammates, coaches and the rest of this staff. It was an honor to graduate and play for UCF.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ron Boucher ’92

ART DIRECTOR Steve Webb

GARTH BROOKS • COUNTRY MUSIC STAR

PAT JASINSKI ’18 • UCF LINEBACKER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Laura J. Cole

STAFF WRITERS Bree (Adamson) Watson ’04 Nicole Dudenhoefer ’17 Jenna Marina Lee

GIVE THE BOYS [AT UCF] A SHOT. THIS FOUR-TEAM [playoff ] is a good start, but we’ve got to increase it. … Really proud that these guys aren’t focused on anything other than what’s in front of them.

I THINK EVERYONE IS PRETTY PROUD OF WHAT we’ve been able to do and what our legacy here will be. It’s hard when it’s over because you see these guys every day. Having that stop, I don’t know what it’s going to be like. It’s going to be tough.

AVP FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Patrick Burt ’08MA

@Gumby_football [Otis Anderson]: Imagine waiting 700 days for 1 team to lose I’d be exhausted @Evan_Abramson: So we just landed here at #MCO after the #FiestaBowl trip made by the 160 @UCF students on the @UCFSGA charter flight, and the pilot from the plane said in his 31 years of experience, he’s never flown students who represented their school better than the @UCFKnights on this plane. @jay_hollman: I told myself I wouldn’t shed a tear after cheering my last game in the Bounce House. … I found myself in the corner of the end zone, where I just knelt there thinking about all the hard work, passion and support that I, as well as this UCF family, have poured out for the past 6 years! … I’m so thankful to Knight Nation for taking me in and loving on me. I love y’all!! Once a Knight, Always a Knight!

CONTRIBUTORS Marc Daniels Eric DeSalvo ’09 Leland Dutcher Layla Ferris ’18 Lisa Haney Brad Helton Gene Kruckemyer ’73 Conor Kvatek Dale Whittaker Tyler Yungmann PEGASUS ADVISORY BOARD Chad Binette ’06MPA Richard Brunson ’84 Cristina Calvet-Harrold ’01 ’03MBA John Gill ’86 Michael Griffin ’84 Mike Hinn ’92 Gerald McGratty Jr. ’71 ’72MBA Michael O’Shaughnessy ’81 Dan Ward ’92

INBOX SUBMISSIONS Emails to the editor should be sent with the writer’s name, graduation year, address and daytime phone number to pegasus@ucf.edu. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. Due to volume, we regret that we cannot reply to every letter.

MOVED RECENTLY? NEED TO UPDATE YOUR INFO? Update your contact information: ucfalumni.com/contactupdates

Contents 6 Feed Favorites 7 Resolve: The 2018 Season 14 The Mom Squad 16 Everyday Victories 18 Only the Beginning

P R OV I N G G R O U N D “I was really blown away by your team and your home field advantage. From College GameDay to the game itself we had a great time. Thanks very much for having us. You all have a lot to be proud of,” said ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, following the three-hour show filmed on Memory Mall prior to UCF’s win against Cincinnati on Nov. 17.

FEED FAVORITES Britt’s Message to Milton

The head of UCF football’s social media selects his top moments from the season.

Heup Gets Crowd Hyped UCF Football Try not getting

Jan Garcias Britt came downstairs wearing her hat that [McKenzie Milton signed and] she never takes off, of course, and wanted me

goosebumps after hearing the

to record a video. She knows what it’s like to

crowd respond to Coach Heup like

fight an uphill battle, and she believes in him.

they did

Knight Nation

Dec. 2 • 4.2K Likes • 369 Comments

#10hana #ChargeOn #UCF #Praying Nov. 24 • 15 Retweets • 174 Likes

• 2K Shares

BY ERIC DeSALVO ’09

Love For KZ UCF Football We got you,

#ChargeOn

Nov. 23 • 2.6K Retweets • 9.7K Likes

Corso Gets Knighted Stare-down Kid + Knugget UCF Knights Name a more iconic duo. We’ll wait. Oct. 6 • 302 Retweets • 1.7K Likes

Space Game Uniforms

o view more of Eric T DeSalvo’s selections from the season, visit ucf.edu/pegasus.

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UCF Football A Familiar Flight. 11.01.18

#UCFinSpace

Oct. 24 • 686 Retweets • 1.6K Likes

College GameDay Corso suited up for his UCF pick Nov. 17 • 1.3K Retweets • 4.5K Likes

HEUPEL AND CORSO PHOTOS BY BEN SOLOMON/AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

As assistant athletics director of #Content at UCF, I’m the guy behind every tweet, Instagram caption and Facebook post you retweet, comment on or like from the UCF football team. As a proud grad and the son/ brother/husband of UCF alumni, my job is my way of giving back to my alma mater and a team I’ve been a fan of since birth. One of the most enjoyable parts of this season was seeing each game and our players’ hard work acknowledged, celebrated and even debated by the online community. I love what UCF stands for, how our fans rally behind the team and that we are now a topic of conversation for people from all walks of life. It’s more than the moments on the field that bond UCF’s football brotherhood and Knight Nation together. My social media team and I do our best to capture those moments and share them with you. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of hard work over countless hours, but being at the controls of the Knights’ social media is something that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

After the confetti was swept away at the end of last year’s Peach Bowl, the speculation swirled almost immediately. How could UCF possibly sustain the success from its perfect season? A new coaching staff. Four players drafted to the NFL. A target of the college football world. There’s no way the Knights could keep it rolling in 2018 — could they? Clearly the doubters don’t know what it means to be a Knight.

R E S O LV E . BY JENNA MARINA LEE

“Anyone that’s been involved in college football — I don’t care if you’re coaching or playing — should understand how difficult it is to do what these individuals have done over the last 24 months. To handle adversity. To continue to compete at an elite level, knowing that you’re getting everybody’s best shot, takes a special group of young men.” — Josh Heupel, UCF head coach

Rank: 19 AP, 20 CP

Rank: 18 AP, 18 CP

Rank: 16 AP, 18 CP

9/15

SEP

UCF Rank: 21 Associated Press, 23 Coaches Poll

AT UNC CANCELED

8/30

The game was canceled due to Hurricane Florence, marking the third straight season Mother Nature affected the Knights’ schedule.

AT UCONN W, 56–17

Led by junior quarterback McKenzie Milton, who threw for five touchdowns, UCF scored in less than 2 minutes, 40 seconds on each of its eight scoring drives.

2018 SEASON IN REVIEW

“I love how the players have opened their arms and grasped on to what we’re trying to do in our overall philosophy and who we are as coaches. In eight months, this group has gotten pretty close. I’m looking forward to this journey.” — Heupel

9/8

VS SC STATE W, 38–0

9/21

UCF redshirt senior tight end Michael Colubiale ’17 was the only Knight still on the roster from the 2014 Fiesta Bowl squad.

After 279 days since the UCF football team’s final home game of the 2017 season, the lights shined bright once again at Spectrum Stadium. The second-largest home-opening crowd in school history (43,269) shows up, as the defense records its first shutout since the 2016 season opener, which was also a 38–0 victory over South Carolina State.

THE CLIMB

“I’ve been waiting on this. The stadium packed, loud, just making plays. It’s what you live for.” — Tre Nixon, redshirt sophomore wide receiver

1979: First season

VS FAU W, 56–36

After a back-and-forth first half, the Knights outscored the reigning Conference USA champions 21–6 in the third quarter and rolled on to the 16th-straight victory, which set a new conference record.

1996: First season in NCAA Division I FBS

2000: UCF beats Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 40–38, in the only meeting to date

2009: First victory over a ranked team (#13 Houston)

2013: First BCS/New Year’s Six bowl game appearance and win (vs. Baylor)

1998: First nationally televised game on ESPN (vs. Purdue)

2002: First time in a conference (Mid-American)

2010: First time in national polls and first bowl win (vs. Georgia)

2017: Only team in the nation to finish the year with a perfect record

1999: First time hosting a top 25 opponent

2007: First game on campus

2013: First top 15 ranking

2018: First year ranked in preseason

2018: NCAA record book lists UCF next to Alabama as the top finisher in 2017 (The Colley Matrix, recognized by the NCAA as a “major selector” in the polls, ranked UCF No. 1 in its final standings for 2017)

Rank: 12 AP, 13 CP

Rank: 10 AP, 9 CP

9/29

OCT

Rank: 13 AP, 14 CP

VS PITT W, 45–14

UCF’s 31-point win over Pitt marked the program’s largest margin of victory ever recorded over a Power 5 opponent. Pitt, who went on to play Clemson in the ACC Championship, nearly upset College Football Playoff finalist Notre Dame but fell short, 19–14, on Oct. 13.

“I think I’d rather play Notre Dame than Central Florida.”

10/6

— Pat Narduzzi, Pitt head coach

VS SMU W, 48–20

With a slate of conference foes ahead of them, the Knights focused on making a statement. By the end of the first quarter, UCF held a 21–3 advantage. SMU came into the game having allowed 17 points in the first quarter of its previous five games combined.

10/13

“We have so much depth at receiver, running back and tight end. It lets us know that we can count on any guy when their number is called, and they are going to get in the game, know what they’re doing and execute it.”

AT MEMPHIS W, 31–30

— Adrian Killins Jr., junior running back

Memphis had won four straight games over nationally ranked teams at the Liberty Bowl and were riding a 12-game regular season winning streak at home. The Knights had never trailed by more than 3 points this season. Against Memphis, they trailed by as much as 16 (at the time, the third-largest deficit overcome in school history) before their heart-stopping comeback.

“We didn’t mean to scare y’all like that.” — A.J. Wooten ’18, senior defensive lineman

STILL STREAKING:

NOTABLE NUMBERS

3 2018 national rank for fumbles recovered (14) 4 Conference titles since 2013 (UCF is one of four

32 games – Defense forced at least one turnover (leads the nation) 26 games – Team scored 30 or more points (longest streak in 80+ years) 15 games – Team won at home (school record)

9 games – Won on the road (school record)

10 Bowl berths in program history

teams in the nation to achieve this feat)

14 National rank among all FBS schools for

Academic Progress Rate, an NCAA measurement of classroon success (highest among teams in the state of Florida)

21 Players who rode the wave of 2015’s winless

season to back-to-back perfect AAC titles

25 UCF’s 25-game winning streak tied the 22nd

longest streak in college football history

Rank: 12 College Football Playoff

Rank: 12 CFP

Rank: 11 CFP

11/10

NOV

Rank: 10 AP, 9 CP

“No butterflies. I was just ready. … Helping my team get the W, that’s all I can ask for. It was special for me.”

VS NAVY (HOMECOMING) W, 35–24

UCF never trailed in the game, but the Knights needed to adjust and focus on a run-heavy game plan in response to Navy’s new defensive scheme. Milton rushed for 62 yards in the game, passing Daunte Culpepper for the most rushing yards in a career by a UCF quarterback.

— Darriel Mack Jr., redshirt freshman quarterback

10/20

“Daunte is obviously a legend — not just here but in the NFL, so that’s huge. I’m pretty sure Darriel Mack will probably pass that up when his time comes.” — Milton

AT EAST CAROLINA W, 37–10

Mack gets the nod to start for the first time in his career and finishes with 69 yards passing, 120 yards rushing and one touchdown. His performance stands as the second most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game in program history.

For the second year, UCF donned special space-themed uniforms as a nod to the university’s history with the space program.

11/1

ESPN’s iconic show, College GameDay, made its firstever appearance at UCF on Nov. 17 ahead of the Knights’ primetime matchup against nationally ranked Cincinnati. “We try to go where there’s a great story. No matter which side of the fence you sit on, I think this is a great story.” — Rece Davis, host of College GameDay

VS TEMPLE W, 52–40

Clocking in at 3 hours and 54 minutes, UCF’s longest game of the season — which featured 92 points and 1,300 yards of total offense — ended at 11:24 p.m. on a Thursday, effectively turning Knight Nation into Zombie Nation.

“Turning the TV on and seeing it’s in Orlando on UCF’s campus on Memory Mall, that was unreal. This was a childhood dream for me.” — Joey Connors ’17, senior defensive lineman

NOTABLE NUMBERS

31 Number of games UCF won consecutively while

ranked in the top 25 before the 2019 Fiesta Bowl

375 Career points kicker Matthew Wright ’18 scored

from 2014 to 2019 (UCF record)

1,182 Rushing yards this season for sophomore

Greg McCrae (fourth best single-season mark by a running back in UCF history)

3,448 Team rushing yards this season (school record)

44,018

Average attendance at UCF’s eight home games in 2018, a school record

ACCOLADES

“We show that we can fight every single week, and we’ll continue to go 1–0 every week.”— Michael Colubiale ’17, redshirt senior tight end The Football Writers Association of America picks the Knights as its National Team of the Week (Nov. 19). Milton is named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. In total, the Knights earn 17 AAC honors, setting a new conference record.

Rank: 8 CFP

11/23

DEC

Rank: 9 CFP

Conference Championship Game

AT USF W, 38–10

11/17

The War on I-4 This rivalry game would turn out to be about more than the final score. As UCF led 7–0, Milton went down early in the second quarter with a traumatic leg injury that forced him to be carted off the field and into emergency surgery. With their leader in their hearts and minds, the Knights pushed on and limited USF to just 7 second-half points to secure the War on I-4 football trophy for the second straight year.

VS CINCINNATI (#24) W, 38–13

With the whole nation watching the sold-out primetime matchup on ABC, the Knights committed several miscues in the first five minutes, including a strip sack of Milton that lifted the Bearcats to an early 6–0 lead. Unfazed, UCF fed off the energy of the raucous 47,795 in attendance and scored 35 unanswered points to clinch the AAC’s East Division trophy.

47,795

UCF’s defense turned in four sacks, five tackles for loss, six pass breakups and an interception against USF.

“Seeing [McKenzie get injured was] devastating to the whole team. We rallied around that and used that as motivation and energy to play for him. We played for 10.” — Greg McCrae, sophomore running back

Knights won in front of the second-largest crowd in Spectrum Stadium history (48,453 vs Miami in 2009).

Eight All-AAC Second Team selections:

All-AAC Honorable Mention list:

OT Jake Brown

C Jordan Johnson

WR Gabriel Davis

RB/RS Adrian Killins Jr.

TE Michael Colubiale ’17

Milton earns four first-place votes and finishes sixth for the 2018 Heisman Trophy.

CB Nevelle Clarke ’18

QB McKenzie Milton

DL Titus Davis

OT Wyatt Miller ’18

CB Brandon Moore

Knights become back-to-back AAC champions.

LB Nate Evans

OG Cole Schneider

DL Brendon Hayes ’18

K Matthew Wright ’18

Seven All-AAC First Team selections:

S Richie Grant

LB Pat Jasinski ’18

Heupel named First Year Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

1 HANA With No. 10 watching from home and recovering from his injury, Knight Nation wore leis in tribute to the Hawaiian native.

“Remember what Ohana means. No one gets left behind.”

12/1

— Mark and Teresa Milton, parents of McKenzie Milton

VS MEMPHIS W, 56–41

Memphis and UCF took last year’s championship game to double overtime. Earlier this year in the regular season, their matchup was decided by 1 point. The championship game lived up to the hype. The Knights fell behind early and rallied from a 17-point deficit by outscoring the Tigers 35–3 in the second half. With the win, UCF hoisted another AAC trophy on its home field.

Mack was named MVP of the conference championship with 348 passing yards and six total touchdowns, four of which he ran into the end zone himself, which tied a school record for rushing touchdowns in one game. FINAL CALL BY UCF PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER MARC DANIELS:

“The streak is still alive. It sits at 25. They remain unbeaten and once again the champions of the American Athletic Conference. Final score: UCF 56, Memphis 41. The Knights win!”

1/1

VS LSU L, 32–40

Despite an early 14–3 lead, the Knights’ spectacular winning streak came to an end at the 2019 Fiesta Bowl. It lasted 25 games and a span of 745 days, dating back to Aug. 31, 2017. The accomplishment will be listed in the NCAA record book among the longest winning streaks ever recorded and marks the fourth-longest winning streak this century.

“I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world. What I want is for people to know this team pushes through any adversity there is. I hope we’ve opened some people’s eyes that we play real ball, and we can play with anybody. There is no limit to this team.” — Mac Loudermilk ’18, redshirt senior punter

TEAM: #2 Otis Anderson. #3 Jaquarius Bargnare. #3 Antwan Collier. #4 Taj McGowan. #5 Dredrick Snelson. #6 Brendon Hayes. #6 Tristan Payton. #7 Kenny Turnier. #8 Darriel Mack Jr. #8 Zamari Maxwell. #9 Trysten Hill. #9 Adrian Killins Jr. #10 Titus Davis. #10 McKenzie Milton. #11 Cam Stewart. #11 Matthew Wright. #12 Quadry Jones. #12 Eric Mitchell. #13 Bryon Brown. #13 Gabriel Davis. #14 Nevelle Clarke. #14 Hayden Kingston. #15 Brett Bell. #16 Demetreius Mayes Jr. #16 Tre Nixon. #17 Marlon Williams. #18 Dyllon Lester. #19 Trey Green. #20 Brandon Moore. #21 Rashard Causey. #21 Dontay Mayfield. #22 Kalia Davis. #24 Gabriel Luyanda. #24 Bentavious Thompson. #25 Kyle Gibson. #26 Jermaine McMillian. #27 Richie Grant. #28 Shawn Burgess-Becker. #29 Keenan Johnson. #30 Greg McCrae. #30 Alex Swenson. #31 Aaron Robinson. #32 Alex Ward. #33 Jarrion Finley. #33 Monterious Loggins. #34 Trillion Coles. #34 Jon Powell. #35 Dedrion Bacote-Sweat. #36 Kyle Benkel. #36 Josh Kelly. #37 Derek Gainous. #37 Andrew Osteen. #38 Caden Larkin. #38 Jonathan Moore. #39 Palmer Bachelder. #39 Dylan Barnas. #40 Eriq Gilyard. #41 Elijah Benoit. #42 Rahsaan Lewis. #42 Tyler Williams. #43 Aaron Cochran. #44 Nate Evans. #45 Lyston Barber. #45 Jason Colubiale. #46 Davonchae Bryant. #46 Nykie Marion. #47 Jonathan Gebka. #47 Caleb Perez. #48 Mac Loudermilk. #49 Dedrick Canady. #49 Connor Piazza. #51 Darious East. #52 Isaiah Brown. #53 Tyler Hudanick. #53 Randy Shannon. #54 A.J. Wooten. #55 Ike Walker. #56 Lamarius Benson. #56 Pat Jasinski. #57 Tye Farmer. #58 Randy Charlton. #58 Eric Seidelman. #59 CJ Reeves. #60 Josh McMullen. #61 Parker Boudreaux. #62 Edward Collins. #63 Evan Dvorchik. #64 Kyle Back. #65 Cole Schneider. #66 Chidoziri Maghiro. #69 Steven Moss. #70 Luke Palmer. #71 James Collins. #72 Jordan Johnson. #73 Samuel Jackson.#75 Bailey Granier. #77 Jake Brown. #78 Wyatt Miller. #79 Trevor Elbert. #80 Chris DeLoach. #81 Alex Harris. #82 Kenyon Johnson. #83 Elijah Spann. #84 Ke’von Ahmad. #85 Tristan Reaves. #86 Michael Colubiale. #87 Jacob Harris. #88 Jake Hescock. #89 Anthony Roberson. #90 Jonathon MacCollister. #91 Joey Connors. #92 Austin Camden. #92 Alec Holler. #93 Landon Woodson. #94 Anthony Montalvo. #95 Jeremiah Zio. #96 Stephon Zayas. #97 Mason Cholewa. #99 Tyrese Black. STAFF: Josh Heupel. Randy Shannon. Corey Bell. Shane Burnham. Jon Cooper. Glen Elarbee. Jeff Lebby. Willie Martinez. Nick Toth. Anthony Tucker. Darrell Wyatt. Tony Gilbert. Matt O’Brien. Cliff Odom. Kurt Schmidt. Rodney Hill. Dave Young. Derek Owings. Billy Ray Johnson. Cameron Coffman. Brandon Lawson. Marc Votteler. Makenzie Franklin. Steve Smith. Jamie Schultz. Micah James. Mitch Militello. Robbie Snyder. Kate Miller.

I T S TA R T E D W I T H S E L F I E S AT TA I L G AT E S — A N D T U R N E D I N T O A FA M I LY.

BY JENNA MARINA LEE

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Donned in her son Anthony’s No. 89 jersey, Harriet Roberson moves with purpose toward Gate 16 of Spectrum Stadium. “We’ve got to get the moms together for a prayer,” she says as she heads toward the parents and families of UCF’s football players who arrived for the American Athletic Conference championship game that’s set to kick off in less than two hours.

And while she succeeds in huddling up several members of the UCF Mom Squad, on this day everyone has an invitation to become an honorary member of the group. “Anyone that wants to participate can participate — doesn’t matter whether you’re a mom or a dad or an aunt or an uncle or a friend. If you want to participate, you’re welcome to join us,” says Renee Washington, a minister at Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Avondale, Louisiana, and the grandmother of UCF junior linebacker Nate Evans. Surrounded by a circle of moms, families and fans alike, Washington begins to pray aloud. For the next 4 minutes she asks God to watch over injured junior quarterback McKenzie Milton. (“We have one that has been injured, but he will not stay down.”) For the next man up, freshman quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. (“Father, he will have courage. He will have strength. His eyes will see every man on the field.”) And for their 119 sons, the UCF Knights. “This is not an accident. We are not an accident. We were appointed for this time,” she says. “They are not just one person. They’re a team. The unified UCF, undefeatable [24-game] winning team. All the games have been beautiful. Lord, I ask right now

that you declare a victory today. Protect every player on the field.” The group claps. They cry. They hug. And then they put their game faces on. “Our boys have a lot of heart. They play for each other. They play for the coaches and their fans, and they play for the love of the game. They are there to support one another, and that’s what we are there for — to support them in that,” says Julie Loudermilk, mother of senior punter Mac Loudermilk ’18. “I love those boys like I love my own son. We embrace the meaning of the UCF family.” Loudermilk says she bonded with a small group of moms early on, but she credits Roberson for growing the UCF Mom Squad into the dozens of members it is today. The Robersons are from Virginia but followed Anthony to Orlando when he joined the team in 2016. Roberson is affectionately known as a “selfie queen” and used photos as ice breakers as she continued to meet more parents at tailgates, during games or while greeting the team outside the locker room after their victories. “Our selfies started getting bigger and bigger. There was one game we were at, maybe the SMU game last year, and more and more moms jumped into the photo,” she says.

“We took this picture, and one of the staff photographers for UCF said, ‘Wow look at this — this is like the Mom Squad.’ I thought, ‘Wow, that is a cool name for us.’ And we just rolled with it.” The squad’s exposure got a bump early this season when they were interviewed on the Today show by news anchor Craig Melvin. A small group of them planned a trip to New York City before they traveled to Connecticut for UCF’s first game of the 2018 season. While they’ve enjoyed cheering on their sons, meeting fellow fans and forming friendships, the Mom Squad is about more than that. When redshirt sophomore defensive back Aaron Robinson was concussed during the opening kickoff against UConn and needed to be taken by stretcher off the field, his mother was watching her nightmare unfold on the television screen. Although he would eventually return to the field later in the season, he required a two-day stay in the hospital until being cleared medically to return to Orlando.

Robinson’s mother couldn’t make the trip to Connecticut, so the UCF Mom Squad delivered. “I feel like the whole team is my son. If something is wrong with them, something is wrong with me,” says freshman quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.’s mother, Hope Mack, who was in the stands when Robinson took the hit. “I told my husband, ‘We have got to go see about this baby. I’m not leaving until we go. I don’t care what it takes. We need to stay another day if we have to so I can lay my eyes on him and I know he’s OK.’ ” The Macks had never met Robinson or his mother before that moment. They took a hamburger to the hospital with them, and Mack insisted the player eat it while she spoke to his mom to reassure her, the way only a parent could. “I knew if it was me, I would want someone to contact me and tell me how my son is really doing,” Mack says. “[His mother] was a wreck. She was panicked. I said, ‘I’m here with your son. Don’t worry, he’s doing well. It’s not what it

looked like. He is eating; he’s talking; he’s laughing.’ ” The families have bonded ever since. Robinson says the Macks communicate with him regularly and have welcomed his mother into the squad.

“I feel like I gained some more support outside of my family,” he says. The squad has also banded together for community-service initiatives such as pooling resources to send to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Or spearheading a drive to donate hygiene products to the Knights Pantry on campus. When they traveled to the Fiesta Bowl, they sorted diapers, decorated birthday gift bags and assembled first aid kits for foster children and their families through the nonprofit organization Arizona Helping Hands. “It’s so special that we have so many people who have open, caring hearts that want to do for others,” says Roberson. “It’s a really big family and there are so many things we can do, especially making a difference in the community.”

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EVERYDAY VICTORIES

WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED IN THE FIESTA BOWL, BUT FOSTERING SOCIAL MOBILITY MATTERS EVEN MORE.

BY DALE WHITTAKER

As president of the University of Central Florida, I spend considerable time talking to fans about our football team and where the Knights land in national rankings (No. 11 in the final AP poll). However, truth be told, the inherent inequities in the College Football Playoff system — despite our team’s incredible season — are much less concerning to me than those of another traditional measuring stick of college success: the U.S. News & World Report’s annual “best colleges” rankings. The U.S. News rankings favor exclusivity at the expense of what colleges are supposed to do: improve social mobility, and help students of all socioeconomic backgrounds learn and move up in the world. Too often, a college or university’s success is based on exclusivity or endowments rather than its ability to take students from all backgrounds and walks of life and help them unleash their full potential. The transformative power of education isn’t about picking the student who’s already most likely to succeed. It’s about identifying untapped talent with grit and indefatigable can-do spirit to give it their all, no matter the challenges. In a modern economy that demands a college degree, stagnating mobility is devastating. Only 11 percent of students whose families are in the bottom income quartile (an annual family income

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of less than $37,564) earn a bachelor’s degree by age 24. In the top quartile, 58 percent of students do. UCF will never stop prioritizing social mobility — we aren’t going to stop taking a large cohort of first-generation students and students using Pell Grants in the hopes of ticking up a few spots on the U.S. News rankings. But U.S. News should not be knocking us or any other school for making that decision. This is an urgent problem. In today’s America, social mobility is rapidly fading. U.S. News took a step in the right direction when, for the first time, it factored social mobility into its 2019 rankings, giving schools more credit for graduating larger numbers of students who receive Pell Grants. But the modest adjustment produced modest changes, and it hardly affected the top 10 at all. More needs to be done. HIGHER ED IS FAILING ITS SOCIAL MOBILITY MISSION UCF and other similarly minded schools would move up the U.S. News rankings dramatically if the rankings prioritized social mobility. We’re a great-value public research university, where nearly a quarter of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 40 percent are Pell Grant-eligible. America’s higher education system is failing in its mission to foster social mobility. According to a study published last March in the journal Demography, the gap is growing between the rich and poor graduating from college. But at UCF, we know talent isn’t restricted by income — only opportunity is. And we’re graduating low-income students at nearly twice the national

average of all four-year institutions. We help them secure good jobs in strong fields as soon as they graduate. And in December, we announced a record $40 million investment in institutional financial aid. Social mobility is our calling card. Social mobility has never been more valuable: Those with a bachelor’s degree earn 73 percent more on average than those who only completed high school, up from 50 percent in the late 1970s. SUPPORTING STRIVERS OUTSIDE THE ELITE IS CRUCIAL I’m proud that we played in our third New Year’s Day Bowl since 2014. And I’m proud of how our players competed against a worthy opponent in LSU. But what matters most to me is what happens outside the game. Do our students secure a great job after earning their degree? Are they on their way to a great career? Are they going to do better than the socioeconomic class they came from would have predicted? The answers to those questions are more important. Whether the College Football Playoff system is unfair to strivers such as UCF gets the lion’s share of the ink. But what I care about even more is how higher education supports strivers from outside the elite who are the first in their families to go to college. The answer to that question will tell us whether social mobility will survive in a nation founded upon it. This article originally appeared in USA Today on Dec. 31, and was updated to reflect the outcome of the Fiesta Bowl.

ILLUSTRATION BY LISA HANEY

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O N LY T H E

BY MARC DANIELS As the final seconds ticked down at the Fiesta Bowl, coaches, players and fans had a sinking feeling they had not known for two years: the possibility of an impending loss. Was this it? Was the team’s 25-game winning streak really over? Is this how the improbable, thrilling, wild ride ends? Not a chance. After two perfect regular seasons and a lifetime of memories, I believe this is only the beginning. UCF is just getting started. Only two years ago, the Knights entered the season hoping to improve on a loss against Arkansas State in the Cure Bowl. And when the wins began to pile up, people took notice of “that team in Orlando” and how the Knights played. Those performances took UCF to a major bowl game and a 34–27 win against Auburn in the 2018 Peach Bowl. Many media outlets covering college football felt UCF should enjoy the attention on the national stage they earned with an unbeaten year and go quietly into the off-season. But UCF has never been about doing the expected. UCF has always been about striving to be bigger, better, bolder and groundbreaking. And the 2018 season shined a brighter spotlight on this team and this university. From the moment Coach Josh Heupel took the reins last year, he and his staff understood this past season was an opportunity to show that the 2017 season was no fluke, and that UCF was ready to claim

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its place among big-name college football teams. Yes, there were doubters and critics who lined up to mock UCF and their place in the college football landscape. But week after week, the football team grew stronger and focused on Coach Heupel’s gameby-game mantra: Go 1-0. And that’s what this team did. They showcased an even faster offense. They introduced us to new playmakers on both offense and defense. And they proved that adversity is only a challenge to find a way to make things happen. Many said we couldn’t beat Pitt, and yet we won the game 45–14 by dominating on both sides of the ball before a packed crowd at Spectrum Stadium. Some thought we wouldn’t be able to turn around a 16-point deficit against Memphis on its home turf. And yet in the pouring rain and facing 4th-and-1 at the team’s own 29, UCF went for it and senior running back Taj McGowan raced 71 yards for a touchdown, earning the Knights a 31–30 win. Many said we wouldn’t recover after losing quarterback McKenzie Milton to an injury, and yet we saw a group of young men rise up against USF and then again against Memphis, earning the Knights’ fourth AAC championship title in six years. The streak reached 25 and another major bowl game awaited. And all along as the season unfolded, UCF became a polarizing brand. Almost everywhere you looked, listened or read, someone had an opinion about UCF. The success of this team led to a national debate about the current format of the College Football Playoff and what teams are included. No voice was louder than Danny White’s,

UCF’s athletics director. He took on all challengers and continued the fight for a better system and a stronger reputation for UCF. And by the time the season marched into December, he found he was not a chorus of one. Commissioners, college presidents, former coaches and even a few members of the media said they believe the time is right to rethink the playoffs and who has a chance to earn the title on the field. Even though the streak has ended, it has been a magical ride for UCF. Our athletics department is bigger and growing stronger each year. Our football program has a great coach, an outstanding staff and a group of players who have built a culture of excellence and an expectation to compete for championships and play with the best in the game. And our president is committed to continue UCF’s trajectory to be among the leaders in education and opportunity. So while a scoreboard in the Arizona desert closed a special chapter in the history of UCF football, the story is really just beginning. UCF football’s future is bright. There are more big games to win. There are more conference titles to earn. There are more memories to be made. The team is here to stay — today, tomorrow and well into the future. Marc Daniels is the director of broadcasting for UCF Athletics and has been the Knights’ radio play-by-play announcer for 24 years. The 2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl marked his 293rd consecutive football game with the team. He is also the host of 96.9FM/740AM’s The Beat of Sports, a daily sports and entertainment show.

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