TAMPA, Fla. — Perhaps it was too much turkey or an extra slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.
Whatever the reason, UCF appeared to be napping through the start of the game against rival USF on Friday, falling behind 7-0 midway through the first quarter before scoring 28 consecutive points on the Knights' way to a 58-46 win in the latest installment of the War on I-4.
The Bulls made it a game, cutting the lead to 45-38 with 10:10 left before UCF added two touchdowns late.
Dillon Gabriel tossed four touchdown passes and the offense made do without the team's leading receiver in Marlon Williams (1,039 yards) and its leading rusher in Otis Anderson (614 yards), who did not make the trip to Tampa.
The win was the fourth in a row against USF and it evened the overall series at six victories apiece.
Gabriel finished with 336 passing yards and joined Daunte Culpepper, Ryan Schneider, Darin Hinshaw, McKenzie Milton and Blake Bortles as UCF quarterbacks with at least 7,000 career passing yards.
There was speculation that injured Milton might return to action for the first time in two years on the field where he suffered a catastrophic knee injury, but it wasn't in the cards.
"I haven't suited up all year and I don't see the point in going out there today for sentimental reasons," Milton told ESPN. "For me, I don't want to go out there until (I'm) 100 percent and playing at a high level. So there's no rush for me to get back out there on (the) field. That's been the basis of me suiting up all year — am I 100 percent? And right now I'm not."
Both defenses were put to the test with a combined 1,223 yards of offense.
Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Landon Woodson spent much of the evening in the USF backfield, sacking Bulls quarterback Jordan McCloud three times. Woodson is the first UCF defender to register three sacks in a game since Titus Davis did it against Cincinnati on Nov. 17, 2018.
Sophomore Tre'Mon Morris-Brash had two sacks as well.
USF managed a season-high 646 yards, the most since the Bulls had 653 yards in a loss against UCF on Nov. 24, 2017.
Running back Greg McCrae put together a productive game — possibly his final one in this rivalry series — while rushing for 130 yards. His 2,543 career yards moved him into fifth place overall among the school's all-time rushing leaders.
It was McCrae's seventh career 100-yard rushing performance.
Bentavious Thompson added 110 yards for his first career 100-yard game. He also scored a pair of touchdowns.
It was a homecoming of sorts for fifth-year senior receiver Jacob Harris, who grew up in nearby Palm Harbor. Harris finished with a career high in yards (110) and touchdowns (3).
UCF now must wait until Dec. 20 before finding out where it will play this postseason. The Knights would prefer to stay in the state of Florida due to COVID-19 challenges. It would limit their opportunities to Gasparilla, Cure or Boca Raton bowls.
