St. Petersburg Bowl Preview: UCF vs. Rutgers

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Quick slant

UCF (8-4, 6-2 in C-USA) seeks its first bowl win in school history, while Rutgers (8-4, 3-4 in Big East) is making its fifth consecutive bowl appearance and owns three bowl wins. The Knights should have an overwhelming homefield advantage, with school officials estimating 20,000 UCF fans will pack Tropicana Field. The venue will have a capacity of about 30,000. Senior QB Brett Hodges and junior DE Bruce Miller, the Conference USA defensive player of the year, lead the Knights, while All-American LT Anthony Davis and CB Devin McCourty lead the Scarlet Knights.

About UCF

UCF has completed the fifth-best turnaround in the country, going from a 4-8 campaign last year to an 8-4 record so far this year. The Knights dropped their first two Conference USA games at Southern Miss and East Carolina, then bounced back with a six-game conference winning streak. The turning point for the Knights was 21-20 comeback win over Marshall Nov. 1 at Bright House Networks Stadium. Miller stripped the ball from Thundering Herd quarterback Brian Anderson to set up UCF's game-winning scoring drive. Hodges, who was named the team's most valuable player by the coaching staff, and sophomore RB Brynn Harvey have rejuvenated the UCF offense, while Miller anchors a stout attack thanks No. 4 nationally in rushing defense (82.5 yards allowed per game).

About Rutgers

Like UCF, the Scarlet Knights have earned a bowl bid thanks an imposing defense and ball-control offense. McCourty leads a defense thanks No. 19 nationally in total defense, allowing 312.2 yards per game. True freshman Tom Savage leads the Rutgers offense, with a lot of help from Davis, who is a first-round NFL draft prospect. Senior WR Tim Brown is the Scarlet Knights' top playmaker, but he is questionable for the game with a sprained ankle. Rutgers wasn't exactly delighted to tumble into the St. Petersburg Bowl thanks to a 31-13 loss at Syracuse and a 24-21 loss to No. 24 West Virginia in the regular-season finale, but the Scarlet Knights say they still very much want to win this game.

What to watch

-- UCF's quick, productive defensive line versus Rutgers' big, physical offensive line.

-- Rutgers' athletic defensive line versus UCF's up-and-coming offensive line.

-- With both teams playing smart, ball-control offense, special teams play will be a huge factor.

The buzz

Rutgers is ranked No. 99 nationally in total offense (321.8 yards per game) and UCF is ranked No. 83 (348 yards per game), so don't expect a high-scoring contest.

 

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UCF Football Notes: Knights excited to have strong fan support at St. Petersburg Bowl

UCF and Rutgers will visit Tropicana Field for the first time Friday




Sophomore WR A.J. Guyton said the Knights are excited they should have an overwhelming hometown advantage at the St. Petersburg Bowl.

UCF announced Thursday it had sold out all 15,402 tickets it was allotted for the bowl game. The school expects about 20,000 UCF fans will attend the game, with many people buying tickets through other outlets. The Knights (8-4) face Rutgers (8-4) in the bowl played at Tropicana Field Saturday.

Although the game is officially sold out, Rutgers still had tickets in its section available Thursday at http://www.rutgers.com .

"I love that," Guyton said when he heard about UCF's fan support. "Our UCF fans just make you want to play even harder for them. They travel so far to come see us play."

Quick hits

-- UCF and Rutgers will see Tropicana Field converted into a football venue for the first time today. UCF used its indoor practice facility numerous times leading up to bowl week so that players could get used to artificial turf similar to the field that will be used during Saturday's game.

 

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Mike Bianchi: Battle of St. Pete could be UCF's ticket into Big East
With victory over Rutgers, UCF can make Big East take notice


This game -- this before-Christmas, below-the-radar, off-the-beaten-path bowl afterthought ? might be the most important game UCF has ever played.

Who would have ever thought the relatively meaningless second-year St. Petersburg Bowl ? a football game played in a baseball stadium ? could have such a major role in determining UCF's athletic future?

Don't laugh. It wouldn't be the first time an obscure, out-of-the-way place helped decide history. The United States of America became a BCS nation at a tiny bowl locale known as the Battle of Yorktown.

Likewise, UCF can go a long way toward joining the BCS league of nations in Saturday night's Soiree by the Bay. On the same week expansion talk has multiplied like Tiger's mistresses throughout college football, what better way to send a message to the Big East Conference than by beating Rutgers in a stadium jam-packed with thousands upon thousands of UCF fans?

And don't think UCF coach George O'Leary and others in the administration don't know it. Why do you think they were lobbying so hard for the St. Pete Bowl? It wasn't just about geography; it was about opportunity.

"Of the bowl games we could have played in, I thought this one was the most advantageous from a standpoint of timing and playing a Big East opponent and a BCS team," O'Leary said. "I think playing Rutgers is a great opportunity for us. When you look at all the different (BCS) conferences, the Big East is one with a shortage of football teams that is looking for teams right now."

And the Big East may be looking for even more teams now that the powerful and prestigious Big Ten has sent tremors throughout lesser leagues with the announcement earlier this week that it will explore the possibility of expanding.

Isn't it ironic that one of the teams the Big Ten is said to be considering is Rutgers ? a huge state university located in a dominant TV market? If Rutgers does bolt for the Big Ten, who better to fill its spot in the Big East than St. Pete Bowl opponent UCF ? another huge state university located in a dominant TV market?

Never before have UCF's chances of gaining admittance into a coveted BCS league seemed so close at hand. Reminds you of the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and friends come out of the woods and into a beautiful, poppy-filled clearing where they can see their destination, the Emerald City, in the distance.

"There's Emerald City!" Dorothy exclaims. "Oh, we're almost there at last! At last! It's beautiful, isn't it? ? Let's run!"

It's no secret the Big East -- because of the difficulty of scheduling in an eight-team football league ? was already contemplating inviting a new football member. But that possibility becomes inevitability should the Big East lose one of its current football members (Rutgers, Pitt or Syracuse) to the Big Ten. Another favorable scenario for UCF is this: The Big Ten adds Notre Dame, which is a Big East member in basketball only. That would create a spot in the Big East's 16-team basketball format and make it easy for the league to then add UCF in football, too.

Whatever happens, the Big East is out of its mind if it doesn't extend an invitation to Orlando's sleeping giant. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Big East needs to wake up and smell the potential of UCF.

We're talking about the third-largest university in the nation located in America's 19th-rated TV market. We're talking about the biggest public educational institution in Florida -- a university located right in the middle of a college football-crazy state that is one of the premier recruiting hotbeds in the country. We're talking about a school that is investing tons of money and resources into its football and basketball programs.

A Big East spokesman in the conference office near Boston told the Sentinel Thursday that league commissioner John Marinatto did not want to address the possibility of adding UCF. However, long-time league observer and Boston Globe college sports guru Mark Blaudschun said adding UCF is "a no-brainer."

"Without question, the Big East is very aware of what UCF and Orlando has to offer," Blaudschun said. "I think UCF would be their No. 1 choice. If a spot opens up, I believe the league would contact UCF almost instantaneously."

Translation: There's Emerald City.

Oh, we're almost there at last!

Let's run.

Run over Rutgers.

To paraphrase that great football philosopher Bum Phillips, the UCF Knights have been knocking on the Big East's door for far too long.

On Saturday night ? with a bowl victory over one of the league's best and brightest ? they can kick the dad-gum thing in.