NCAAF Game Preview - UCF at East Carolina
Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:00 PM EDT

Bama
38
MIZ
19
F
K St
38
Okla
35
F
UGA
37
Ark
10
F
Fla
51
Miss
35
F
MissSt
44
LSU
34
F
KY
13
Aub
29
F
Tex
63
TxTch
56
F OT
Vand
12
TxAM
17
F
FlaSt
10
MiaFL
52
F
UCF
51
ECU
28
F
Army
10
Cin
24
F
WVU
13
OkSt
27
F
Tenn
31
SCar
27
F
Troy
7
BYU
48
F
GaSo
18
ULLaf
20
F
NCSt
24
VaTec
45
F
Lou
20
Pitt
23
F
UAB
42
SoAl
10
F
MidTN
35
UTSA
37
F
Camp
21
App
52
F
GATec
20
Syr
37
F
FLInt
34
Lib
36
F
IASt
37
TCU
34
F
Tul
66
SMiss
24
F
UTEP
31
ULMon
6
F
Duke
20
UVA
38
F
TxSt
21
BC
24
F
HBU
38
LT
66
F
SFA
7
SMU
50
F
Kans
14
Bayl
47
F
Top quarterbacks clash as East Carolina hosts No. 14 UCF
Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:12 PM

UCF has had plenty of success lately, and quarterback Dillon Gabriel is a large part of the winning formula.

After a strong season-opening win at Georgia Tech, the sophomore signal-caller leads the No. 13 Knights (1-0) on the road again Saturday to Greenville, N.C., where the East Carolina Pirates will kick off their season with an American Athletic Conference clash.

Gabriel passed for a career-high 417 yards and four touchdowns in last weekend's 49-21 road win over the Yellow Jackets, who had been riding the momentum of a season-opening upset at Florida State.

"You saw what happened last week," chided Gabriel, whose previous best was 365 yards against ECU last year. "I guess you can say we're the best team in Florida."

UCF has won 36 of 40 contests since 2017, and the last 13 games with Gabriel at the helm have been stout. Last year the left-handed Hawaiian threw for a freshman-record 3,653 yards as the Knights went 10-3 and 6-2 in the AAC.

"From where he started a year ago, his comfort level and understanding how to play the game, when it's the right time ... He finished the season that way," UCF coach Josh Heupel said of Gabriel. "He started Week 1 further ahead than he ended last season."

The Orlando team, which lost three road games by a total of seven points last year, had a pair of injuries at important positions Saturday as top wide receiver Tre Nixon and running back Greg McCrae were hurt.

Replacing NFL receiver Gabriel Davis as the No. 1 wideout, Nixon was injured while hauling in his second TD pass, and senior rusher McCrae suffered a lower-leg injury.

Heupel offered no update Monday on Nixon, but receivers Marlon Williams and Jaylon Robinson stepped up big in place of Nixon after Georgia Tech cut it to 28-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Williams -- second with 51 receptions and third in receiving yards last year -- tallied a career-high in catches (10) and yards (154) and had two scores. Robinson, a transfer from Oklahoma, also set career marks with six catches and 105 yards.

True freshman defensive end Josh Celiscar forced a fumble and pounced on it on his first career play, and later added an interception. Linemate Noah Hancock blocked a field goal.

ECU struggled to a 4-8 mark overall (1-7 AAC) last season, and second-year coach Mike Houston will look to build upon a dynamic signal-caller in junior Holton Ahlers and an offense that sizzled at the end of 2019.

Already with one 300-yard passing game -- Ahlers produced 313 at UCF in last year's 41-28 loss last October -- he dissected Cincinnati's potent defense in a 535-yard, four-TD performance in November's first game and passed for 498 yards and six scores in a 59-51 loss at SMU a week later.

Ahlers completed 264 of 442 passes for 3,387 yards and 21 touchdowns. He connected on just 59.7 percent of his throws and had 10 interceptions but was also the second-leading rusher with 359 yards and six touchdowns.

Houston said his group is anxious to get that first big win -- and beating the Knights would fit the bill.

"You always remember that first signature win," said Houston, whose victories in 2019 were over Gardner-Webb, William & Mary, Old Dominion and Connecticut. "That first big win that validates what you're doing. It'll come. I don't know when it's going to come. I'd love for it to be (Saturday)."

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

UCF East Carolina
Standings
Rec
Away/Home
Streak
--%>