1996 UCF Golden Knights football team

1996 UCF Golden Knights football
Conference Independent
1996 record 5–6
Head coach Gene McDowell (12th season)
Home stadium Citrus Bowl
1996 Division I-A independents football records
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 25 Army   –     10 –2  
Navy   –     9 –3  
No. 19 Notre Dame   –     9 –3  
East Carolina   –     8 –3  
Louisiana Tech   –     6 –5  
UAB   –     5 –6  
UCF   –     5 –6  
Southwestern Louisiana   –     5 –6  
Northeast Louisiana   –     5 –6  
Arkansas State   –     4 –7  
Northern Illinois   –     1 –10  
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1996 UCF Golden Knights football season was Gene McDowell's twelfth as the head coach of the Golden Knights. McDowell's 1996 team compiled a 5–6 overall record. The season marked UCF's first as a member of Division I-A, officially joining on September 1, 1996. At that time, the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions (III, II, I-AA and I-A).[1]

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper led the team to rank 16th in the nation in passing offense. The Golden Knights won their first game as a member of Division I-A, defeating William & Mary. UCF dropped 6 of their next 7 games, however, and finished with a record of 5–6.

Schedule

The Citrus Bowl, the Knights home field.
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
August 29 William & Mary Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FL W 39–33   18,013
September 7 at South Carolina Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC L 14–33   76,411
September 14 at New Mexico University Stadium • Albuquerque, NM L 7–17   18,317
September 21 at Ball State Ball State Stadium • Muncie, IN L 10–31   11,475
September 28 at East Carolina Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC L 7–28   34,121
October 12 Samford Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FL W 38–6   12,122
October 19 Northeast Louisiana Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FL L 38–39   16,293
October 26 at Georgia Tech Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA L 20–27   43,610
November 2 Illinois State Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FL W 42–15   17,639
November 9 at UAB Legion Field • Birmingham, AL W 35–13   12,500
November 16 Bowling Green Citrus Bowl • Orlando, FL W 27–19   14,112
All times are in Eastern Time.

Game summaries

  • October 26 – at Georgia Tech: UCF gives George O'Leary and Georgia Tech a scare, but five turnovers thwarted any chance of victory. Trailing 20-7 early in the fourth quarter, quarterback Daunte Culpepper was on the sidelines with an injured shoulder. Strong safety Donnell Washington grabbed a mid-air fumble and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown to trim the deficit to 20-13. After another Georgia Tech touchdown, UCF scored a touchdown with 40 seconds left in regulation to make the score 27-20. An onside kick attempt in the final minute failed, and the Golden Knights lost 27-20. Patrick Bradford got stiff armed to the ground hard and is still in recovery. [2]
  • November 9 – at UAB: Quarterback Daunte Culpepper has his best game of the season, completing 24 of 36 passes. He throws for 421 yards and three touchdown passes, as the Golden Knights win by the score of 35-13.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Daunte's World... Orlando's Biggest Attraction: Part 6 of 8 – The History of UCF Football". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. 2007-07-26. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  2. ↑ Five Turnovers Costly To Ucf - Georgia Tech Prevails By 7
  3. ↑ 2006 UCF Knights Football Media Guide
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