From famuathletics :
ORLANDO, Fla. | The Florida A&M University football team could not slow down the high-powered offense of 17th-ranked Central Florida as the Knights cruised to a 62-0 victory in the 2019 season opener on Thursday night at Spectrum Stadium.
The Rattlers (0-1) elected to receive off the opening kickoff, but Florida A&M went three-and-out and were forced to punt the football.
Central Florida (1-0) immediately went to work on its opening drive. The Knights went 80 yards, in just five plays, and used 1:04 off the clock as Brandon Wimbush connected with Gabriel Davis for a 37-yard touchdown to give UCF an early 7-0 advantage with 13:33 remaining in first quarter.
With the Rattlers unable to move the football, UCF went 71 yards, on 12 plays, as Dylan Barnas booted a 42-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0 with 5:36 left.
The Knights added to lead with 2:22 remaining in the first as Dillon Gabriel connected with Otis Anderson for a 24-yard scoring strike to give UCF a 17-0 advantage.
A Barnas 23-yard field with 13:14 remaining in the second quarter capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive to push the margin to 20-0.
The Knights continued to add to the lead as Wimbush threw his second score of the night, a 12-yard touchdown, to Davis to extend the advantage to 27-0 with 10:16 left in the first half.
A Greg McCrae 25-yard touchdown run extended the UCF lead to 34-0 with 8:02 left and capped the explosive first half with touchdowns by Tre Dixon and Adrian Killins, Jr. to extend the lead to 48-0 at the break.
Central Florida added one touchdown in the third quarter and one in the fourth for the 62-0 victory.
Turning Point
The Rattlers got the ball to begin the game, but used just 12 seconds off the clock on three straight pass plays.
After a Chris Faddoul punt, the Knights marched 80 yards in five plays as Gabriel Davis caught a 37-yard pass from Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush. That scoring strike gave UCF a quick 7-0 lead, just 1:27 into the game.
Central Florida added a 42-yard field goal from Dylan Barnas and a 24-yard touchdown reception from Dillon Gabriel to Otis Anderson to extend the advantage to 17-0 with 2:22 left in the opening quarter.
Florida A&M could not recover from the early deficit.
Inside the Numbers
> Florida A&M finished with eight first downs and 96 total yards of offense
> Xavier Smith paced the rushing game with 10 yards on one carry
> Ryan Stanley went 7-for-24 passing for 52 yards
> Rasean McKay was 7 of 12 passing for 40 yards
> Xavier Smith had five receptions for 10 yards
> David Manigo added two catches for a team-high 26 yards
> Terry Jefferson registered a team-high nine tackles, including seven solo stops
> Demetrius Powell and Markquese Bell each recorded eight tackles
> Chris Faddoul finished with 11 punts for 533 yards, averaging 48.5 yards per punt, with four inside the 20-yard line
> Central Florida tallied 42 first downs and 694 total yards
> Adrian Killins, Jr. led the Knights with 106 yards on 14 carries, with one score
> Brandon Wimbush was 12 of 23 passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns
> Dillon Gabriel completed 9 of 13 passes for 127 yards and three scores
> Tre Nixon paced 11 wide receivers with six catches for 61 yards and one touchdown
> Gabriel Davis tallied three catches for 68 yards and two scores
> Aaron Robinson and Nate Evans each recorded five tackles for UCF
News & Notes
> This was just the second time UCF and Florida A&M had met
>With the UCF victory, the Knights have evened the series at 1
> The game was broadcasted live on the CBS Sports Network
> Ryan Stanley entered the game needing 550 yards to move into fourth place on the all-time career passing mark in FAMU history
> Chris Faddoul, who ranked tops among punters in the NCAA Division I – FCS last season, had 11 punts against UCF
> Florida A&M was seeking back-to-back season opening victories
> UCF extended its streak of scoring 30-or-more points to a nation’s best 27 straight games
> The Knights have not dropped a regular season game since 2016 season (48-31 loss to South Florida)
> UCF, which entered the game ranked No. 17, has now won 23 straight regular season game, 26 out of its last 27 games and extended its home win streak to 16 consecutive games
> Brandon Wimbush started at quarterback for UCF. Last season played quarterback at Notre Dame and transferred to Central Florida after completion of the 2018 season
> The 48 first-half points was the third-largest surrendered by the Rattlers in a half in school history. The school record was 55 against Ohio State in 2013 (South Florida scored 49 in 2011)
Up Next
Florida A&M will have two weeks to prepare for its next game as the Rattlers will have their 2019 home opener against Fort Valley State in the Third Annual Jake Gaither Classic on Sept. 14 at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
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