UCF Defeats Florida In Gasparilla Bowl

The UCF Knights (9-4) defeated the Florida Gators (6-7) 29-17 on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Isaiah Bowser set the pace for UCF, rushing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Mikey Keene went 14-for-22 with 144 yards and a touchdown at quarterback - Ryan O'Keefe was his favorite target, pulling in seven grabs for 85 yards and a touchdown.

The game was back and forth through the first half and into the third quarter. After UCF took a 19-17 lead on a field goal with 3:04 to go in the third quarter, they took control of the game when Keene hit O'Keefe for a 54-yard touchdown to give the Knights a 26-17 lead. UCF added a field goal late to clinch the 29-17 win.

Emory Jones was playing his last game at quarterback for Florida before entering the transfer portal. He went 14-for-36 with 171 yards, and ran for another 62 yards on 10 carries. The Gators were led by interim coach Greg Knox, who took over when Dan Mullen was fired before the end of the regular season. The loss gave the Gators their first losing season since 2017.

The announced crowd at Raymond James Stadium between in-state rivals was 63,669.

PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES


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