St. Petersburg Bowl
Central Florida (8-4) vs. Rutgers (8-4), 8 p.m.
Line: Rutgers by 1.
Series Record: First meeting.
What’s At Stake
Central Florida is in a bowl game for the third time, with all the appearances coming in the past five seasons under coach George O’Leary. The Knights, who’ve won five of six following a 3-3 start, are looking for their first victory. Rutgers is in a bowl for a school-record fifth consecutive season and has won the past three postseason outings under coach Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights are trying to win at least nine games in a season for just the sixth time in 140 years.
Key Matchup
Defense sets the tone for both teams. Central Florida led Conference USA in rushing, scoring and total defense. Offensively, UCF features 1,000-yard rusher Brynn Harvey and has averaged 381.6 yards per game over the past eight games. Rutgers leads the nation in turnover differential, forcing 32 in 12 games. Scarlet Knights QB Tom Savage is 7-3 as a starter and has thrown for more yards (1,917) and touchdowns (12) than any true freshman in Big East history.
Players to Watch
Central Florida: Harvey has five 100-yard games and has rushed for at least 129 in the past three. QB Brett Hodges has thrown for 2,263 yards, 15 TDs and 11 interceptions. A.J. Guyton is the leading receiver with 42 receptions for 559 yards and one TD.
Rutgers: While Savage has had some success throwing the ball, the Scarlet Knights ask him to be more of a manager of the game at this point of his career. WR Tim Brown has 51 catches for 1,051 yards and eight TDs. Freshman WR Mohamed Sanu has had impact in the passing and running games, thanks to the wildcat formation. He has 47 catches for 542 yards and two TDs and 49 rushes for 305 yards and three TDs. Joe Martinek is the leading rusher with 923 yards and nine TDs.
Figures
UCF’s only loss in its past six games was at second-ranked Texas. … South Florida beat Memphis in the inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl a year ago. … Tropicana Field is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. … Rutgers has 11 players on its roster from Florida, including four starters. … Rutgers is one of nine BCS conference teams that has won bowl games each of the past three seasons.
Add A Comment