Colleges

Around the state

By Times wires
Published September 23, 2007

UCF rebounds with rout of Memphis

ORLANDO - Kevin Smith ran for three of Central Florida's school-record seven touchdowns then took most of the second half off in a 56-20 victory against Memphis.

The Knights won a week after putting a scare into No. 6 Texas before losing 35-32 at home.

"I think the kids took last week's game and moved on to the next game, and that was Memphis," coach George O'Leary said. "They attacked this game."

The Knights used two quarterbacks with equally good results. Backup Michael Greco, a 6-foot-3 junior college transfer taking his first snaps for UCF, was 11-of-12 for 151 yards and ran 10 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Kyle Israel was 6-for-9 for 137 yards and a touchdown, a 72-yarder to Kamar Aiken that put UCF (2-1, 1-0 Conference USA) up 49-0 early in the third.

Israel led the Knights to two first-quarter scoring drives, the second lasting more than nine minutes. Greco, a mobile threat, was even more effective, running it up to 42-0 at halftime. The Knights held Memphis (1-2, 0-1) to 57 total yards in the first half.

"That was one of the best first halves I have seen in UCF history," defensive end Leger Douzable said. "With the team that we have, I think we can do that every week."

Smith, the nation's leading rusher averaging 183 yards, finished with 124 on 22 carries. He had 51 on four carries on UCF's first drive, scampering 3 yards for a score. On the next series, he failed to score despite four chances inside the 7. But Israel punched it in on fourth down for a 14-0 lead.

"Great win as far as first conference game," O'Leary said. "We just continue to grow from this, get corrections made and move from there."

Norfolk St. 38, Bethune-Cookman 31: Daryl Jones ran for four touchdowns, the last from a yard out with 36 seconds left, for the host Spartans. Jones' 1-yard score with 3:32 left and Casey Hansen's two-point conversion pass to Jamar Johnson tied the score. Terrell Whitehead then intercepted Jimmie Russell and returned it 36 yards to the Wildcats 7. Four plays later, Jones scored.

Jacksonville 55, UNC-Pembroke 10: Rudell Small tied a school record by rushing for five touchdowns for the host Dolphins. The freshman, who gained 112 yards on 19 carries, scored from 3, 2, 27, 4 and 8 yards. The 45-point margin of victory set a school record, one more than 58-14 over LaSalle in 1998 (the program's first season) in which Greg Portee scored five touchdowns.

[Last modified September 23, 2007, 00:40:15]