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Paybacks are swell for Knights

© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 6, 2001

Finally, this is what Central Florida has waited six years for.

A disrespectful, trash-talking opponent. An emotionally charged game. Revenge waiting to be exacted for past embarrassments.

In the past six seasons, UCF has been able to put a competitive and talented product on the field. But without a conference affiliation the program seemed to lack the emotional, intangible spark that comes from playing a yearly rival.

That all changed in the Golden Knights' 57-17 win over their future Mid-American Conference foe, Akron, in front of 15,779 at the Citrus Bowl.

"I think the message was sent to the MAC Conference," UCF coach Mike Kruczek told the Orlando Sentinel.

It was as if Akron had penned the perfect script for UCF's entrance into the MAC in 2002. Zips coach Lee Owens bragged to the Cleveland papers before the game that Akron would welcome the Knights to the MAC "with brass knuckles." Before the game, Zips players performed some R-rated dances on the Knights logo at midfield.

The result? A 50-3 halftime lead for UCF.

"We can't put up with that," defensive tackle Josh McKibben told the Sentinel. "We honor this field, and we don't put up with stuff like that. This is our home."

Luther Higgins ran the opening kickoff back 80 yards, setting up Alex Haynes' 15-yard touchdown run. After UCF recovered an Akron fumble, Tavirus Davis caught a 12-yard pass from Ryan Schneider. Akron botched a 35-yard field goal. Then Haynes scored on a 1-yard run. It was 21-3 after the first quarter, then it got worse.

"It was nasty," linebacker Willie Davis told the Sentinel, "and we gave them a whipping."

Last season's 35-24 loss to Akron surely had something to do with the wave of emotion UCF rode. That little dance routine before the game did, too.

"That was a mistake!" Kruczek reportedly yelled to a sideline radio reporter at the half. "They desecrated our logo. We're not calling the dogs off in the second half."

Sometimes, though, emotions can get the better of a team, which leads to UCF's 14 penalties for 145 yards.

"What better way to start in the MAC?" Kruczek told the Sentinel. "I'm apologetic about the personal fouls, but it seems like when these kids play emotional football, these things happen."

SLIPPING: That's what's happening to Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman's postseason dreams.

FAMU lost Saturday 17-14 in overtime to non-conference rival Southern in front of 17,123 at Bragg Stadium. B-CC lost 44-41 to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Hampton at Municipal Stadium.

B-CC is out of the MEAC race with back-to-back conference losses. The Wildcats botched a punt and a lateral and fumbled at their 3-yard line with 26 seconds left to end any playoff hopes. Coach Alvin Wyatt said his team still was smarting from its 16-14 loss to MEAC frontrunner North Carolina A&T on Oct. 27.

"We played two teams," Wyatt told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. "We were still playing A&T today, too. We were not mentally ready to play. That was not our football team today. We had a total breakdown: offense, defense and special teams. And still we had an opportunity to win the football game."

The Rattlers also have no hope of earning an at-large Division I-AA playoff berth, yet the Rattlers are somehow still in the MEAC race, which they must win to get into the postseason.

A&T must lose to either Hampton, South Carolina State or Delaware State to let FAMU slip back into the race. FAMU must do its part by beating B-CC in the Nov. 17 Florida Classic in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in the report.

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