UCF football held on to remain undefeated in a tense road win at Navy. Here are three takeaways from the victory over the Midshipmen on Saturday.
Two teams with dreams of an American Athletic Conference title met in Annapolis as Navy hosted No. 20 UCF on Saturday afternoon. The interdivisional battle offered a chance for both teams to separate themselves in the conference race.
It proved to be an entertaining battle between two well-matched opponents. Navy kept things close at home, matching Knights scores with touchdowns of their own. The game went right down to the wire, as the Midshipmen kept within reach of the visitors.
That set things up for a wild fourth quarter as Navy continued to chip away and try to pull back the gap. Ultimately, UCF was able to keep ahead of the hard-charging Midshipmen on Saturday afternoon. The Knights stayed undefeated with a 31-21 victory in the tense contest, thanks to two touchdowns by Adrian Killins Jr. and nearly 500 total yards by the UCF offense.
Navy probably fell out of the AAC race this year after taking its second conference defeat before November. What else can we take away about these two teams after their showdown? Here are three takeaways from UCF’s big win on Saturday afternoon in Annapolis.
1. McKenzie Milton is among the best quarterbacks in the FBS
McKenzie Milton has not been perfect this year for UCF, but he has been the perfect leader for Scott Frost‘s offense. The sophomore from Hawaii is completing over 70 percent of his passes at this point of the season after another efficient effort against the Midshipmen.
The underclassman hasn’t posted absurd raw numbers this year, but he has shown a preternatural ability to read defenses and get the ball in the right place. Entering the game against Navy, Milton was one of just two FBS quarterbacks with a passer efficiency rating over 200 points. In that regard, he ranks second nationally behind only Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.
Against the Midshipmen, Milton finished with 233 yards and a score on 15-of-23 passing. He added another 47 yards on 11 carries, showing off his ability to beat teams with both his arm and his legs. That dual-threat ability has kept defenses honest, opening things up all around for the Knights when they have the ball.
In the end, the win over Navy only confirms further that Milton is among the best quarterbacks in the country. He will never put up yardage numbers like Mayfield or other passers like Josh Rosen or Luke Falk, but Milton has been instrumental in keeping UCF undefeated more than halfway through the regular season.
2. The Navy offense continues to be Zach Abey‘s one-man show
Navy’s triple-option offense always requires strong play from the quarterback position. This year, Zach Abey has been solid in the role. He had Navy in position to pull off the monumental upset, at least until a blow in the third quarter knocked Abey out of the game. He was taken to the locker room with what looked like a head injury, and it ended any hope of the upset bid.
Once he left the field it changed the entire complexion of the Navy offense. Before leaving the game, Abey had amassed 126 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries to lead all Midshipmen rushers. He added 115 passing yards, with a touchdown and an interception, as he completed two of his four attempts in the air.
Even given the fact that Abey was forced to leave the game, he still accounted for more than half of Navy’s rushing yards and 60 percent of their total offense. Backup quarterback Garrett Lewis was far less dynamic running the Midshipmen offense, as he completed only three of his nine passing attempts and threw a costly interception.
Navy probably has little shot of winning the American Athletic Conference after this home loss regardless of who starts at quarterback. But if Abey is forced to miss any amount of time, the Midshipmen will also struggle to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy this year.
3. UCF challenging South Florida for title of best team in the AAC East
As it advanced to 6-0 on the season, UCF did so with yet another double-digit victory. The 10-point win over the Midshipmen was actually the lowest margin of victory for the Knights in a season when they have dominated opponents left and right. Despite seeing one of its non-conference games canceled by Hurricane Irma, UCF is in the hunt for a Group of Five berth.
That is in large part because UCF continues to position itself as a formidable threat to South Florida in the AAC East race. The Knights have five games left to get through, and the division will likely come down to the home game against the Bulls on Black Friday in late November. The winner of that game is probably going to end the regular season undefeated and set up to host the AAC championship game.
The last hurdles in the way for Scott Frost’s team before that rivalry game include FCS Austin Peay, road games against SMU and Temple, and a home date against Connecticut in the Civil COnFLict “rivalry” game.
Next: 2017 Top 50 players in college football
Right now, only one team looks capable of challenging UCF this season. The state of Florida seems destined to own the AAC East this year, and through six games the Knights look like the better of the two contenders.