UCF Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. South Florida in Week 13

Here’s the Week 13 preview and prediction for Friday’s War on I-4 matchup between UCF football and the South Florida football.

Do you think Florida/Florida State is the biggest in-state rivalry game this weekend? Guess again because it’s UCF vs. South Florida. These two AP Top 25 rivals will face off to determine who wins the American Athletic Conference East Division. The winner will move on to play a Top 25 Memphis team for the conference championship on December 2nd.

In it’s short history, South Florida leads the War on I-4 with a 6-2 record. There has been no shortage of dramatic finishes including a 31-24 overtime win by South Florida in 2008 and a 23-20 win by UCF after a last minute interception in 2013. Some great games have been played between these schools and I am sure Friday will be no different.

South Florida has an impressive 9-1 record but they’ve struggled to dominate consistently against a very weak schedule. With a combined FBS opponent record of 30-69, the Bulls have yet to defeat a team with a winning record this year. The College Football Playoff Committee showed how they feel about South Florida’s schedule, leaving them out of their top 25.

The Knights, sitting at 10-0, have an FBS opponent record of 45-51 including handing Memphis their only loss of the season and snapping Navy’s 17-game home win streak. Despite their perfect record, the playoff committee has refused to rank them higher than No. 15.

Here’s how you can watch the War on I-4:

Date: Friday, Nov. 24
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Venue: Spectrum Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

If UCF is going to come away with a win against the South Florida Bulls, the Knights are going to have to neutralize the big play threat that is Quinton Flowers. Flowers hasn’t been as effective in the passing game completing only 53.5 percent of his passes but he has the ability to burn you with his legs. The Bulls quarterback has already rushed for 870 yards and nine touchdowns.

With a rushing attack that’s going to wear down the Knights front-seven, UCF is going to have to force turnovers to keep that defense off the field. UCF was able to force five turnovers last week against Temple in what might have been the best defensive performance of the season. Setting the offense up with good field position will give UCF a major advantage.

Betting Odds

All odds via SportsBook Review

Point Spread: UCF -10
Over/Under: 63

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round after Week 12

Prediction

South Florida hasn’t matched up with an opponent as talented as UCF. I think this will be a rude awakening for the Bulls as their defense gets torn apart by the highest scoring offense in the nation. There’s no doubt that South Florida’s playmakers are going to put points on the board, I just think UCF’s high-powered offense is going to win this game for them.

Final Score: UCF 55, South Florida 35