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UCF Football: Win or lose, it will be exciting with Gus Malzahn

By Chris Peterson

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 27: Dillon Gabriel #11 hands the ball off to Greg McCrae #30 of the UCF Knights during the second quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 27: Dillon Gabriel #11 hands the ball off to Greg McCrae #30 of the UCF Knights during the second quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

Schedule breakdown with predictions

Expectations got pretty high at Auburn and Malzahn was a victim of that, considering he never had a losing season with the Tigers.

Getting to a bowl game won’t count as a success for UCF football anymore, especially with Malzahn in charge. He will need to win 9-10 games next season and getting back into the top 25 at the end of the year would be a positive too.

Here’s a look ahead at the schedule for the Knights with game-by-game predictions.

  • Game 1: vs Boise State (W) — This is an intriguing Thursday night opener for both teams but the Knights win Malzahn’s debut.
  • Game 2: vs Bethune-Cook (W) — The second win of the season should feature even more fireworks than the first.
  • Game 3: at Louisville (W) — The final game before conference play will be a huge test but Malzahn and the Knights earn their best win yet on the road.
  • Game 4: at Navy (W) — The Gus Bus takes the American by storm in 2021 and it starts In early October with a win against the Midshipmen.
  • Game 5: vs East Carolina (W) — The Knights shouldn’t be looking ahead and even a little drop of focus shouldn’t be too costly.
  • Game 6: at Cincy (L) — The Knights are capable of winning this game but it’s a really big ask to win at the Bearcats this season.
  • Game 7: vs Memphis (W) — Memphis will score some points and is capable of winning this one, but Malzahn and Gabriel give UCF the edge.
  • Game 8: at Temple (L) — The Owls were 1-6 last season and despite Anthony Russo coming in to start at QB, UCF will win, even if its tight.
  • Game 9: vs Tulane (W) — There is a clear talent difference between UCF and Tulane, so the Knights improve to 8-1.
  • Game 10: at SMU (W) — Dillon Gabriel continues to put on a show and the defense keeps taking the ball away just enough.
  • Game 11: UConn (W) — The Huskies didn’t play last season and aren’t going to be able to hang with the Knights.
  • Game 12: USF (W) — Malzahn and company roll to an 11th win against a one-win South Florida club from 2020.

Record: Overall 11-1, Conference 7-1

An 11-win season would be a helluva debut for Gus Malzahn and with the talent on this roster, especially at quarteback, it’s totally feasible.

Next. Early top 25 projections for 2021. dark

And this result would mean a berth in the American championship game against Cincy which would be must-see TV and a great scenario for the conference.

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