UCF Football: 3 reasons the Knights will upset No. 22 Oklahoma State

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Oct 28, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights running back Johnny Richardson (0) carries the ball during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports /

1. The ground game

Malzahn teams are always elite in at least one category: the running game. That is once again the case in 2023, with UCF ranked fourth in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 227 yards per game on the year.

John Rhys Plumlee has improved each week since his return from injury. He was ineffective against Oklahoma, but gained 45 yards against West Virginia and 53 against Cincinnati, averaging 4.7 yards per carry in those two games.

Of course, he’ll run the option with the ever-reliable tailback duo of RJ Harvey and Johnny Richardson, who have combined for 1,372 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, and ten touchdowns in 2023.

On Saturday, UCF will play host to an Oklahoma State rush defense that ranks just 95th in the nation, allowing 168 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry.

When a Malzahn team is able to control the ground game, and when Plumlee isn’t forced to throw the ball too much, this offense operates at an extremely high level. All signs point to one of those days against the Cowboys.

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