2000 UCF Golden Knights football team
The 2000 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Their head coach was Mike Kruczek, who was in his third season with the team. The 2000 season marked the Golden Knights fifth year since ascending to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996.
| 2000 UCF Golden Knights football | |
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| Conference | Independent |
| 2000 record | 7–4 |
| Head coach |
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| Defensive coordinator | Gene Chizik (3rd season) |
| Home stadium | Citrus Bowl (Capacity: 65,438) |
| 2000 NCAA Division I-A independents football records | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Notre Dame % | – | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | – | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | – | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connecticut | – | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | – | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Lafayette | – | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Monroe | – | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | – | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Season summary
Quarterback Vic Penn was sidelined after four games with a separated shoulder.[1] Redshirt freshman Ryan Schneider was elevated to starting quarterback, and won his first start, a 31-10 triumph over Eastern Michigan.
During the season, UCF recorded its biggest win in program history at the time, when the Golden Knights upset the Alabama Crimson Tide during their Homecoming 40–38 on a last-second field goal by Javier Beorlegui.[2] The victory was part of a mid-season streak where the Golden Knights won six out of seven games.
The season finale was a much-anticipated, nationally televised match-up hosting #8 Virginia Tech. Over 50,000 fans packed the Citrus Bowl, and Hokies quarterback Michael Vick sat out with an ankle injury. Mistakes ruled the day, as Ryan Schneider threw four interceptions, and the Hokies jumped out to a 30-7 halftime lead. Lee Suggs rushed for five touchdowns, as the Knights fell 44-21.[3]
Despite a strong 7-4 record, the Golden Knights were not selected for a bowl at the end of the season. The lack of a conference affiliation worked heavily against UCF's favor,[4] and rumors of a possible invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl never came to fruition.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | 7:00 pm | at Georgia Tech | L 17–21 | 40,993 | ||
| September 9 | 6:00 pm | Northwestern State | W 19–7 | 19,003 | ||
| September 16 | 7:00 pm | at Akron | L 24–35 | 12,964 | ||
| September 23 | 6:00 pm | William & Mary |
| W 52–7 | 23,164 | |
| September 30 | 1:00 pm | at Eastern Michigan | W 31–10 | 10,238 | ||
| October 7 | 2:00 pm | at Northern Illinois | L 20–40 | 18,148 | ||
| October 14 | 7:30 pm | Eastern Kentucky |
| W 34–3 | 18,908 | |
| October 21 | 4:00 pm | Louisiana–Monroe |
| W 55–0 | 25,093 | |
| October 28 | 3:00 pm | at Alabama | SUN | W 40–38 | 83,818 | |
| November 4 | 7:00 pm | at Louisiana Tech | W 20–16 | 12,532 | ||
| November 11 | 6:00 pm | No. 8 Virginia Tech |
| ESPN | L 21–44 | 50,220 |
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References
- Psst! Central Florida has a defense, too
- "UCF Football Flashback – Going on Krucz Control: Part 7 of 8 – The History of UCF Football". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. August 8, 2007. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- USA Today Virginia Tech vs. Central Florida
- Virginia Tech Will Be Ucf's Bowl Game