University of Cincinnati football head coach Luke Fickell said he can't forget what happened when the Bearcats faced UCF five seasons ago.
In 2017, Fickell's first season at the helm of the Cincinnati program, the Knights came into Nippert Stadium and put a 51-23 beatdown on the Bearcats in a game that was ultimately called with four seconds to play in the third quarter due to lightning and heavy rain.
"You can't forget those guys who were here, and what that looked like that night and how far we had to come," Fickell said.
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UC fifth-year senior quarterback Desmond Ridder was just a freshman planted behind then-starter Hayden Moore, but Ridder said he also still vividly remembers the night of Oct. 7, 2017.
"That game did not go so well," he said. "... So there's still a lot of bad blood and a lot of bad taste in our mouths, especially when we think about going down there, playing on 'College GameDay.' Talk about big-time games and a big-time atmosphere."
The Knights routed Cincinnati again, 38-13, on Nov. 17, 2018, to extend the nation's then-longest winning streak to 23 games in front of the loudest crowd Ridder said he has ever experienced.
"That not only set myself up for the future, but just being able to lead everyone else on the team to know that there's going to be tough environments, tough situations that we're going to play in, but to stay calm and stay under control is the biggest thing in those moments," Ridder said.
The No. 3/4-ranked (Associated Press/USA Today Coaches polls) Bearcats (5-0, 1-0 American Athletic Conference) have since won two straight against UCF and will look to make it three when they host the Knights on Saturday at Nippert Stadium (noon on ABC).
Our First Look at the UCF Knights
RECORD: UCF is 3-2 (1-1 AAC) this season. The Knights avoided a three-game losing streak with a 20-16 win last week against AAC foe East Carolina (3-3, 1-1 AAC). UCF also has wins against Boise State (3-3) and HBCU Bethune Cookman (0-6).
The Knights' two losses came at Louisville (3-3) and at Navy (1-4, 1-2 AAC).
HEAD COACH: After being fired after eight seasons at Auburn, Gus Malzahn took over the UCF program in February. Malzahn, who had the largest buyout ($21.45 million) of any fired coach in college football history, went 68-35 with the Tigers, including a 2-5 mark in bowl games.
Malzahn was named SEC Coach of the Year and won nearly every national Coach of the Year award in 2013 en route to leading Auburn to the 2014 BCS National Championship Game. Malzahn and the Tigers lost to Florida State, 34-31.
"He's been through it. It's not his first rodeo. He's done this a long time," Fickell said of Malzahn.
The 55-year-old Irving, Texas, native was Auburn's offensive coordinator when the Tigers, led by Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton at quarterback, achieved an undefeated regular season, a No. 1 national ranking and defeated Oregon in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.
KEY PLAYERS: The Knights have not been the same team offensively without all-conference quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel, who threw for 3,570 yards, 32 touchdowns and four interceptions as a sophomore in 2020, is out indefinitely after suffering a broken left clavicle in UCF's 42-35 loss to Louisville on Sept. 17.
"Offensively, they've had to adapt and adjust obviously with a new quarterback, but I don't think they've changed who they are," Fickell said. "Defensively, in my mind, they're a much more sound team than they were the last couple years. With the players that they've got, it makes them really difficult."
Freshman Mikey Keene has stepped in for Gabriel and completed 43 of his 68 pass attempts for 427 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Senior wide receiver Brandon Johnson has a team-high five touchdowns this season.
Defensively, the Knights look much different under Malzahn. Defensive lineman Big Kat Bryant, who ventured over from Auburn with Malzahn, recorded his first sack with UCF and the 10th of his career last week in the Knights' 20-16 win against ECU.
Sophomore linebacker Tatum Bethune was named AAC Defensive Player of the Week after racking up a career-high 17 tackles (11 solo) against the Pirates.
Senior linebacker Bryson Armstrong leads the team with 45 tackles (24 solo).
SERIES HISTORY: Cincinnati and UCF have met six times since first meeting in the 2015 season. Each team has won three times, with the Bearcats owning a 2-1 advantage at Cincinnati.
FUN FACT: The Bearcats own the second-longest home winning streak in the nation at 23 games. Clemson's 31-game home winning streak is the nation's longest.
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