TAMPA — It’s been a season of peaks and valleys for UCF in its first season in the Big 12.
The Knights experienced one of those low points Friday night after quarterback Haynes King fueled a Georgia Tech rally for a 30-17 win in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Friday at Raymond James Stadium.
UCF jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first quarter as quarterback John Rhys Plumlee found receiver Javon Baker for a 23-yard touchdown 75 seconds into the game. Plumlee found Kobe Hudson open in the end zone on the following drive for a 17-yard score and a 14-0 lead.
But the Yellow Jackets (7-6, 5-3 ACC) found their rhythm in the second quarter as King directed them on three straight scoring drives highlighted by a 5-yard keeper to start the scoring. He added a 41-yard touchdown pass to Malik Rutherford with under a minute in the first half.
Georgia Tech scored 27 unanswered points on its way to its first winning season since 2016.
The loss hands UCF (6-7, 3-6 Big 12) its first losing season since 2016. It also snapped a 5-game winning streak for the program in Tampa dating to 2018.
Baker, who announced before the game that he was returning next season, finished with 9 catches for a bowl-record 173 yards.
Standouts
UCF
John Rhys Plumlee: The fifth-year quarterback completed his first 9 passes, highlighted by a pair of touchdowns to Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson in the first quarter. But Plumlee struggled the rest of the way, completing just 6 of 16 passes and finishing with 198 passing yards. He added 31 yards rushing.
RJ Harvey: The redshirt senior running back had his seventh 100-yard rushing performance of the season by totaling 120 yards.
Decorian Patterson: The redshirt senior cornerback had 7 tackles after starting in place of Corey Thornton, who transferred to Louisville earlier in the week.
GEORGIA TECH
Haynes King:…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ucf-t-overcome-surging-georgia-031500637.html
Author : Orlando Sentinel
Publish date : 2023-12-23 03:15:00
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