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UCF: 2021 Gasparilla Bowl Champions
TAMPA, Fla. -- — Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O'Keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.
UCF (9-4) took a 26-17 lead late in the third when Daniel Obarski made a 21-yard field goal and Mikey Keene threw a 54-yard scoring strike to O'Keefe in the span of about two minutes. Obarski then made it 29-17 on a 33-yarder with 2:41 to play.
"Yeah, we are the best in Florida," said O'Keefe, who also had 110 rushing yards. "We always thought that, but now we finally got to prove it."
Florida quarterback Emory Jones, playing in his final game with the Gators before entering the transfer portal, completed 14 of 36 passes for 171 yards. He also ran for 62 yards on 10 carries.
"Not thinking about my future right now," Jones said. "Will talk to my mom and family, and then made a decision."
Florida was led by interim coach Greg Knox, who took over when Dan Mullen was fired before the regular-season finale against Florida State. Former Louisiana coach Billy Napier will take over for the 2022 season. Florida (6-7) finished with its first losing record since 2017.
The Gators had eight penalties for 85 yards.
"You can't make the mistakes we made and expect to win," Knox said. "I think our guys played hard, just was not able to overcome the mistakes we made."
UCF outgained Florida 436-376.
"We beat 'em handily," UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. "The best is yet to come. We're fighting against the three big in-state schools. A lot of them, the logos are really cool, but I really believe we're the program of the future."
It was the first time the time the two teams played since Florida won 42-0 during its 2006 national championship season. The Gators also won 58-27 in 1999.
Florida led 10-9 at halftime behind Chris Howard's 26-yard field goal with 1:36 left in the second quarter.
O'Keefe had a 74-yard run in third quarter, setting up Bowser's TD run from 4 yards out to put UCF up 16-10. Florida regained the lead, 17-16, on its next possession when Malik Davis had a 19-yard rushing TD. But UCF ended up scoring again in the quarter, taking the lead for good.
Keene replaced starting QB Dillon Gabriel, who broke his left collarbone against Louisville in September. The true freshman went 14 of 22 for 144 yards on Thursday.
The announced crowd at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was a Gasparilla Bowl record of 63,669.
SCARY MOMENT
Florida wide receiver Justin Shorter was taken off the field on a cart after a hard hit late in the fourth quarter. His neck was immobilized by medical personnel on the field. Knox had no update postgame.
A TRIBUTE
UCF brought a No. 2 uniform onto the field before the game to honor former Knights running back Otis Anderson Jr., who died last month at the age of 23.
"Otis was like a big brother to me and when he passed away, it hit me hard," O'Keefe said. "I saw his jersey in the locker room and I decided I was going to play for him."
STRANGE STOPPAGE
The game was briefly delayed in the first quarter when Florida linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper lost his helmet. It got caught in the facemask of UCF guard Cole Schneider, and it took a couple of minutes to separate the two helmets. Later, Hopper was ejected in the third quarter after throwing a punch.
PUSH AND SHOVE
After the game ended, the teams were involved in a scrum that featured pushing and shoving near midfield.
Miami (OH): 2021 Frisco Football Classic Champions
Miami held North Texas scoreless in the second half and posted a convincing 27-14 win in the Frisco Football Classic presented by Ryan Thursday afternoon.
Despite missing key starters Sterling Weatherford and Matthew Salopek, the RedHawks (7-6) used a stingy defense to hold the Mean Green (6-7) to 89 rushing yards, well off their average of 246.
Brett Gabbert, the game's Most Outstanding Offensive Player, threw two touchdowns and completed 22 of 31 passes for 228 yards, with more than half of those yards going to Jack Sorenson. Sorenson pulled in seven catches for 116 yards, becoming the fourth Miami player all-time to accumulate at least 3,000 career receiving yards. Kenny Tracy had a career-high 92 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Red and White.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Miami struck first, with Graham Nicholson converting a 48-yd field goal less than three minutes into the game to put the RedHawks on top 3-0.
North Texas responded with a touchdown drive, but the Red and White marched right back down the field to re-take the lead on Tracy's eight-yard scoring run. Miami led 10-7 after one quarter of play.
After UNT punched in another short touchdown run, Nicholson pulled the RedHawks within a point (14-13) on a 36-yard field goal with 6:52 to play in the half.
The next two Mean Green possessions ended with interceptions by Miami freshman defensive backs; John Saunders Jr. had the first takeaway, returning it for 31 yards, and Jacquez Warren followed that up with a pick in the end zone to kill a North Texas drive.
Miami converted the first UNT turnover into a go-ahead score, as Gabbert found Kevin Davis on a five-yard touchdown pass in the right flat to take advantage of the short field. In all, the RedHawks scored four times on their first five drives en route to a 20-14 halftime lead.
Miami came out of the locker room strong, marching 75 yards on eight plays. Nate Muersch finished the drive with an 11-yard highlight-reel scoring grab, a play that was upheld after video review.
The RedHawk defense was dominant in the final 30 minutes, forcing a trio of three-and-outs and then rallying with a goal-line stand to force a turnover on downs with 9:18 to play.
Miami finished the game with a 15-play drive, including 14 rushes, with three consecutive kneel-downs in the red zone putting the finishing touches on a 27-14 victory.
NOTES
Sorenson finished with 3,070 career receiving yards, joining Ryne Robinson, Nick Harwell and Martin Nance in the 3,000-yard club.
Warren, who was named the game's Most Outstanding Defensive Player, recorded his first career interception.
Gabbert finished the year with 2,646 passing yards (the ninth-best season in school history) and 26 touchdown throws (third-best in program history).
Dominic Nardone made a career-high seven tackles in his first career start at linebacker.
Jeremiah Batiste recorded his first career reception, a five-yard catch in the second quarter.
Sorenson had at least 110 receiving yards for the seventh time in the last eight games.
Rhett Williams had a career-best two catches for 24 yards.
Nicholson's 48-yard kick was the longest ever for Miami in a bowl game.
Ivan Pace Jr. made a team-high nine tackles for the RedHawks.
The RedHawks finished with a winning record for a third consecutive season and won their first bowl game since the GoDaddy Bowl to end the 2010 season.
UP NEXT:
Miami is scheduled to open the 2022 season at Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 3.
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