How to Watch UCF's Season-Opener vs. Jacksonville State
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Venue: Acrisure Bounce House (Orlando, FL)
Kickoff: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN+ (Play-by-Play: AJ Ricketts, Analyst: Rene Ingoglia)
Radio (English): FM 96.9 FM / AM 740 (Play-by-Play: Marc Daniels, Analyst: Gary Parris, Sideline: Scott Adams)
Radio (Spanish): UCF Knights YouTube Channel (Play-by-Play: Carlos Bohorquez, Analyst: Segio Ruiz Torres)
Live Twitter/X Updates: @itsBrysonTurner
Weather Forecast: 86 degrees with 60% chance of rain during tailgates (Thunderstorms and showers expected in the vicinity around kickoff time)
Odds: UCF is favored by 20.5 points.
Series History: This marks the first meeting between these programs.
Quick Facts:
1. First Frost 2
Thursday night marks Frost's first game as UCF's coach since the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Day 2018.
2. Both squads start the season with new head coaches
Three decades after Jacksonville State gave him his first job on a college staff, Charles Kelly returns to the Gamecocks for his head coaching debut on Thursday.
3. New signal callers
Both teams begin their season with new quarterbacks.
The Knights are led by Florida Atlantic transfer Cam Fancher, who was chosen from three quarterbacks battling it out for the starting job, the others being Jacurri Brown and Tayven Jackson. Fancher completed 126 passes for 1,528 yards and six touchdowns with the Owls last season, along with 99 carries for 365 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
The Gamecocks have Kentucky transfer Gavin Wimsatt. Despite being a backup, he still played in eight games last season, completing 16 of 39 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw four interceptions.
Scott Frost Sheds Light on UCF's Captain Situation On Weekly Radio Show
Throughout fall camp, UCF Knights coach Scott Frost spoke of the team's depth at quarterback or defensive back.
As it turns out, as Frost explained on his first episode of "Knight Talk" on 96.9 The Game with Marc Daniels Tuesday night, the same can be applied to Knights' leaders as well. So, just like Cam Fancher might not be the only quarterback UCF utilizes this season, the same can be said for the combination of team captains.
"We picked four captains for this game," Frost said. "I think we're going to rotate captains, because we have a lot of guys deserving, but Myles [Montgomery] and Paul [Rubelt] and Malachi [Lawrence] and Kelli Lawson will represent us this week."
During Frost's weekly press conference on Monday, he called Montgomery the "clear leader" of the Knights' offense, like having another coach on the field.
"I love the role, and I mean, I embrace it," Montgomery said on Monday. "I love it. It's what I've worked for. It's what I asked for. So I can't complain about it."
The quartet of Game One captains represents a mix of experience with UCF. Rubelt and Lawrence spent their entire collegiate careers in Orlando. Montgomery arrived from the transfer portal before last season, now in his second year as a Knight, while Lawson joined the team just this past offseason.
Frost even included defensive end Nyjalik Kelly, who is not one of Thursday's captains, as part of the team's leadership as well. So, regardless of how long a player was in Orlando, or even how many captain slots were available, Frost was going to find a way to let the team's leaders lead one way or another.
"There's certain guys that I think have innate traits to be leaders, but that needs to be developed," Frost said. "It's also important for a coach to empower those leaders and give them responsibilities and authority over other things, because if you don't empower the guys and put them in those positions, it's hard for guys to step forward, particularly when they don't know everybody. So, it's been a process for us."
The Knights kick off this season on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Jacksonville State.
Catch up on more UCF News below:
UCF's Scott Frost Reveals Only Regret About Fall Camp
Eight Things To Know About Jacksonville State
UCF Defensive Back Gives The Skinny On Quarterback Cam Fancher
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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