Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 1

Note: We define the 21st Century as Jan. 1, 2001, to the time of this series' publication.

No. 1: "DO YOU BELIEVE IT?!" (South Florida, 2017)

The War on I-4 has always been a special game, and for one night in 2017, it became the object of the entire college football world's attention.

It was the first time in the game's history that both teams entered it ranked. The undefeated UCF Knights were at No. 12 while South Florida was No. 19.

The Knights seemingly had control early, getting out to a 21-7 lead after a quarter, but Bulls quarterback Quinton Flowers had other plans. Flowers went on to post 605 yards of total offense, the most total yards by an opposing player in a game in UCF history. He completed 24 passes for 503 yards and four touchdowns, and ran 20 times for 102 yards and a touchdown. For reference, the Bulls' leading running back, future NFLer D'Ernest Johnson, ran for 30 yards on 11 carries.

As for the Knights, quarterback McKenzie Milton, who put up 373 passing yards on 29 completions and four touchdowns, was spreading the ball around. Six different UCF players finished with over 40 receiving yards, and none of them were the team's leader in receptions, running back Adrian Killins.

On the ground, Killins led the way with 82 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Milton also put up a rushing touchdown of his own while carrying the ball 11 times for 56 yards.

By the halftime break, the Bulls were back within striking distance, only down a point due to a missed PAT. A third-quarter interception even helped them get quick back-to-back touchdowns to gain a quick lead, but a 45-yard touchdown catch by Dredrick Snelson put the Knights back up one early in the fourth.

It was at this point that the millions of people who tuned in to ABC, 4.6 million to be exact, were treated to three touchdowns in 53 seconds.

With 2:21 left in the game, Milton found running back Otis Anderson for a 23-yard score to go up eight points. South Florida immediately takes the wind out of their sails with an 83-yard touchdown pass from Flowers to Darnel Salomon on the first play of the drive, with a two-point conversion tying the game up. Only that was followed up by a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown from future NFL cornerback Mike Hughes, restoring UCF's one-score lead with 1:28 to play.

Of course, the Bulls got one more chance to tie things up again, but a fumble forced by future NFLer Richie Grant and recovered by Chequan Burkett put the game on ice.

This Black Friday matchup was more than just a dramatic win against a rival. It was a win that preserved the undefeated season, sending UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship (See No. 2) and later to the Peach Bowl (see No.5). It was the first domino to fall of a trilogy of games UCF fans will remember forever, and a trilogy which the wider college football world bore witness.

Read up on the rest of the list below:

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 25

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games Of The 21st Century: No. 24

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 23

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 22

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 21

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games Of The 21st Century: No. 20

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 19

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games Of The 21st Century: No. 18

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games Of the 21st Century: No. 17

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games Of the 21st Century: No. 16

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games Of the 21st Century: No. 15