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

The UCF Knights began the 21st Century as a young FBS team with no conference to call home. Now, a quarter of the way through it, they sit as a member of one of college football's Power 4 conferences. To mark the occasion, we are counting down the Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century.

Dec 7, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Blake Bortles (5) runs for a touchdown against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the second half of an NCAA football game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. UCF Knights won 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

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

No. 16: "HE CAUGHT IT!" (Temple, 2013)

It was one of the Cardiac UCF Knights' staple moments.

The 2013 team had risen to No. 15 in the AP poll by the time it traveled to Philadelphia to face the Temple Owls (1-8). However, it ended up requiring one of the biggest offensive performances in program history and late-game heroics to pull out a victory and keep its hope of a BCS Bowl berth alive.

A freshman P.J. Walker served as the focal point for the Owl offense, completing 26 of 44 passes for 382 yards and four touchdowns. He mainly connected with future NFL receiver Robby Anderson, who caught eight passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, including one 75-yard touchdown reception.

Neither team could take more than a one-score lead over the other at any point during the contest, with Temple's seven-point lead with 2:04 remaining in the game being the largest lead of the day.

UCF got the ball back with 1:58 left at their 30-yard line and future NFL quarterback Blake Borles got right to work. Bortles' 467 yards of total offense in this game ranks tied for the sixth-most in a game in program history. He connected with wide receiver Rannell Hall on three consecutive passes to reach the Temple 30. Hall went on to tally 277 all-purpose yards in this game, factoring in his 159 receiving yards and 75 return yards; it is the sixth-most in a game in program history.

Bortles took the opportunity to keep the momentum going as he took a shot for the endzone with just over a minute to go. Even as Temple defenders closed in on him, the Oviedo High School product kept the play going, letting it fly, albeit while off-balanced, just before getting hit. Wide receiver J.J. Worton was wide open, having beaten his man, but Bortles had just barely overthrew him, so he would need every inch of his 6-foot-2-inch frame to make the grab.

We all know how that went:

It was Worton's third touchdown catch of the day, one of the 19 times, as of this writing, in program history, a UCF receiver caught three or more touchdowns in a game. Worton also recorded 179 receiving yards, leading the team for the night.

However, it was not over yet, since the touchdown catch and ensuing extra point had merely tied the game up. Thanks to a quick four-play drive, the Knights got the ball back with 19 seconds left. Bortles connected with Hall again on a 64-yard reception to put kicker Shawn Moffitt in range, nailing a 23-yard field goal at the buzzer to escape Philly with a 39-36 win.

While not the day for UCF's defense, a dominant air performance from Bortles, Hall and Worton helped the Knights survive and advance toward an AAC Title and BCS Bowl berth.

Catch 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