UCF vs Duke Final Score Predictions
It's the final game of the 2022 UCF Knights football season. The UCF Knights have traveled up to the state of Maryland and will be taking on the Duke Blue Devils in the Military Bowl.
Here’s how the Inside The Knights staff sees this football game playing out.
Andrew Johnson - Staff Writer
The bowl season continues as the UCF Knights travel to Annapolis for a ACC matchup with the Duke Blue Devils in the Military Bowl. UCF closed the regular season with a loss to Tulane in the AAC Championship on Dec. 3 and has seen a few players and coaching changes since then.
The Knights completed an up-and-down season at 9-4 in head coach Gus Malzahn’s second season. The question for UCF will be how healthy quarterback John Rhys Plumlee’s hamstring is. He’s dynamic with his legs but can be limited if not 100%. It’ll be interesting to see which young players step up after losing some production on both sides of the ball.
Duke is under first-year head coach Mike Elko who led the Blue Devils to an 8-4 record, while winning four of its last five games. The offense is led by the impressive Riley Leonard who has the team averaging 33.1 points and 421 yards per game. Because of Plumlee’s status being up in the air and Duke playing good football, I’d think they should win this game, especially in the cold environment.
Duke 31 UCF 27
Guilherme Leal - Staff Writer
After a season full of ups and downs, the Knights will wrap up their season against the surprising Duke Blue Devils. For me, the biggest question is who will have their best players available.
Without linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste and cornerback Davonte Brown since they are transferring, UCF will have some problems on defense. Also, without Ryan O’Keefe, the Black and Gold will need to utilize Javon Baker and Xavier Townsend more.
On the field, the battle should be on the ground. Whether it will be John Rhys Plumlee or Thomas Castellanos at quarterback, UCF will probably use a lot of the run game. The problem is that Duke had the 24th-best rushing defense in the country in yards allowed per game. Whoever wins on the ground should have the advantage.
In the end, this should be a very hard-fought game with no team opening a comfortable lead. Perhaps the bowl experience from both Gus Malzahn and the Knights will make a difference.
UCF 27 Duke 23
Jack Edwards - Staff Writer
UCF has weathered the highs and lows that the 2022 season has brought upon them, and now find themselves, somewhat frustratingly, in the Military Bowl versus Duke.
They will now have to deal with multiple coaching shifts, including their offensive and defensive coordinators. That means they will have to beat the Blue Devils by taking advantage of their talent and speed, and likely relying a little less on the X’s and O’s. Regardless, the Blue Devils have had their best season in a while, and pose more of a threat this year than they generally do.
The Knights have a bit more depth than Duke on both sides of the ball, even with multiple players not participating in the bowl game for various reasons. They will likely heavily rely on the running game and short passing game in order to assert their physical advantage over the Blue Devils. This will be a game of trading punches, as both teams feature prolific, high-powered offenses, and it may come down to who has the ball last.
Ultimately, the Knights should take care of business here, but don’t expect a blowout by either team. This game will be evenly matched throughout.
UCF 34 Duke 30
Brian Smith - Publisher
Losing both coordinators, linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, cornerback Davonte Brown, and wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe are all difficult to overcome. Will head coach Gus Malzahn and the Knights be able to do that against a quality Blue Devils squad?
The key here is not allowing Duke’s rushing attack to dictate to UCF what it intends to do. Make quarterback Riley Leonard the lone source of yardage and that being through the air (he can absolutely run as well).
Look for Knights now well rested interior defensive line, and in particular defensive tackle Lee Hunter, to step up and make it hard for the Blue Devils to run the ball. Leonard will still make plenty of plays, but UCF will hold Duke to more field goal attempts than they like. As a reminder, UCF is the nation’s No. 3 red zone defense. They will bend but rarely break.
Offensively, John Rhys Plumlee will have a big game, including some deep shots that help carry the offense. Duke will not be able to consistently cover the receivers for the Knights in one-on-one situations.
The other factor will be the colder weather. Can UCF adjust to that? Mid-40s and sunny, which is not too bad, but more normal for the Blue Devils than the Knights. UCF did play in New Orleans when it had cooled down, so that should help.
As time expires, freshman kicker Colton Boomer comes into the game to help propel the Knights to a last second victory with a 40-yard field goal.
UCF 27 Duke 26
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