1986 UCF Knights football team

The 1986 UCF Knights football season was the eighth season for the team. It was Gene McDowell's second season as the head coach of the Knights. McDowell's 1986 team compiled a 6–5 overall record.[1]

1986 UCF Knights football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–5
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorMike Kruczek (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorBruce Bennett (1st season)
Home stadiumFlorida Citrus Bowl
Seasons
← 1985
1987 →
1986 NCAA Division II independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Central State (OH) ^     10 1 1
No. T–18 New Haven     8 2 0
No. 7 Towson State ^     8 3 1
Southern Connecticut State     7 3 0
American International     6 4 0
UCF     6 5 0
Northern Michigan     5 5 0
Saint Mary's     5 5 0
Springfield     4 5 0
Michigan Tech     3 6 0
Kentucky State     1 9 0
Liberty     1 9 0
Central Connecticut     0 10 0
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll

The Knights competed as an NCAA Division II Independent. The team played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in Downtown Orlando. The Knights nearly earned their first-ever victory against a Division I-A team. On October 11, they fell 9-6 at Wichita State, on a miserable, soggy, afternoon after missing an extra point and two botched field goal attempts. It proved to be the Shockers' final football victory; less than two months after the game, Wichita State announced it was disbanding its program.

Schedule

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The Florida Citrus Bowl, the Knights' home field
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 6Bethune–CookmanW 26–1423,041[2]
September 13West Georgia
  • Florida Citrus Bowl
  • Orlando, FL
W 34–2110,125
September 20No. 20 Valdosta StateNo. 18
  • Florida Citrus Bowl
  • Orlando, FL
W 10–712,056
September 27at AkronL 17–2012,186
October 4Murray State
  • Florida Citrus Bowl
  • Orlando, FL
W 38–2513,086[3]
October 11at Wichita StateL 6–94,167[4]
October 18at Eastern KentuckyNo. 19L 24–5112,200[5]
October 25Wofford
  • Florida Citrus Bowl
  • Orlando, FL
L 28–3123,760
November 1at VMIW 38–93,200[6]
November 8No. 5 (I-AA) Georgia Southern
  • Florida Citrus Bowl
  • Orlando, FL
L 23–3311,137
November 15Samford
  • Florida Citrus Bowl
  • Orlando, FL
W 66–76,176

[7]

References

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  1. ^ "UCF Develops Winning Ways: Part 4 of 8 – The History of UCF Football". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. July 10, 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  2. ^ "Central Florida beats Bethune, 26–14". The Miami Herald. September 7, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "UCF makes believer of Murray State, 38–25". The Orlando Sentinel. October 5, 1986. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "UCF's upset bid booted by 3 field goals in rain". The Orlando Sentinel. October 12, 1986. Retrieved February 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "UCF looks for the best and gets the worst in loss". The Orlando Sentinel. October 19, 1986. Retrieved March 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "UCF king of the road in victory over VMI". The Orlando Sentinel. November 2, 1986. Retrieved February 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Final 1986 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 12, 2023.