The Knights will clash on Thursday night as Rutgers makes the trip south to Central Florida for a key conference battle.
How to watch Rutgers vs. UCF 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
UCF looks to remain perfect against the AAC on Thursday night.
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
UCF has kind of flown under the radar this season, but they come in ranked No. 18 in the BCS. They’re on track to represent the American Athletic Conference in a BCS bowl game assuming they win out.
Rutgers, on the other hand, came into the season with high expectations but has stumbled a bit over the last month. A win would really shake things up atop the conference standings.
The numbers
Rankings and records: UCF comes in ranked 18th in in the BCS and features an impressive 8-1 record. Their lone loss was a 28-25 heartbreaker against then-No. 8 South Carolina. They’ve got a perfect 5-0 mark against conference foes and are in the driver’s seat to win the AAC after knocking off Louisville last month..
Rutgers has been up and down all season, and after winning four of their first five games, they’ve dropped three of four to fall to 5-4 on the season.
Vegas: UCF opened as a 14.5-point favorite. The over/under is set at 58.5 points.
Weather: It should be a beautiful night for football in Orlando with temperatures in the low 70s at kickoff.
Three names to know
Blake Bortles - Bortles is one of the better quarterbacks you’ve probably never heard of. He’s completing 68 percent of his passes and has thrown for 2,484 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Storm Johnson - Johnson leads UCF with 156 carries, 841 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He’s a very physical runner who can break arm tackles with ease.
Gary Nova - Rutgers’ starting quarterback is a bit turnover prone with 15 interceptions, but he can really get the offense rolling when he’s taking care of the football. Nova’s thrown for 2,052 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Two things at stake
UCF is squarely in the hunt to go to a BCS bowl game this January. They need to win every game from here on out if they hope to make that dream a reality.
A win for Rutgers would be their sixth of the season, making them bowl-eligible for the eighth time in 10 years.
How to witness
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Radio: Here’s a list of Central Florida’s radio affiliates. Rutgers fans can catch the action on 1450 AM and 97.5 FM.
Online streaming: WatchESPN will stream the game.
Further reading
Fans should check out On The Banks for Rutgers coverage.
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