ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — UCF entered the season with one of the best running back rooms in the nation and they put all of it on display, rushing for 454 total yards to lead the Knights to a 57-3 rout over New Hampshire on Thursday night in a season opener.
Senior captain RJ Harvey led the Knights’ backfield, rushing for 111 of his 142 yards in the first half and scoring two touchdowns for UCF.
UCF is the only team with two 1,000-yard rushers on the roster from last year. Harvey is one of those and set himself up to eclipse that mark again with his strong debut. The other is Toledo transfer Peny Boone who had 81 yards on seven carries, including a 59-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Myles Montgomery (77 yards on eight carries and a touchdown) along with quarterback KJ Jefferson (39 yards on 11 carries with a rushing touchdown) further boosted the run game as the Knights rushed for 300 yards for the first time since last year’s season opener against Kent State. The team went for 389 yards in that game.
Jefferson ended the game with 164 yards on 7-for-14 passing and two touchdowns, finding Montgomery and Johnny Richardson on short throws that they took for 38 and 22 yards in the third quarter.
Jefferson did not play the fourth quarter with UCF leading 57-3 after the first three quarters.
New Hampshire’s offense was not able to take advantage of UCF’s struggles early in the game. UCF held the Wildcats to 162 total yards, giving up only a second-quarter field goal. That marked the Wildcats’ only drive to pass midfield.
The Knights picked off senior quarterback Seth Morgan twice and blocked a punt to set up three scores. UCF also tallied seven tackles for a loss in the game.
Morgan threw for 95 yards on 14-for-28 passing for the Wildcats.
TRANSFERRED CREDITS
UCF was relying on a lot of transfers to bolster their defensive depth after struggling in their first year in the Big 12. A few of them paid immediate dividends.
Cincinnati transfer Deshawn Pace intercepted a pass to open the second quarter and returning it to the 3-yard line to set up the Knights’ first touchdown.
On the next drive, Ole Miss transfer Ladarius Tennison blocked a punt, forcing a safety to give the Knights a 15-0 lead early in the second quarter. Tennison’s blocked punt was the program’s first since September 2022 against Georgia Tech and the team’s first safety since October 2022 against Cincinnati.
The Knights’ other interception was made by East Carolina transfer Antione Jackson.
DOWN DEBUT
UCF was excited for the debut of Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson, hoping the big-bodied quarterback would be the missing piece to elevate the Knights into Big 12 title contention. But his first game in black and gold was a rough outing.
He completed just two of his first eight passes for 23 yards. He did not complete his first pass until there was less than two minutes to play in the first quarter.
He finished with 164 yards on 7-for-14 passing with two touchdowns and an interception. Jefferson threw his first touchdown pass for UCF on a bootleg throwback to Montgomery, who ran it 46 yards for a score early in the third quarter. He followed it up with a 22-yard score to Richardson.
THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES
UCF hall of fame pitcher Kyle Bono and his Little League World Series champion son Landon Bovo attended the game and were recognized in the second quarter. Nearby Lake Mary won the Little League World Series last weekend and were fresh off a parade down Main Street at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World Resort earlier in the day. Kyle Bono was an assistant coach for the team.
TAKEAWAYS New Hampshire: New Hampshire will take home its check for appearing in Orlando as the Wildcats were overmatched by the Big 12 hopeful.
UCF: UCF knew it had a powerful ground game and flexed its muscles. The defense stood out, making some eye-popping plays and never letting New Hampshire find any rhythm in a dominant win.
UP NEXT New Hampshire visits Holy Cross on Sept. 7. UCF continues non-conference play hosting Sam Houston on Sept. 7. ___ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
