It was the highest preseason ranking UCF has earned, and the third-straight season the Knights were receiving votes in one of the two major preseason polls (the Associated Press top-25 rankings have not been released).

UCF also was the highest-ranked program in Conference USA. Houston came in at No. 37 and Southern Miss was at No. 42. Boise State (No. 7) and TCU (No. 15) were the only two schools from non-automatic qualifying BCS leagues (and Notre Dame) to rank higher than the Knights.

Led by C-USA Coach of the Year George O’Leary, the Black and Gold posted a school-record with 11 victories en route to a C-USA title and an AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over Georgia a year ago. It ranked first in the country in kickoff returns thanks to All-American Quincy McDuffie who enters his junior year in 2011. UCF also was eighth in both rushing defense and scoring defense and has several key role players back this season including defensive end Darius Nall (8.5 sacks) and All-C-USA First Team defensive backs Kemal Ishmael and Josh Robinson.

Guiding the offense in 2010 was C-USA Freshman of the Year Jeff Godfrey, who is a member of the 2011 Davey O’Brien Award Watch List for the nation’s top quarterback. He will have plenty of support as the Knights’ offensive line have a combined 86-career starts and running backs Latavius Murray, Ronnie Weaver and Brynn Harvey each posted at least 10 rushing touchdowns in either 2009 or 2010.

The Knights will get things started in 2011 with the season-opener Sept. 3 against Charleston Southern at 7 p.m. before hosting Boston College Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium.

Pretty solid production overall for a freshman, no? Probably one of the best freshman seasons in UCF history, right?

Yes, it was one of the best: that was Daunte Culpepper’s freshman year at UCF.

Godfrey’s, meanwhile, was better across the board.

Here’s what Godfrey put up: 159-238, 2,159 passing yards, 15 TDs, 154.3 passing efficiency, 566 rushing yards, and 10 rushing TDs. Godfrey’s throwing motion needs work, but the arm strength is there; he’s surprisingly adept at the deep ball.

Then there’s the rushing.

Godfrey doesn’t have Denard Robinson’s level of speed, but he’s still darn fast–fast enough to be a nightmare for opposing secondaries when he’s scrambling.

Put it all together, and Godfrey — as a true freshman — was a more efficient passer than super-sophs Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, Robinson, Darron Thomas and even Godfrey’s closest prototype: Robert Griffin III.

Godfrey is already one of the brightest stars in Conference USA, and we have a feeling he’s nowhere near done collecting accolades. — AJ

Source: Excerpt from CBSSports.com, Eye on College Football.

An estimated crowd of 7,000 fans on a sun-splashed day saw Davis play well defensively, while standout sophomore Jeff Godfrey passed for 163 yards and ran for a 38-touchdown. Senior wide out A.J. Guyton had eight catches, Brynn Harvey capped his return from a knee injury with a 32-yard dash, Nick Cattoi kicked three field goals and converted linebackers Ray Shipman and Jonathan Davis were standouts.

“Bruce left and I feel like I need to step my game up next season and make more plays for this defense,” said Davis, who is coming off a 5.5 sack season as a sophomore. “How I’ve played is what hard work will get you. I’ve been working hard in practice every day, running and doing what the coaches ask. … Right now, it’s just about me staying humble and hungry. I feel like I can only get better from here.”

UCF coach George O’Leary feels like his Knights got better this spring, uncovering playmakers at linebacker and wide receiver while also developing depth at defensive line, secondary and along the offensive line. O’Leary thought the offense had a big advantage over the defense in Saturday’s spring game, but he feels the Knights made big strides over the past four weeks.

“I thought we were competitive out there, but obviously the day was geared toward the offense. But I thought there were individuals that made plays on both sides of the ball,” O’Leary said. “We have some things to evaluate with players, but that’s what this game and the spring are for as far as I’m concerned.”

UCF also welcomed back some of its most famous football alumni. Stars such as Brandon Marshall, Josh Sitton, Kevin Smith, Torell Troup, Miller and others signed autographs before the game and posed for pictures at halftime after being honored on the field.

Godfrey, who led UCF to an 11-win season that ended with championships in Conference USA and the Liberty Bowl, showed off his poise in the pocket by hitting on 18 of 23 passes for 163 yards. Reading defenses and not giving up on plays was an emphasis this spring for Godfrey. And when he did run he proved quite lethal, scampering for 59 yards and the 38-yard score.

There was some debate between Godfrey and O’Leary over whether he was tagged on the touchdown run since the quarterbacks weren’t tackled in the scrimmage, and the quarterback lobbied that defenders should have had to tackle him with two hands. He is confident that his third-quarter run would have been a TD regardless of the rules.

Joked Godfrey: “The referee didn’t blow the whistle so it’s a touchdown.”

Shipman, the former º£½ÇÖ±²¥ of Florida basketball player, capped off an impressive spring at linebacker for the Knights by recording five tackles and two stops for losses. He was upset with himself for dropping an interception, but was otherwise happy with how he handled the transition to football after not playing since his high school days. He thinks he’ll be ready to shine by the start of fall camp in August.

“I’m not where I want to be, but I’m making strides and getting better every day,” said Shipman, a 6-foot-5 outside linebacker who impressed with his athleticism and willingness to hit. “Going into this spring I knew I was going to be kind of rusty and have some bad practices, but I didn’t want to ever play backward. I feel like I accomplished playing forward and taking it a play at a time. … I feel like if I’m not ready to go by August I’m going to be mad at myself. Once I get this defense down like the back of my hand, I think it will be scary how good we can be.”

Harvey, who missed all last season after tearing a ligament in his knee in spring drills a year ago, once again looked like the back who was an All-C-USA pick heading into the 2010 season. On his first play from scrimmage, Harvey burst through the line, made a linebacker miss and dashed down the middle of the field for 32 yards. He finished with 39 net yards on the day and took satisfaction in knowing he had worked his way back for the Knights.

“It’s a blessing for me to come back from being down so low last year with my injury to being out there at the end of this spring and playing pretty good,” Harvey said. “It just feels good to be back with the team and playing ball again. The line made a hole and I was trying to get a burst in and I was a little surprised because it was my first play. But it was a good feeling to get my feet wet.”

UCF’s white squad, composed of the first-string offense, took a 17-0 halftime lead by getting several big plays. Senior Ronnie Weaver, who makes the Knights’ tailback position their deepest spot in the field, ran in from 4 yards out for the first score of the day.

In the second quarter, Kerlon Williams broke through the left side of the line and blocked a punt which was recovered in the end zone by reserve tight end D.J. Brown for a touchdown. Proving that it’s spring for the officials as well, the referees initially ruled the play a safety, but it was changed to a touchdown after a conference with O’Leary.

Tight end Adam Nissley, who was more involved in the passing games this spring and caught two passes for 15 yards, said the next three months are critical for the football team to build chemistry and improve off the field.

“The next few months are very important. A lot of our success last year was due to the leadership that our seniors instilled into the team,” Nissley said. “This year, the seniors have a lot on our shoulders to pick it up and do what they did last year. This offseason is critical getting into the weight room and getting better. Everything we do carries over to the field, so it’s up to us to have a good offseason now.”

John Denton’s Knights Insider appears on UCFathletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.

The Knights return seven offensive starters, including Conference USA Freshman of the Year Jeff Godfrey at quarterback, and four key defensive starters as UCF aims to win its third C-USA title in five years this fall. The 2010 Knights finished the year ranked No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches poll after going 11-3 with a win over Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

The Knights added to that squad with what Rivals.com ranked as America’s No. 39 signing class and the best nationally of any school not a member of an automatically qualifying BCS conference. Several key members of that highly-touted class will be participating in spring drills including junior college standouts Toby Jackson, Jose Jose, Terran Buck and Ray Cottman, all of which are already on the Knights’ two-deep.

All practice sessions will take place either on the team’s outdoor practice fields or inside the Nicholson Fieldhouse, depending on weather. The April 16 Spring Game will be played at Bright House Networks Stadium at 2 p.m. and serve as the highlight of a typical full day of festivities in and around the stadium.

Fans are reminded that there is NO photography or videography allowed at practice and are kindly asked to not describe UCF football practices in online public forms.

Practice dates and times subject to change

The Knights (11-3) had never won more than 10 games in a season and had lost their first three bowl games, including their last visit here in 2007. The Conference USA champs made this win even sweeter by knocking off a Southeastern Conference team in the process.

Georgia (6-7) snapped a four-game bowl winning streak with its first loss since the 2006 Sugar Bowl. Worse for the Bulldogs is notching their first losing season since going 5-6 in 1996.

The Bulldogs had the ball last and converted two fourth downs before Kemal Ishmael knocked down Aaron Murray’s final long throw into the end zone as time expired.

And in an ending reminiscent of Thursday night’s Music City Bowl finish to regulation, the game seemed to be over before it actually was. Murray’s first deep throw into the end zone landed incomplete and the clock appeared to run out. But replay officials reviewed the play and ruled the clock should have stopped with 2 seconds left.

Players from both teams went back to their sideline.

The Bulldogs had one more shot to pull out the win. Murray rolled to his left and heaved the ball into the end zone, but Ishmael knocked it to the ground with one hand to start the Knights’ celebration.

They had to move under cover quickly because a storm front that caused tornadoes in Arkansas hit minutes after the game ended, prompting security to order everyone off the field and out of the stands due to lightning.

Latavius Murray finished with 104 yards on 18 carries, but it was the Knights’ defense that pulled out this victory.

UCF came in with C-USA’s stingiest defense and 18th best in the nation. The Knights held Georgia to 280 yards total offense, well below the Bulldogs’ average of 393.8. Senior captain and two-time C-USA defensive player of the year Bruce Miller had 1 1/2 sacks in the fourth quarter, including one on the final drive.

The Bulldogs got the ball back three times after Murray’s TD. They went three-and-out on the first two, and Georgia got the ball back for the final time with 2:20 left.

The Bulldogs also started both halves driving down field easily before bogging down and settling for field goals of 20 and 41 yards by Blair Walsh. These teams went to halftime tied at 3-3 after a first half in which both Georgia and UCF wasted chances at the end zone.

UCF had its struggles moving the ball. The Knights finished with 241 yards on offense and Georgia picked off freshman Jeff Godfrey twice, including once in the end zone.

Source: ESPN,

Georgia coach Mark Richt is looking to redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray to help the Bulldogs avoid their first losing season in 14 years.

The Knights make their second Liberty Bowl appearance in four seasons when they take on the Bulldogs in Memphis on Friday.

Godfrey completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 2,042 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions this year, going 9-2 as a starter to earn Conference USA freshman of the year honors. Godfrey, the eighth-highest rated quarterback in the FBS at 165.3, also ran for 546 yards and nine TDs, helping the Knights (10-3) score 33.8 points per game – 24th in the FBS.

He didn’t even begin the season as the starter, backing up junior Rob Calabrese before taking over by the third game.

“I think he’s progressed each week,” said O’Leary, whose team fell to 0-3 in bowl games last season. “I think the offensive staff has done a great job of not overloading his plate. I think they’ve put enough on the plate to win the game and not overburdening him with a lot of mental capacity that he couldn’t handle at this stage.”

Murray has also made quite a mark in his first season under center with 24 touchdowns, six interceptions and 2,851 yards through the air. He is the second-highest rated freshman in the nation at 162.7 – trailing Godfrey – and tied with former Bulldogs QB D.J. Shockley with a school-record 28 total touchdowns in a season.

With three TD passes in a 42-34 victory over Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale Nov. 27, Murray moved within one of Matthew Stafford’s single-season record of 25. That win allowed Georgia (6-6) to at least temporarily avoid its first sub.-500 season since going 5-6 in 1996. The Bulldogs averaged 10.3 wins in the previous eight seasons.

Richt is hoping a matchup with the C-USA champs gives his team an opportunity to show it is still among the nation’s elite.

“When you’re 6-6 and you’re in a bowl, you’re kind of hoping you’re going to play another 6-6 team,” Richt said. “… But we got into the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and we get to play a conference champion. … And that’s exciting for our guys. We get a chance to prove to the country that we’re still a pretty darn good football team.”

The Bulldogs ranked 19th in the nation against the pass at 186.7 yards per game, but Georgia’s run defense was nearly non-existent in the final two weeks of the regular season, giving up 726 yards and 10 TDs against Auburn and the Yellow Jackets.

The Bulldogs face another tough test against the Knights, who average 192.5 yards on the ground, 25th in the FBS.

That attack is led by Ronnie Weaver, Latavius Murray and Godfrey, who ran for 2,178 yards and 30 TDs.

Washaun Ealey, who paced Georgia with 751 yards rushing and 11 scores, could have a difficult time picking up yards against UCF. The Knights are surrendering 110.4 yards per game, 10th in the nation.

O’Leary’s defense, 12th in the nation with 18.0 points allowed per game, is anchored by two-time conference defensive player of the year Bruce Miller. The end has seven sacks – four in the last two games – to rank second on the team to Darius Nall (eight).

Putting pressure on Murray could be key as he helped Georgia win five of its last seven games, with the Bulldogs scoring at least 31 points in each of those contests. UCF will also have to contain junior wide receiver A.J. Green, who leads Georgia with 771 yards and is tied for first in the SEC with nine TDs despite being suspended for the first four games.

This could be the final game for Green, who said this month that he is close to deciding if he will enter the NFL draft. The Bulldogs could also have junior linebacker Justin Houston on the field for the final time, as the All-SEC selection leads the conference with 10 sacks and is third with 18 1/2 tackles for loss.

However, they will be without junior running back Caleb King. The Bulldogs’ second-leading rusher with 430 yards, King will not play in the Liberty Bowl after missing his fifth academic-related meeting. He missed two games during the regular season with a high ankle sprain and two others for failing to appear in court to deal with a speeding ticket.

Georgia will try to shut down Quincy McDuffie, second in the nation with 32.7 yards per kick return.

While Georgia has won four consecutive postseason games, UCF will try again for its first bowl win in its third bowl appearance in four years — a stretch that began with a berth in the 2007 Liberty Bowl. The Knights fell 45-24 to Rutgers in last season’s St. Petersburg Bowl.

O’Leary went 3-4 versus Georgia as coach of Georgia Tech from 1994-2001.

Georgia defeated UCF 24-23 in the teams’ only meeting Sept. 25, 1999.

Source: ESPN,

Godfrey is the second Knight to receive C-USA Freshman of the Year honors, joining Kevin Smith (2005). Just a true freshman, Godfrey ranks eighth in the nation in passing efficiency at 165.28, trailing only seven elite quarterbacks who have all had teams ranked in the top-10 this year (Cam Newton, Kellen Moore, Ryan Mallett, Scott Tolzien, Andy Dalton, Greg McElroy and Andrew Luck). Godfrey’s completion percentage of 68.4-percent ranks sixth nationally and is not far off of the NCAA freshman record of 69.4-percent set by Kellen Morre of Boise State in 2008. Godfrey, who recorded a 9-2 record as a starter and was 8-1 against C-USA foes, also can use his feet. He has 546 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the year. The 10 rushing scores trails only Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez amongst all freshmen signal callers nationally and tops all true freshmen.

Miller joins Adalius Thomas of Southern Miss (1998-99) as the only repeat winners of C-USA Defensive Player of the Year prize. Miller leads all players nationally with his 34 career sacks, a number which matches Florida State’s Peter Boulware (1994-96) for the fourth most ever by an FBS player in the talent-rich state of Florida. A versatile defensive end who can also slide inside and play tackle when UCF goes to a nickel, perhaps Miller’s two biggest plays of the year were not in the offensive backfield. On two occasions this fall he intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, setting a UCF record and tying for the second most in C-USA history for a single season. Miller helped UCF lead C-USA in total, rushing, scoring and passing efficiency defense in 2010, also ranking amongst the national top-20 for much of the season.

O’Leary helped guide the Knights to the C-USA Championship by winning seven out of eight league games. UCF cracked the national top-25 for the first time in school history this season and continues to possess the league’s most dominant defense along with a vastly improved offense and some of the nation’s best special teams unit, including a kickoff return unit that ranks first in the nation. He did this while guiding a UCF program that has also  excelled in the classroom. UCF’s 972 APR (Academic Performance Rate) is in the national top-10 for public schools while eight members of the UCF team had all ready received their bachelor’s degrees prior to this season.

All of the team’s 19 seniors are on pace to graduate.

It is the fifth FBS Coach of the Year award for O’Leary who also claimed C-USA’s prize in 2005 and 2007 while winning the ACC’s in 1998 and 2000 while at Georgia Tech. The five career awards ties him for third amongst all active FBS coaches. Leading the pack with six are Dennis Erickson and Steve Spurrier while Frank Beamer and Bill Snyder also have five apiece to match O’Leary. Spurrier is a candidate for the 2010 SEC Coach of the Year honor which the league will announce later today.

O’Leary also ties former Southern Miss mentor Jeff Bower for the most C-USA Coach of the Year honors all-time with his three.

Defensive recognition went to UCF senior DE Bruce Miller, who becomes the first C-USA player to win that honor in back-to-back years since Adalius Thomas of Southern Miss in 1998-99. He owns the UCF career record for sacks with 34.0, a figure that is tied for third in C-USA history. Miller leads the nation in career sacks among active players, and is fifth all-time in the FBS (sacks record started being kept in 2000). The three-time All-Conference selection has recorded 55 tackles, 7.0 sacks and a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss this season. Miller also registered 18 quarterback hurries, forced two fumbles and recorded two interceptions, returning them both for touchdowns.

The league’s Freshman of the Year honor went to UCF QB Jeff Godfrey. He is 9-2 as a starter since taking over the Knights quarterback reigns on Sept. 18, completing 68.4 percent of his passes, tops among all FBS quarterbacks. Godfrey is 143-of-209 for 2,042 yards and 13 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He has also rushed for 546 yards and 10 scores, a figure that leads all C-USA quarterbacks. Godfrey’s QB rating of 165.28 on the season leads all FBS freshman and all C-USA signal-callers, while ranking eighth among all FBS quarterbacks. With 2,042 passing yards, he will enter the AutoZone Liberty Bowl needing just 30 passing yards to break Daunte Culpepper’s all-time UCF record for passing yards by a freshman.

Source: C-USA, Conference USA Announces Football Players of the Year.

“I’m looking to the game and I’ve always enjoyed Georgia football and the way its played. We know what we’re in for, especially I do from all of my years facing (the Bulldogs),” said UCF coach George O’Leary, who coached at rival Georgia Tech from 1994-2001. “I’ve always respected the program at Georgia. They get terrific athletes, they’re well-coached and they play a full 60 minutes. It’s an SEC team that’s traditionally a powerhouse in that league and we’ll have our work cut out for us no question.”

The Knights are ranked No. 25 in the BCS, No. 24 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 26 in the Associated Press poll after whipping SMU 17-7 in Saturday’s C-USA title game at Bright House Networks Stadium. UCF tied a school record with its 10th victory of the season and won a league championship for a second time in four seasons.

Now, the Knights are hoping to win their first bowl game in four tries. UCF lost in the Hawaii Bowl in 2005, fell in the Liberty Bowl in 2007 and lost to Rutgers last December in the St. Pete Bowl. O’Leary said he really wants a bowl victory for a senior class of 19 players who have helped to elevate the program to new heights.

“Winning is important. That’s what programs thrive on,” O’Leary said. “I don’t look at it as getting some kids ready (for next season). I look at the game at hand and how can we win the game. I want these kids who are leaving to leave with a great taste in their mouths. That’s what’s very important to me. Having to play a team like Georgia with a great tradition will be great for our kids.”

The 52nd Liberty Bowl is the seventh-oldest bowl in all of college football. Kickoff for the game will be at 3:30 p.m. (ET). Tickets for the game start at $50 and fans can acquire tickets through UCFAthletics.com or by calling the ticket office at 407-823-1000. The ticket office will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

O’Leary is quite familiar with the Georgia program, and Bulldogs coach Mark Richt knows O’Leary quite well too from his days at Florida State and then Georgia. Richt said he actually started breaking down UCF game film on Sunday after recording the UCF-SMU title game from Saturday. He said he’s already impressed with UCF’s salty defense and the dazzling playmaking skills of freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey.

“George is a hard-nosed football coach and every team that he puts on the field presents a big physical challenge for you,” Richt said on Sunday. “And their young quarterback is a dynamic guy who can throw and run and create problems all over the field.”

Richt said from what he’s seen so far on film, UCF is a team that rarely beats itself with mistakes and has athletic playmakers all over the field. He said that just because an SEC team has beaten Conference USA champion each of the past four seasons it doesn’t mean that Georgia will automatically have an upper hand against this rugged Knights squad.

East Carolina lost 20-17 in overtime to Arkansas last season and 25-19 against Kentucky in 2008. UCF fell to Mississippi State in 2007 and South Carolina whipped Houston 44-36 in 2006.

“When you go 6-6 you’d think you’d go into a bowl and get an opponent that you feel comfortable with, but championship teams like UCF just know how to win games,” Richt said. “They’re used to winning this season and they get in the habit of doing it. I hope that our guys understand that we’ll have all that we can handle against them. And I just hope that they respect us because of the record that we have.”

Georgia started the season 1-4 following a four-game losing streak against South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Colorado. With rumors flying about Richt’s coaching future with the Bulldogs, Georgia responded by winning five of its final seven games. The `Dogs lost 34-31 to Florida in overtime, but beat Georgia Tech 42-34 in the final week of the regular season to become bowl eligible.

O’Leary said that Georgia is far better than a .500 team and knows that the Knights will have a big challenge to beat a team that is loaded with elite athletes at many positions.

“The big thing against them is we’ll have to play 60 minutes. That’s the biggest difference in the competition levels, too,” O’Leary said. “The SEC is a great conference with great teams and (Georgia) has to play every play for whatever they can get. The big thing for us is playing the full 60 minutes and then when we have a chance to score we have to put points on the board.”

John Denton’s Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu

Latavius Murray rushed for 94 yards and scored two touchdowns Saturday to lead Central Florida to a 17-7 victory over Southern Methodist in the Conference USA championship game.

The Knights (10-3) won their second league title and a trip to the Liberty Bowl in their seventh season under George O’Leary, the former Georgia Tech coach who’s led a dramatic turnaround since taking over a struggling program and going 0-11 in his first year on the job.

Jeff Godfrey completed 15 of 19 passes for 167 yards, including a 5-yard TD throw to Murray to finish a long scoring drive in the opening quarter. Murray also scored his 10th rushing TD of the season, breaking a 36-yard run to make it 17-0 in the third quarter.

SMU (7-6), which was trying to win its first league championship since sharing the Southwest Conference crown, scored on Kyle Padron’s 22-yard pass to Aldrick Robinson early in the fourth quarter.

Padron was 18 of 34 for 220 yards passing, but he also was intercepted twice and sacked five times. He drove his team into UCF territory in the closing minutes, only to have the Knights stop the threat on downs with their final sack.

UCF won for the eighth time in nine games, including three in a row since a 31-21 loss to Southern Mississippi ended a brief stay in the Top 25.

The first national ranking in the program’s 30-year history lasted one week, yet accentuates just how far the Knights have come since going 0-11 in 2004 — O’Leary’s first season, and the year before UCF joined Conference USA.

SMU’s turnaround in three years under former NFL and Hawaii coach June Jones has been just as impressive. Finally showing signs of recovering from being hit with the NCAA death penalty for rules violations, the Mustangs are headed to bowl games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1983 and 1984.

Fast Facts

UCF set the tone for a dominating performance, marching 73 yards in 13 plays following the opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead on Godfrey’s short TD throw to Murray. Nick Cattoi’s 29-yard field goal made it 10-0 on the final play of the first half.

The Knights held the ball for more than 13 minutes of the first quarter, and the combined 10 points for the teams were the fewest scored in an opening half in the six-year history of the Conference USA championship game.

Murray’s second touchdown finished an eight-play, 85-yard drive that extended UCF’s lead to 17 heading into the fourth quarter.

The 6-foot-3, 221-pound running back was voted the game’s most valuable player. He carried 22 times while sharing the workload with Ronnie Weaver and Godfrey, one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks.

Darius Johnson had nine receptions for 105 yards for SMU. Zach Line rushed for 94 yards on 18 attempts for the Mustangs.

Source: ESPN,