Back to Bouncin': UCF Football Returned to Pre-pandemic Experience for 2021 Season

UCF Football players walk onto the field at the start of the first game of the 2021 season

Back to Bouncin’

UCF’s 2021 season opener was one to remember with return to the full game day experience and the start of the Gus Malzahn era.

Fall 2021聽触听By Jenna Marina Lee聽

It will go down in UCF history as the game that took two聽days to win. After enduring a lightning delay that pushed聽back the UCF football team鈥檚 season opening kickoff聽against Boise State on Sept. 2, the Knights rallied to a 36-31聽victory to start the Gus Malzahn era. The game eventually聽wrapped at 1:26 a.m. on Sept. 3 in front of a still lively聽crowd in the Bounce House. The win put an exclamation聽point on the return of the full game-day experience on聽campus 鈥� including tailgating, the Knight Walk, March聽to Victory, and on-field performances by the 惭补谤肠丑颈苍驳听碍苍颈驳丑迟蝉 and spirit squad for the first time since the聽2019 season.

鈥淚鈥檝e coached football for 31 years. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever had a team that dealt with adversity like you did. The champion came out in you. We could not be more proud of you 鈥� we鈥檙e so blessed to be coaching you guys. Enjoy this thing.鈥�
Gus Malzahn, UCF head football coach in his postgame locker room speech to the team

161

Minutes kickoff was delayed by inclement weather

27th

Time since the 2018 season that UCF has appeared on聽ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, ranking in the top 10 in the nation聽in major network appearances during that time