Year-By-Year Results 1979 • During his inaugural address, UCF President Trevor Colbourn announces that the school will “explore the possibility of developing a football program.” Later, Colbourn and director of athle cs Jack O’Leary approve a decision to form a football team to begin play in the fall of 1979 as an NCAA Division III program. Former professional football player Don Jonas becomes the school’s first coach on a volunteer basis. On Aug. 28, 148 prospec ve players par cipate in the program’s first prac ce. Less than one month later on Sept. 22, UCF travels to St. Leo for its first game and wins 21-0. Bobby Joe Plain scores the school’s first touchdown on a 13-yard pass recep on from Mike Cullison in the first quarter. The following week, UCF plays its first home contest at the Tangerine Bowl and posts a 7-6 victory over Fort Benning in front of 14,138 fans. 1979 NCAA III (6-2-0) Coach: Don Jonas 9/22 at St. Leo W 21-0 9/29 Fort Benning W 7-6 10/13 Maryville W 10-7 10/20 at Fort Lauderdale W 14-0 10/27 at Presbyterian L 0-48 11/3 at Emory & Henry L 14-28 11/10 University of the South W 24-0 11/17 Morehouse W 14-7
1,000 14,138 7,350 500 3,800 1,000 10,111 13,309
1980 • A er the UCF Athle c Authority votes in January to make the football head coaching job a full- me posi on, Don Jonas is selected for the role. The Knights win four games during the campaign and in an 18-14 victory over Emory and Henry, Michael O’Shaughnessy tallies a school-record five sacks. Following the season, cornerback Tim Kiggins earns third-team All-America honors and becomes the first UCF player to sign a professional contract when he joins the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. 1980 NCAA III (4-4-1) Coach: Don Jonas 9/13 Carson-Newman $ FW 30-21 13,941 9/20 St. Leo W 55-0 8,730 9/27 Millsaps L 7-8 12,793 10/4 Miles T 11-11 8,990 10/11 at Savannah State L 0-44 4,100 10/18 at North Alabama L 3-28 3,500 11/1 Catawba W 14-12 7,757 11/8 Albany L 27-28 14,022 11/15 Emory & Henry W 18-14 6,907 $ Later forfeited by Carson-Newman
1981 • UCF begins a local rivalry, mee ng Bethune-Cookman in the first Mayor’s Trophy game. The Wildcats escape with a 24-20 win. Kicker Sco Ryerson is a third-team All-America selec on, while center Dan Burke and linebackers Eddie James and Bill Giovane earn honorable men on status. Following the season, head coach Don Jonas resigns to become director of the UCF Gridiron Club. 72
2011 UCF Football Yearbook
1981 NCAA III (4-6-0) Coach: Don Jonas 9/12 Presbyterian L 0-3 9/19 Elizabeth City L 9-14 9/26 at Millsaps W 13-6 10/3 Miles W 6-0 10/10 Savannah State W 47-13 10/17 at Alabama A&M L 15-23 10/31 at West Georgia L 6-20 11/7 Hampden-Sydney W 17-0 11/14 Millersville L 9-27 11/21 Bethune-Cookman L 20-24
8,347 4,833 800 6,320 6,493 8,700 6,200 8,391 4,365 8,354
1982 • Following Don Jonas’ resigna on, associate head coach Sam Weir is named the program’s interim head coach. New athle cs director Bill Peterson announces that UCF will compete as a Division II program during the year. With the move to D-II, the school begins awarding athle cs scholarships. Following the season, four Knights sign professional contracts: ght end Mike Carter with the Na onal Football League’s Denver Broncos and defensive end Ed Gantner, linebacker Bill Giovane and offensive lineman Mike Sommerfield with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. Following the season, New York Yankees president and former Buffalo Bills head coach Lou Saban is named UCF’s head coach. 1982 NCAA II (0-10-0) Coach: Sam Weir 9/11 Georgia Southern $ L 9-16 9/18 Southeastern Louisiana L 14-24 9/25 at VMI L 0-69 10/2 at Valdosta State L 7-13 10/9 Bethune-Cookman L 21-40 10/16 Alabama A&M L 10-31 10/23 at Nicholls State L 10-60 10/30 West Georgia L 7-41 11/6 Carson-Newman L 17-36 11/13 Eastern Kentucky L 14-26 $ at Jacksonville, Fla.
2,350 8,196 6,100 9,500 9,127 6,654 8,500 9,257 3,818 4,822
1983 • UCF records its first win against an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision opponent, defea ng Ausn Peay, 10-7, on the road. Ted Wilson returns a kick 100 yards for a touchdown against Southeastern Louisiana and finishes second in the na on in kick return average with 30.5 yards per return. 1983 NCAA II (5-6-0) Coach: Lou Saban 9/2 Elizabeth City W 37-7 9,041 9/10 at Georgia Southern W 33-29 5,815 9/17 at Southeastern Louisiana L 28-54 5,000 9/24 North Alabama L 20-47 8,307 10/1 Valdosta State W 20-0 12,777 10/15 at Richmond L 26-31 3,413 10/29 at Aus n Peay W 10-7 7,000 11/5 at Carson-Newman L 14-35 3,300 11/12 Nicholls State L 14-37 4,500 11/19 Fort Lewis W 59-28 14,212 11/26 Bethune-Cookman L 22-31 13,294
1984 • A er the squad gets off to a slow start, head coach Lou Saban announces his resigna on. Jerry Anderson is named interim head coach. Following the campaign, offensive lineman Dan Burke signs a contract with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League. Kicker Sco Ryerson is dra ed by the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL and signs a freeagent deal with the Na onal Football League’s Atlanta Falcons. 1984 NCAA II (2-9-0) Coaches: Lou Saban (first seven games), Jerry Anderson (last four games) 9/1 Bethune-Cookman L 22-43 7,421 9/8 at Louisiana-Monroe L 21-49 19,329 9/15 Georgia Southern L 28-42 7,124 9/22 at Western Kentucky W 35-34 8,500 9/29 at Texas State L 13-39 10,337 10/6 Akron L 21-26 6,814 10/13 at Eastern Kentucky L 14-37 18,300 10/20 Illinois State W 28-24 11,648 10/27 Aus n Peay L 21-24 12,225 11/3 at Indiana State L 0-38 8,367 11/10 at Furman L 6-42 10,162
1985 • Gene McDowell, an assistant at Florida State, is named UCF’s head coach and athle cs director. UCF wins its first game under McDowell when Ed O’Brien kicks a school-record 55-yard field goal as me expired to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 39-37. UCF meets its first NCAA Bowl Subdivision opponent, playing at Louisville. 1985 NCAA II (4-7-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 9/7 Bethune-Cookman W 39-37 21,222 9/13 Southeastern Louisiana W 27-21 7,142 9/28 at Illinois State L 21-48 12,786 10/5 Texas State L 12-48 7,850 10/12 Western Kentucky L 17-47 9,153 10/19 Eastern Kentucky L 21-28 8,223 10/26 Stephen F. Aus n L 24-59 11,263 11/2 at Louisville L 21-42 21,391 11/9 at Georgia Southern L 18-35 7,759 11/23 Savannah State W 31-7 3,478 11/30 Samford W 35-14 3,022
1986 • The team begins the season 4-1. UCF sets a new a endance record when 23,760 watch the Knights play Wofford for Homecoming. The contest features a post-game performance by the Beach Boys. The Knights went 6-5 during the year to post their first winning campaign since the inaugural season in 1979. Linebacker Wya Boggan leads the team with 143 tackles and earns Football News All-America First Team honors. Wide receiver Ted Wilson becomes the first UCF player selected in the Na onal Football League Dra when the Washington Redskins take him in the 10th round. Tailback Elgin Davis is picked in the 12th round by the New England Patriots.