Year-By-Year Results 1986 NCAA II (6-5-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 9/6 Bethune-Cookman W 26-14 23,041 9/13 West Georgia W 34-21 10,125 9/20 Valdosta State W 10-7 12,056 9/27 at Akron L 17-20 12,186 10/4 Murray State W 38-25 13,086 10/11 at Wichita State L 6-9 4,167 10/18 at Eastern Kentucky L 24-51 12,200 10/25 Wofford L 28-31 23,760 11/1 at VMI W 38-9 3,200 11/8 Georgia Southern L 23-33 11,137 11/15 Samford W 66-7 6,176
1988 NCAA II (6-5-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 9/2 Bethune-Cookman W 29-21 14,831 9/10 West Georgia W 33-14 11,270 9/17 Troy W 26-18 31,789 9/24 at East Tennessee State W 23-17 5,447 10/1 North Alabama W 35-33 21,682 10/8 New Haven L 23-31 22,641 10/15 Southern Conn. State W 24-16 22,439 10/22 at Valdosta State L 19-48 6,500 10/29 Georgia Southern L 17-31 28,682 11/5 at Liberty L 7-24 3,530 11/12 at Eastern Kentucky L 31-35 6,800
1987
1989
• The Knights post a school-record five-game winning streak during the year, outscoring their opponents, 242-67, during the stretch. UCF finishes the regular season with an 8-3 record, good enough for its first bid to the Division II playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, the host Knights record a 12-10 win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The following week the squad falls to eventual na onal champion Troy. Wideout Bernard Ford and kicker Ed O’Brien earn AllAmerica First Team honors from several outlets, including the Associated Press. Quarterback Darin Slack and linebacker Mike Coad receive Football News AllAmerica Second Team recogni on. Ford is tabbed in the third round of the Na onal Football League Dra by the Buffalo Bills and defensive back Corris Ervin is taken in the fi h round by the Denver Broncos.
• In its final campaign at the D-II level, UCF defeats three Football Championship Subdivision schools. The Knights finish the season strong, winning six of their final seven games to complete the year 7-3.
1987 NCAA II (9-4-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 9/5 Bethune-Cookman W 17-9 9/19 Elon W 34-10 9/26 Eastern Kentucky L 16-23 10/3 at Georgia Southern L 32-34 10/10 Savannah State W 36-26 10/17 West Georgia W 52-14 10/24 NW Missouri St. W 45-3 10/31 Grand Valley State W 67-3 11/7 Liberty W 42-21 11/14 at Florida A&M L 14-19 11/21 Morningside W 24-7 11/28 Indiana (Pa.) $ W 12-10 12/5 Troy $ L 10-31 $ Division II Playoffs
9,768 11,752 15,197 15,540 10,743 10,029 15,208 7,552 11,081 4,803 10,112 15,043 14,327
1988 • UCF opens the campaign with five-consecu ve wins and moves to second in the NCAA Division II na onal rankings. A crowd of 31,789 a ends UCF’s 26-18 victory over defending na onal champion Troy at the Citrus Bowl. Defensive lineman Steve Spears and offensive lineman Dave Underwood earn Football Gaze e All-America honors.
1989 NCAA II (7-3-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 9/1 Bethune-Cookman L 15-23 23,620 9/9 Valdosta State W 35-14 18,046 9/16 at Troy L 6-20 8,000 9/23 Newberry W 30-3 8,316 9/30 at North Alabama W 17-16 5,500 10/7 East Tennessee State W 34-0 12,072 10/21 at Georgia Southern L 17-31 19,640 10/28 Liberty W 33-30 15,095 11/11 Eastern Kentucky W 20-19 17,506 11/18 Texas Southern W 49-12 14,082
1990 • UCF moves to the Football Championship Subdivision ranks and goes 10-4. The Knights become the first school in history to qualify for the FCS playoffs in their first season of eligibility. In the first round of the playoffs, UCF draws previously undefeated Youngstown State on the road. Franco Grilla hits a 34-yard field goal as me expires to give the Knights a 20-17 victory. Host UCF downs William & Mary, 5238, in the second round of the playoffs to set up a semifinal matchup with eventual na onal champion Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. Following the year, Gene McDowell is awarded the Eddie Robinson Trophy by The Sports Network as the na onal coach of the year. Wide receiver Shawn Jefferson is dra ed in the ninth round by the Na onal Football League’s Houston Oilers. 1990 NCAA FCS (10-4-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 9/1 Troy W 16-10 22,462 9/8 at Eastern Kentucky L 12-24 19,200 9/15 at Bethune-Cookman W 42-9 9,500 9/22 at Memphis L 28-37 21,385 9/29 Kentucky State W 49-0 6,055 10/6 at Samford W 37-16 5,463 10/20 Georgia Southern L 17-38 16,258 10/27 Southern Illinois W 49-14 14,052 11/3 Liberty W 28-6 14,107 11/10 Slippery Rock W 24-21 16,208 11/17 Texas Southern W 63-6 16,328 11/24 at Youngstown State $ W 20-17 12,500 12/1 William & Mary $ W 52-38 20,067 12/8 at Georgia Southern $ L 7-44 13,183 $ FCS Playoffs
1991 • The Knights host their first Football Bowl Subdivision squad, facing East Carolina at the Citrus Bowl. Linebacker Bobby Spitulski is named to the Associated Press All-America Third Team and is selected in the third round of the Na onal Football League Dra by the Sea le Seahawks. 1991 NCAA FCS (6-5-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 8/31 Troy W 21-10 18,586 9/7 at James Madison L 31-49 10,081 9/14 at Valdosta State W 12-0 6,379 9/21 East Carolina L 25-47 20,049 9/28 Bethune-Cookman W 32-6 16,066 10/5 at Arkansas State W 31-20 18,200 10/12 Samford L 6-13 12,011 10/26 at Georgia Southern L 6-20 19,063 11/2 Savannah State L 31-33 13,188 11/9 at Liberty W 31-26 2,650 11/16 Millersville W 52-6 10,027
1992 • UCF President John C. Hi announces UCF’s intenon to move to the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks by 1996. UCF makes history as the first college squad to a play a Russian team on American soil as it defeats the Moscow Bears of the Russian League of American Football, 42-6, on Oct. 3. During the year, Gene McDowell relinquishes his du es as athle cs director to concentrate his efforts on coaching the football team. 1992 NCAA FCS (6-4-0) Coach: Gene McDowell 9/5 Gardner-Webb W 71-21 10,286 9/12 Bethune-Cookman W 28-3 12,075 9/19 Troy L 16-20 7,755 9/26 at Western Illinois W 35-22 9,764 10/3 Moscow (exhibi on) W 43-6 5,412 10/17 Nicholls State W 42-18 8,087 10/24 at Western Kentucky L 36-50 10,589 10/31 at Liberty L 28-31 8,100 11/7 Buffalo W 63-21 9,067 11/14 James Madison W 41-37 6,681 11/21 at Samford L 13-20 4,987
1993 • UCF wins six of its first seven games, with the only loss coming from Football Bowl Subdivision’s East Carolina. The Knights claim three of their final four games to finish the regular season with a 9-2 mark. The squad earns a berth in the playoffs and faces host Youngstown State in the opening round.
2011 UCF Football Yearbook
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