South Florida @ UCF preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 28, 2014 ) Central Florida 16, South Florida 0

USF won’t be overconfident after a record-breaking performance as it visits winless UCF on Thursday night in the regular-season finale. The Bulls rolled over Cincinnati 65-27 last week – the most points they have ever scored against an FBS school – and UCF stands in the way of a chance at a spot in the first American Athletic Conference Championship game.

“We just want to get after it because we haven’t had much success with those guys,” USF tight end Sean Price told the Tampa Tribune. “There’s always going to be animosity in a rivalry, but we respect them. We can’t go out there looking past anybody.” USF has dropped two straight to the Knights and needs a victory, along with a Temple loss to Connecticut, to play for the AAC title. UCF must find a way to contain running back Marlon Mack and improving quarterback Quinton Flowers, who tossed four touchdown passes last week. The Knights have struggled on defense, allowing at least 40 points in six of the last seven games.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: No Line.

ABOUT USF (7-4, 5-2 AAC): Flowers has evolved into a major two-way threat while throwing for 1,841 yards and supporting Mack in a ground attack that is averaging 240 yards. Mack has rushed for 100 yards in a team-record seven games and 1,171 overall while Flowers has added 796. Rodney Adams (34 catches, 660 yards, eight TDs) is Flowers’ top target and cornerback Deatrick Nichols leads the team with four interceptions – two coming last week when he was AAC Defensive Player of the Week.

ABOUT UCF (0-11, 0-7): Quarterback Justin Holman is expected to play despite injuring an ankle in last week's 44-7 home loss to East Carolina, a game in which the Knights were outgained 622-232. Tre’Quan Smith has set freshman records with 45 receptions and 622 yards receiving, and needs one touchdown catch to share that mark as well. C.J. Jones (329 yards) leads a struggling ground attack that stands last in the league (81.2 yards per game), and the Knights have turned the ball over an AAC-high 31 times.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mack is 204 yards from passing Andre Hall (1,374 in 2005) for the single-season school record.

2. UCF senior LB Domenic Spencer leads the team with 89 tackles – eight for a loss.

3. Flowers’ 18 touchdown passes are two shy of the USF single-season record set by Marquel Blackwell in 2002.

PREDICTION: USF 38, UCF 14