Rutgers @ UCF preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 19, 2009 ) Central Florida 24, Rutgers 45

Central Florida looks to follow up a remarkable road victory and stay unbeaten in the American Athletic Conference when it hosts Rutgers on Thursday. The No. 20 Knights' remarkable run through the league slate continued Saturday with perhaps the game of the weekend in college football as standout quarterback Blake Bortles led his team to 10 points in the final 1:06 to steal a 39-36 victory at Temple. Late drama is nothing new to Central Florida, which has won five games by seven points or less, four during its five-game winning streak.

While the Knights may eventually eye a conference crown and an automatic BCS berth, the Scarlet Knights still have plenty to play for as well. They remain one win shy of bowl eligibility for the eighth time in nine years. Rutgers also had a three-point win against Temple before it suffered a 52-17 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, its third setback in four games.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Central Florida -17

ABOUT RUTGERS (5-4, 2-3 AAC): Although it has a shot at gaining that bowl eligibility, a once-promising season has taken a bad turn for the Scarlet Knights, whose 1-3 slide has coincided with an allegation by a former player of bullying by a coach and an embarrassing home loss to the Bearcats. Gary Nova's touchdown pass late in the first quarter Rutgers cut Cincinnati's lead to 10-7, but the Bearcats responded with six straight touchdowns. Nova threw two interceptions and has nine picks against five touchdowns in the last four games.

ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA (8-1, 5-0): Many who had not heard of Bortles prior to the Temple game are now well aware of his exploits. In the comeback win over the Owls, the junior threw for a career-high 404 yards, leading Central Florida to 657 total yards, the most the program has amassed in a game since it joined the FBS ranks in 1996. Bortles ranks seventh in FBS in passer efficiency (168.6).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Knights WR Rannell Hall, whose 64-yard reception set up the game-winning field goal against Temple, has a catch in 24 straight games, tied for the fourth-longest streak by a Knight.

2. Scarlet Knights RB Paul James returned from a four-game absence due to a leg injury to rush for 78 yards against Cincinnati.

3. Rutgers won the only prior meeting 45-24 in the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl - now the Beef O' Brady's Bowl - at Tropicana Field.

PREDICTION: Central Florida 35, Rutgers 17