2012 UCF Knights football team

The 2012 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights played in the Eastern Division of Conference USA and played their home games at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The Knights were led by head coach George O'Leary, who was in his ninth season with the team.

2012 UCF Knights football
C-USA East Division co-champion Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl champion
C-USA Championship, L 27–33 OT vs. Tulsa
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, W 38–17 vs. Ball State
Conference	Conference USA
Division	East Division
Record	10–4 (7–1 C-USA)
Head coach	George O'Leary (9th season)
Offensive coordinator	Charlie Taaffe (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jim Fleming (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Bright House Networks Stadium
Seasons ← 2011 2013 →

2012 Conference USA football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
UCF xy		7	–	1					10	–	4
East Carolina x		7	–	1					8	–	5
Marshall		4	–	4					5	–	7
Memphis		4	–	4					4	–	8
UAB		2	–	6					3	–	9
Southern Miss		0	–	8					0	–	12
West Division
Tulsa xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
SMU		5	–	3					7	–	6
Rice		4	–	4					7	–	6
Houston		4	–	4					5	–	7
UTEP		2	–	6					3	–	9
Tulane		2	–	6					2	–	10
Championship: Tulsa 33, UCF 27
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2012 season marked UCF's last as a member of Conference USA, as the Knights moved to the American Athletic Conference in 2013. UCF was originally barred from postseason play for the season due to recruiting violations in both football and basketball under previous athletic director Keith Tribble.^[1] The university had its appeal delayed until 2013 and was bowl-eligible for 2012.^[2] For the fourth time as C-USA members, UCF won the Conference USA Eastern Division, though the Knights lost the Conference USA Championship game to Tulsa. As a result, the Knights appeared in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, in which they defeated Ball State, 38–17, for the second bowl victory in program history. The Knights finished the season receiving votes both in the AP and Coaches polls.^[3]

All games were broadcast live on the UCF-IMG radio network.^[4] The Knights' flagship station was WYGM "740 The Game" in Orlando.

Personnel

Head Coach George O'Leary

Coaching staff

2012 UCF Knights coaching staff
	Head coaches Head coach – George O'Leary Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Charlie Taaffe Running backs – Danny Barrett Wide receivers – Sean Beckton Offensive line – Brent Key Graduate assistant – Jonathon Ford Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Jim Fleming Defensive backs – Kirk Callahan Defensive line – Blaise Winter Defensive assistant – Tyson Summers Graduate assistant – Mark Cammack			Special teams Special teams coordinator/tight ends – Allen Mogridge Administrative staff Athletic Director (A.D.) – Todd Stansbury Assistant A.D. for Football Operations – Marty O'Leary Director of player personnel – Drew Hughes

Roster

2012 UCF Knights roster
2012 Roster from the University of Central Florida Knights[usurped]
Quarterbacks 3 Tyler Gabbert – sophomore 5 Blake Bortles – sophomore 7 Troy Green – freshman 11 Mitchell Bourne – freshman Halfbacks 13 Dontravius Floyd – senior 40 Brendan Kelly – senior Fullbacks 32 Billy Giovanetti – senior Running backs 8 Storm Johnson – sophomore 17 Cedric Thompson – freshman 23 Ariel Hoffman – sophomore 24 Blake Tiralosi – freshman 28 Latavius Murray – senior 34 Brynn Harvey – senior 44 Joseph Puopolo – freshman 45 Daron Humphrey – freshman Wide receivers 2 Jeffrey Godfrey (QB) – junior 4 Rob Calabrese (QB) – senior 6 Rannell Hall – sophomore 9 J.J. Worton – sophomore 14 Quincy McDuffie – senior 19 Joshua Reese – sophomore 20 Taylor Oldham – freshman 22 Christopher Nahat – sophomore 25 Dareen Owi – freshman 31 Jared Greenaway – junior 80 Drico Johnson – freshman 81 Breshad Perriman – freshman 89 Jacques Mackeroy – freshman		Tight ends 39 Kevin Garvy Senior 82 Blake Davis – freshman 84 Justin Tukes – sophomore 85 Kevin Miller – freshman 86 D.J. Brown – junior 88 Cal Bloom – freshman 88 Chris Martin – junior Offensive line 61 Tarik Cook – freshman 62 Rey Cunha – junior 63 Jordan McCray – junior 64 Justin McCray – junior 65 Kelly Parfitt – freshman 67 Robert Gibbons – freshman 68 Theo Goins – senior 70 Daniel Mcgrattan – freshman 71 Michael Wiszowaty – freshman 72 Torrian Wilson – sophomore 73 Jordan Rae – senior 74 Michael Campbell – freshman 75 Phil Smith – senior 76 Colby Watson – freshman 77 Kelly Davison – junior 79 Tony Jacob – sophomore Linebackers 11 Jonathan Davis – senior 16 Mark Rucker – freshman 23 Willie Mitchell – sophomore 41 Terrance Plummer – sophomore 42 Stanley Sylverain – freshman 46 Ray Shipman – senior 50 Domenic Spencer – freshman 51 D.J. Williams – senior 52 Maurice Russell – freshman 53 Tyler Linde – freshman 56 Cody Ralston – sophomore 57 Troy Gray – sophomore		Defensive line 44 Miles Pace – freshman 47 Deion Green – freshman 48 David Nelson – freshman 49 Cam Henderson – senior 58 Troy Davis – senior 69 Thomas Niles – freshman 90 Micah Anderson – freshman 91 Victor Gray – junior 92 Luke Adams – freshman 93 Josh Wofford – junior 94 Demetris Anderson – sophomore 95 E.J. Dunston – junior 96 Andrew Rice – sophomore 97 Chester Brown – freshman 98 Joey Grant – freshman 99 Jose Jose – junior Defensive backs 10 Jordan Ozerities – sophomore 12 Jacoby Glenn – freshman 15 Michael Easton – sophomore 18 Kemal Ishmael – senior 21 A. J. Bouye – senior 22 Jared Henry – freshman 24 Jeremy Davis – freshman 25 Brendin Straubel – freshman 26 Clayton Geathers – sophomore 27 Sean Beckton – sophomore 28 Connor Price – sophomore 29 Lyle Dankenbring – senior 30 Nicco Whigham – freshman 33 Jamar McClain – sophomore 35 Sean Maag – sophomore 36 Woodley Cadet – sophomore 37 Brandon Alexander – sophomore 38 Bruce Dukes – sophomore		Punters/Kickers 18 Rodrigo Quirarte – sophomore 35 Sean Galvin – sophomore 43 Jamie Boyle – senior 48 Caleb Houston – freshman 83 Shawn Moffitt – sophomore Snappers 54 Greg Marsil – freshman 56 Scott Teal – sophomore 59 Matt Morrison – junior Terms: Freshman – A player in his first year. Sophomore – A player in his second year. Junior – A player in his third year. Senior – A player in his fourth year. Redshirt – A player who sat out a previous season.

Recruiting class

College recruiting information (2012)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Luke Adams DE	Pensacola, FL	Catholic	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Oct 12, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (76)
Cal Bloom TE	Osseo, MN	Osseo	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Jan 22, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (45)
Chester Brown OL	Hinesville, GA	Bradwell Institute	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	340 lb (150 kg)	Jan 29, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (75)
Mike Campbell OL	Pace, FL	Pace	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	252 lb (114 kg)	Jan 10, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (45)
Blake Davis TE	Delray Beach, FL	American Heritage School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Oct 17, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (75)
Jeremy Davis CB	New Berlin, NY	Milford Academy	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:
Tyler Gabbert QB	Ballwin, MO	Missouri	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jan 16, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (76)
Jacoby Glenn DB	Mobile, AL	Vigor	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jan 19, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (76)
Troy Green QB	Skaneateles, NY	Skaneateles Senior	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jan 23, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (45)
Jared Henry S	Jacksonville, FL	First Coast High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jan 2, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:
Drico Johnson WR	Orlando, FL	Agape Christian Academy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Aug 2, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (76)
Taylor Oldham WR	Daytona Beach, FL	Warner Christian Academy	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jun 14, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (74)
Dareen Owi WR	Miami, FL	Miami Norland	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jan 5, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (71)
Kelly Parfitt OL	Delray Beach, FL	American Heritage School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Oct 31, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (72)
Phil Smith OT	Tampa Bay, FL	Georgia Tech	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Oct 9, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:
Stanley Sylverain LB	Naples, FL	Golden Gate	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Oct 9, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (73)
Colby Watson OL	Pensacola, FL	Pine Forest	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	320 lb (150 kg)	Jan 15, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Nicco Whigham DB	Fort Lauderdale, FL	Cardinal Gibbons	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jan 17, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (72)
Overall recruit ranking:   Scout: 119
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "UCF 2012 Football Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved January 26, 2012. "2012 UCF Football Commits". Scout. Retrieved January 26, 2012. "ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved January 26, 2012. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout. Retrieved January 26, 2012. "2012 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved January 26, 2012.

Schedule

Bright House Networks Stadium, the Knights home field

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	7:00 pm	at Akron*	InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field Akron, OH	ESPN3	W 56–14	12,616
September 8	12:00 pm	at No. 14 Ohio State*	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	ESPN2	L 16–31	104,745
September 15	4:00 pm	FIU*	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	CSS	W 33–20	40,478
September 29	12:00 pm	Missouri*	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	FSN	L 16–21	35,835
October 4	8:00 pm	East Carolina	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	CBSSN	W 40–20	32,181
October 13	8:00 pm	Southern Miss	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	CBSSN	W 38–31 2OT	34,514
October 20	8:00 pm	at Memphis	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	CSS	W 35–17	22,106
October 27	8:00 pm	at Marshall	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	CBSSN	W 54–17	22,563
November 3	7:00 pm	SMU	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	CBSSN	W 42–17	36,036
November 10	7:00 pm	at UTEP	Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, TX	FCS	W 31–24	25,483
November 17	12:00 pm	at Tulsa	Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK	FSN	L 21–23	19,725
November 24	12:00 pm	UAB	Bright House Networks Stadium Orlando, FL	FSN	W 49–24	28,602
December 1	12:00 pm	at Tulsa	Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK (C-USA Championship)	ESPN2	L 27–33 OT	17,635
December 21	7:30 pm	vs. Ball State*	Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, FL (Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl)	ESPN	W 38–17	21,759
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

Akron

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Knights	7	28	14	7	56
Zips	0	0	7	7	14

• Location: Akron, OH
• Game start: 7:00 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:05
• Game attendance: 12,616
• Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), Sunny
• Referee: Steve Barth

See also: 2012 Akron Zips football team

Ohio State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	3	7	6	0	16
• Buckeyes	7	10	14	0	31

• Location: Columbus, OH
• Game start: 12:02 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:11
• Game attendance: 104,745
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), Cloudy
• Referee: Randy Smith

See also: 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

FIU

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	0	14	6	20
• Knights	9	14	7	3	33

• Location: Orlando, FL
• Game start: 4:07 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:13
• Game attendance: 40,478
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), Partly Cloudy
• Referee: Wayne Winkler

See also: 2012 FIU Panthers football team

Missouri

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Tigers	0	7	7	7	21
Knights	3	7	0	6	16

• Location: Orlando, FL
• Game start: 12:05 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:26
• Game attendance: 35,835
• Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C), Partly Cloudy
• Referee: David Smith

See also: 2012 Missouri Tigers football team

East Carolina

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
East Carolina	14	3	3	0	20
• Knights	7	13	10	10	40

• Location: Orlando, FL
• Game start: 8:06 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:09
• Game attendance: 32,181
• Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), Light Rain
• Referee: Randy Smith

See also: 2012 East Carolina Pirates football team

Southern Miss

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
Golden Eagles	0	7	7	10	7	0	31
• Knights	7	10	0	7	7	7	38

• Location: Orlando, FL
• Game start: 8:06 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:49
• Game attendance: 34,514
• Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), Mostly Clear
• Referee: Ed Ardito

See also: 2012 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

Memphis

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Knights	14	0	7	14	35
Tigers	10	0	0	7	17

• Location: Memphis, TN
• Game start: 7:07 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:01
• Game attendance: 22,106
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), Clear
• Referee: Ken Antee

See also: 2012 Memphis Tigers football team

Marshall

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Knights	7	20	20	7	54
Thundering Herd	3	7	0	7	17

• Location: Huntington, WV
• Game start: 8:05 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:23
• Game attendance: 22,563
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Cloudy
• Referee: Brad Rogers

See also: 2012 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

SMU

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Mustangs	3	7	0	7	17
• Knights	7	14	14	7	42

• Location: Orlando, FL
• Game start: 7:04 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:00
• Game attendance: 36,036
• Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), Clear
• Referee: Ed Ardito

See also: 2012 SMU Mustangs football team

UTEP

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Knights	7	10	0	14	31
Miners	7	3	0	14	24

• Location: El Paso, TX
• Game start: 7:05 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:21
• Game attendance: 25,483
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), Partly Sunny
• Referee: Wayne Winkler

See also: 2012 UTEP Miners football team

Tulsa

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	0	14	0	7	21
• Golden Hurricane	10	0	13	0	23

• Location: Tulsa, OK
• Game start: 12:06 a.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:21
• Game attendance: 19,725
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), Sunny
• Referee: Ken Antee

See also: 2012 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

UAB

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	0	10	7	7	24
• Knights	14	21	7	7	49

• Location: Orlando, FL
• Game start: 12:05 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:20
• Game attendance: 28,602
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), Sunny
• Referee: Chris Snead

See also: 2012 UAB Blazers football team

Conference USA Championship Game

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Knights	0	14	13	0	0	27
• Golden Hurricane	7	14	0	6	6	33

• Location: Tulsa, OK
• Game start: 12:01 p.m.
• Elapsed time: 3:39
• Game attendance: 17,635
• Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), Overcast
• Referee: Ed Ardito
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Brian Griese (color)

See also: 2012 Conference USA Football Championship Game and 2012 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Knights	13	15	7	3	38
Cardinals	0	7	3	7	17

• Location: St. Petersburg, FL
• Game attendance: 21,759
• Game weather: Indoor stadium
• Referee: Tony Backert (Sun Belt)
• TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Neal, Desmond Howard, Andre Ware and Cara Capuano

See also: 2012 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl and 2012 Ball State Cardinals football team