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    Friday UCF preview

    UCF Knights: By the Numbers

    No. 6 Oklahoma will meet the UCF Knights for the first time in program history on Saturday.

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    Oklahoma Sooners
    Oklahoma Sooners

    For the first time in program history, Oklahoma is prepared to host the UCF Knights on Saturday.

    The No. 6-ranked Sooners have never met the Big 12 newcomers on any field, as both teams resume conference play at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Saturday morning after healing up last weekend on bye weeks.

    UCF (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) has yet to log a win in league play, but get a boost in the form of starting quarterback John Rhys Plumlee returning to the starting lineup when the contest kicks off on ABC.

    Knights’ head coach Gus Malzahn is once again the architect of one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, and he hopes a potent rushing attack will catch OU (6-0, 3-0) by surprise after the Sooners’ 34-30 statement victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

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    FB - RJ Harvey, UCF Knights

    Running back RJ Harvey leads UCF with 511 rushing yards so far in 2023. 

    Regardless of if Plumlee has been available or not, UCF’s offense hasn’t had any trouble moving up and down the field.

    The Knights rush for 246.3 yards per game, the third-best mark in the country, and enter the week ranked fourth in total offense.

    Flashing plenty of speed out of the backfield, running back RJ Harvey leads the way with 511 yards and six scores on the ground. Johnny Richardson is also explosive, carrying the ball for 441 yards and one score while averaging an eye-popping 8.3 yards per carry.

    Plumlee only adds to the treat, as he’s rushed the ball 19 times for 163 yards and a touchdown in three appearances in 2023.

    Malzahn mixes in plenty of pre-snap eye candy and leans on his experienced offensive line, which was one of 23 units named to the 2023 Joe Moore Award mid-season honor roll this week, to try and confuse opposing defenses.

    And the Knights don’t teams much time to adjust, either.

    Despite leaning so heavily on the run, Malzahn’s offense operates at a lighting-fast pace.

    UCF averages 28 minutes in possession through six games, which ranks 94th-overall in the FBS.

    Oklahoma boasts the No. 29 rushing defense in the country, as the UCF ground game will represent a big challenge for Brent Venables’ defense.

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    FB - John Rhys Plumlee, UCF Knights

    Despite only playing in three games this year, UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee has thrown four interceptions. 

    While the Knights have zipped up and down the field, they have struggled to hold onto the football.

    UCF has posted a minus-five turnover margin halfway through the season, a loses the takeaway battle by an average of -0.83 turnovers per game (which ranks 118th).

    Life hasn’t been much better with Plumlee starting, either.

    He’s thrown four interceptions on 61 passes in 2023, tossing two apiece against Kent State and Boise State.

    The Sooners aren’t a group teams can afford to be careless around, either.

    Oklahoma’s plus-11 margin is tied with Penn State as the best mark in the nation, and the Sooners have 12 interceptions to their name halfway through the regular season.

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    FB - Devin Neal, Kansas Jayhawks, UCF Knights

    Kansas running back torched UCF in the Knights' last outing, rushing for 154 yards and one score on just 12 carries. 

    UCF’s greatest strength on offense has been the Achilles heel for the Knights defense.

    Teams have rushed for 197.2 yards per game against the UCF defense this year, which ranks No. 120 out of 130.

    In the Knights’ last outing, Kansas rushed for 399 yards en route to a 51-22 win in Lawrence.

    The Sooners are coming off their most impressive rushing performance, too.

    With quarterback Dillon Gabriel leading the way, OU ran for 201 yards against Texas.

    Oklahoma has a propensity to get out in front early, too.

    OU has outscored opponents 98-23 in the first quarter this season, and Venables’ team has only trailed for 12 minutes and 11 seconds of the 360 minutes of action in 2023.

    If the Sooners get in front early as they’ve done so many times this year, UCF could struggle to dig out of the hole due to its inability to line up and stop the run. 

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