UCF Staying in Orlando for Cure Bowl

The University of Central Florida football team is set to take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves at the AutoNation Cure Bowl in their hometown of Orlando on December 17.

https://twitter.com/UCF_Football/status/805503260836642817

The game will be held in a familiar venue as it will be at Camping World Stadium — the home of the Knights from 1979 to 2006, formerly known as the Citrus Bowl.

“I think it’s wonderful that we get to play here in the great city of Orlando in the stadium UCF played at for a number of years,” head coach Scott Frost said. “I think it’s gonna give us an opportunity to have a lot of fans from the university and from the city to get another chance to see us play.”

Seeking an undefeated 1-0 bowl record in his debut head coaching season, Frost will also look to improve the program to 4-4 in bowl history. Barring a victory against ASU, it would be their first bowl win since the Fiesta Bowl against Baylor in 2013.

This will be the second year for the Cure Bowl, which includes teams from the AAC and the Sun Belt. In the inaugural year of the Cure Bowl, the San Jose State Spartans defeated Georgia State 27-16. Due to lack of bowl eligible teams in the AAC, the Spartans served as the substitute. The bowl is not just a football game though, as it benefits something greater than a game. The proceeds from the Cure Bowl go directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Other Bowl Possibilities

Despite being chosen to play in the Cure Bowl, UCF was in contention for a few others as well. These include the Boca Raton Bowl, the Miami Beach Bowl, the Bahamas Bowl and the St. Pete Bowl.

Reportedly, the UCF administration desperately wanted to participate in the Cure Bowl as opposed to the others for obvious reasons. It gives UCF an opportunity to sell out the stadium since it is in Orlando. It also provides easy travel for the team as the site of the game is just miles from campus. The Cure Bowl representatives also supported the decision of the Knights playing in their bowl.

The Task at Hand

Seeking an undefeated 1-0 bowl record in his debut head coaching season, Frost will also look to improve the program to 4-4 in bowl history. Barring a victory against ASU, it would be their first bowl win since the Fiesta Bowl against Baylor in 2013. This could prove to be a difficult matchup for UCF as the Red Wolves finished the season 7-5 along with earning the title of the Sun Belt Champions. They also hold the No. 2 spot for tackles made for a loss in the FBS accompanied by ranking No. 12 in sacks. Arkansas State is 2-4 all-time in bowl game appearances.

This is Not the First Time

The Knights and Red Wolves met in 1991 when former UCF running back Willie English set the single game record for most rushing yards with 242. The Knights emerged the victor with the final score of 31-20.

Ironically, Arkansas State’s athletic director Terry Mohajir played as the safety for the Red Wolves in that contest.

Kick-off is December 17 at 5:30 p.m. from Camping World Stadium.