Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: A little insight about UCF, Dillon Gabriel’s former team

By Chip Rouse

Sep 17, 2021; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Dillon Gabriel (11) looks to pass against the Louisville Cardinals during the first quarter at Cardinal Stadium. Louisville defeated Central Florida 42-35. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2021; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Dillon Gabriel (11) looks to pass against the Louisville Cardinals during the first quarter at Cardinal Stadium. Louisville defeated Central Florida 42-35. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The 2023 Oklahoma football season continues on Saturday following a bye week. The Sooners’ opponent is the University of Central Florida, more familiarly known by the three-letter acronym UCF.

UCF is not only a newcomer to the Big 12 Conference this season, but this is also the first time the Knights have faced Oklahoma in football. A big reason for that is UCF, located in Orlando, Florida, has been in existence for just 60 years, founded in 1963. The Knights did not have a varsity football program until 1979.

UCF’s all-time football record is 290-229 (.559). The school was a member of the American Athletic Conference for 11 years (2013-2022) before joining the Big 12.

The Knights were a combined 86-41 as members of the AAC and are 3-3 overall but 0-3 in Big 12 play through the first half of the 2023 season.

Oklahoma and UCF have never met on the football field, but the two schools do have a football connection. Sooner second-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel began his collegiate career at UCF. In two seasons and part of a third, Gabriel threw for over 8,000 yards and 70 touchdowns. In his freshman season at UCF, Gabriel was coached by offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, now Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. That season, UCF was second in the country in total offense, averaging 540 yards per game.

The head coach at UCF in Gabriel’s first two seasons was Josh Heupel, former Oklahoma quarterback and later offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops.

The current head coach at UCF is Gus Malzahn, Malzahn, in his third season with the Knights, was head coach of the Auburn Tigers in 2016, which faced Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl that season. Baker Mayfield and the No. 7 Sooners prevailed in that bowl game, defeating No. 17 Auburn 35-19.

UCF celebrated its best season in program history in 2017, going undefeated at 13-0 under head coach Scott Frost, who preceded Josh Heupel, and laying unofficial claim to the national championship (actually awarded to Alabama that year) as the only undefeated team in the country.

Home/OU Football