UCF Season Preview

The long wait is over. The 2024 UCF Football season is finally upon us! It’s that time of the year again when hope is high and the entire season is in front of us. Welcome back, Knight Nation!

This is a big season for a multitude of reasons and I am here to break it all down for you. UCF will embark on Year 2 in the Big 12, facing their toughest schedule to date, entering the season with major changes to the coaching staff and roster. Here is your 2024 UCF Football Season Preview!

Last Season

UCF began their Power Conference journey with a choppy inaugural season. The Knights finished 6-7 overall and 3-6 in conference, which placed them 9th in the Big 12. The season was full of highs and lows, but ultimately was an okay and expected start as they transitioned to the Power 4.

The Highs

Destroying #15 Oklahoma State 45-3 in the annual Space Game.
Winning 3 of their final 4 conference games to become bowl eligible, while also attaining that bowl eligibility in the final game of the season.
Being the only bowl eligible team of the 4 newcomers and finishing with the best record of those four.
RJ Freakin Harvey: Rushing for over 1,400 yards in an absolute monster season was really fun to watch.

Blowing a 35-10 lead to Baylor in the 4th quarter.
Losing multiple close games that were in UCF’s grasp, such as Oklahoma.
The penalties
Some coaching decisions
Injuries
The abysmal run defense
Finishing with just 3 wins in the conference was probably expected but the middle of the season when UCF lost 5 straight games was super rough.
Losing to Georgia Tech in the bowl game.

But, the 2023 season is in the past and we move forward to a new year with renewed expectations.

2024 Preview

UCF had a loud offseason.

As I alluded to, they made multiple coaching changes, brought in a bevy of transfers, landed their best recruiting class in school history and Coach Gus Malzahn emphasized multiple times how unacceptable a 6-7 record at UCF was and that he vowed to make this season way better by going “all in.”