The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • C8

Orlando Sentinel: PRODUCT: OS DESK: SPT DATE: 10-09-2005 EDITION: FLA ZONE: FLA PAGE: C8.0 DEADLINE: 20.5 OP: ahuff COMPOSETIME: 09.30 CMYK C8 Orlando Sentinel UCF 38, MEMPHIS 17 3rd time charming Pj THE BUZZ Memphis has a whale of a time before game Memphis is scheduled to return to Orlando in 2007, and it's probably a good bet Tigers Coach Tommy West won't take his team back to Sea-World. West pointed the team to the theme park on Friday after it landed, and by all accounts the Tigers had a great time. In fact, a whale trainer struck a Heisman pose atop Shamu's nose in honor of Tigers tailback DeAngelo Williams, who is chasing the coveted trophy. But the Tigers were subpar on Saturday, and Williams missed the start of the second half because of dehydration. He needed an IV in the locker room at the break.

He finished with 136 yards the 28th 100-yard game of his career but was "held" to 60 in the decisive second half. "We have a lot of injuries, we have a lot of excuses, but we have to grow up," West said. A 2-man show If it seemed as if UCF's passing game was a two-man show Saturday, impressions weren't deceiving. The Golden Knights threw for 290 yards, all from QB Steven Moffett to only two receivers, Mike Walker and Brandon Marshall. "Man, we're so close we're like brothers," said Walker, who had 1 0 catches for a career-high 1 57 yards and a touchdown.

"We worked so hard in the offseason, we're just happy it's paying off." Marshall caught only four passes but two went for scores (69 and 38 yards). The 69-yarder was a career-long, and he finished with a career-high 133 yards. For starters Saturday marked a significant pinnacle for DTBryan Gabourel. He made his first career start, replacing Frisner Nelson. A junior from Oakland, Gabourel never played high school football and only took up the sport after a friend suggested they tryout for a junior-college team.

Gabourel transferred to UCF this summer. Two other Knights logged their first career starts: fullback Neal Bittong and tight end Mike Mer-ritt. Kicking it around Matt Prater kept his job as the Knights' chief field-goal kicker but he again missed a chip shot. Prater was wide right on a 27-yard attempt in the second quarter. It would have given UCF a 1 7-0 lead, though holder John Brown protested the call.

To him, the kick looked like it sneaked inside the right upright. Prater later made a 23-yarder, was 6-for-6 on extra points and booted seven touchbacks on kickoffs. Etc. There were six scouts at the game to watch DeAngelo Williams, although Atlanta Falcons scout Boyd Dowler said his primary task was to pay attention to the Knights UCF likes to talkabout Moffett's fourth-quarter statistics, but lately he's a first-quarter man. He's 1 0-for-1 0 for 204 yards and three touchdowns in the first period of the past two games.

ALAN SCHMADTKE PHOTOS BY BOBBY COKERORLANDO SENTINEL UCF's Josh Sitton gestures his approval to the home crowd after Saturday's victory against Memphis. The Knights are now 2-0 in Conference USA. Run game lifts UCF to another win SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2005 "Our offense, they kept our legs fresh," defensive end Paul Carrington said. "They were on the field all night." They were also productive when they were on it, including the rushing, the 551 total yards, the 38 points and a 9-of-15 conversion rate on third down. The yardage total is UCF's most against a Division I-A opponent since 2002.

The Knights were so concerned about Memphis' blitzing 3-3-5 defense that they kept in seven and eight blockers to protect Moffett. He was sacked only once. "Too good to be true," he said of an offense that had no turnovers. All who remember a UCF offense that couldn't make a first down by handing the ball off on third-and-short, stand up and raise your hand. Then digest this: Saturday night the Knights ran right at Memphis (2-3, 0-2) and kept moving the chains.

There was no trickery, no sleight of hand. According to UCF Coach George O'Leary, the Knights used five running plays all night. "Physically, we got it handed pretty good to us," Memphis Coach Tommy West said. Williams' highlight came in a 14-7 game with the Tigers backed up. On second-and-2 at his 22, he broke off a reverse-field, career-long 76-yard burst in which the Knights seemingly had him snared for a loss.

The next time the Knights saw Williams, who needed extra fluids to combat dehydration, they were ahead21-14. Alan Schmadtke can be reached at aschmadtkeorlandosentinel.com. yardage which came with 2:27 remaining before the half. But the play might have caused Memphis more harm than good in the long run. After the big gain, Williams, who had been breathing heavily, lumbered off the field.

Dehydrated, he took intravenous fluids at halftime and missed the first two series of the second half. "Before I ran the ball for the long run they said I didn't look like myself out there," he said. "I didn't know it was going to be this hot tonight. I forgot I was in Florida, I guess." Andrew Carter can be reached at acarterborlandosentinel.com. after going winless.

mm By ALAN SCHMADTKE SENTINEL STAFF WRITER If DeAngelo Williams runs to New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist in December, he can show a highlight from his time in Orlando. But there's only one. And he won't be able to show a victory. UCF hemmed in Memphis' star running back with a wary, invigorated defense and kept him off the field with its most complete offensive game in three years, stunning the Tigers 38-17 Saturday at the Florida Citrus Bowl. Not only did Williams not record a Conference USA record for consecutive 200-yard rushing games, he was outgained by UCF's Kevin Smith in a game the Golden Knights someday might use for their offensive clinics.

"My philosophy since I was a young guy has been pass to score, run to win," UCF offensive coordinator Tim Salem said. "That was it tonight." Pass to score: Quarterback Steven Moffett threw touchdown passes of 20, 69 and 38 yards for the Knights (3-2, 2-0 Conference USA East) Run to win: Smith became UCF's first freshman runner in 13 seasons to record back-to-back 100-yard games. His 164 yards on 31 carries exemplified a workmanlike night, with no gain longer than 19 but no ground surrendered, either. That was the icing before a disbelieving but delirious 20,562. The cake was the Knights' team rushing, 261 yards, one of the two pillars on which this game was won.

"Our game plan was to es- Memphis' By ANDREW CARTER SENTINEL STAFF WRITER DeAngelo Williams' longest run Saturday against UCF came near the end of the first half. The Memphis senior started left, escaped several tacklers, switched to his right, dodged another tackle, ran up the right sideline and didn't stop until he ran out of speed 2 yards short of the goal line. His second-longest run came after the Golden Knights handed the Tigers a 38-17 loss. Williams, who entered the game as the nation's leading rusher, jogged 30 or so yards from the Memphis sideline to the locker room, beating every one of his FIRST QUARTER UCF Wilcox 6 run (Prater kick), 10:26. Drive: 80 yards, 11 plays, 4:34.

Key plays: Walker 28 pass from Walker to midfield, Wilcox9 run on third-and-3 from the Memphis 15. UCF Walker 20 pass from Moffett (Prater kick), 6:20. Drive: 69 yards, plays, 2:19. Key plays: Walker 14 pass from Moffett and Smith 19 run to Memphis 36, Smith 4 run on third-and-3 from Mem- phis 29. SECOND QUARTER MEM Doss 9 run (Gostowski kick), 5:00.

Drive: 48 yards, 7 plays, 2:19. Key play: Williams 9 screen pass from Avery on third-and-6 at UCF 31 MEM Doss 1 run (Gostowski kick), 1:34. Drive: 86 yards, 4 plays, 1:18. Key play: Williams 76 run to UCF's 2. THIRD QUARTER UCF Marshall 69 pass from Moffett, 12:02.

Drive: 59 yards, 3 plays. Key play: None. MEM FG Gostkow-ski 40, 8:23. Drive: 57 yards, 10 plays, 3:59. Key plays: Avery 30 run on end around, false start and Mem UCF 1st downs 14 26 Rush-Yds 32-221 57-261 Passing C-A-l Int.

Return Yds Punts-Avg. Fumbles Pen-Yds Time 290 14-21 0 37 3-42 0-0 8-75 38:19 14-23 1 4 5-46 0-0 5-40 21:41 holding penalties on Memphis to move Tigers out of red zone. FOURTH QUARTER UCF Smith 1 run (Prater kick), 14:58. Drive: 80 yards, 16 plays, 8:25. Key plays: Walker 11 pass from Moffett on third-and-2, Smith 10 carries for 41 yards, including two third-down conversions.

UCF Marshall 38 pass from Moffett (Prater kick), 12:59. Drive: 40 yards, 3 plays, :53. Key play: Venson 37 interception return to the Memphis 40. UCF FG Prater 23, 3:35. Drive: 64 yards, 12 plays, 8:31 Key plays: Peters 14 run, Walker 21 pass from Moffett on third-and-7, Smith runs of 7 and 9 yards.

A 20,652. MEMPHIS INDIVIDUALS UCF INDIVIDUALS UCF's Mike Walker celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against Memphis. The Golden Knights have won 3 games in a row. tablish the run game," Smith said. "We did what we were supposed to do." The other pillar, slowing or stopping Williams, was aided mightily by an offense that simply put this game on its shoulders and kept its legs moving.

RECAP The UCF offense looked impressive in a 38-1 7 victory against Memphis on Saturday. Steven Moffett completed 14 of 21 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns, Kevin Smith ran for 164 yards on 31 carries and Mike Walker (1 0 catches, 1 57 yards) and Brandon Marshall (4-1 33) both set career highs for receiving yards. The turning point After Memphis cut the Knights' lead to 21-1 7 with a field goal with 8 minutes, 25 seconds left in the third quarter, UCF went on a 1 6-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 8:25 and ended with Kevin Smith's 1-yard touchdown run. Unsung heroes UCF tight ends Darcy Johnson, Mike Merritt and Antonio Elde-mire provided added protection against Memphis' blitz on nearly every play, which helped the offense control the game. Key injuries UCF Cedric Gagne-Marcoux left with a mild concussion but returned in the second half.

Jason Venson got the breath knocked out of him in the second half and returned. Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams suffered dehydration at halftime and missed the first two offensive series of the second half. Looking ahead The Knights might face the most physical team on their schedule when they travel to Southern Miss on Saturday. Media covering Conference USA picked the Golden Eagles to win the East Division. Final word "We physically got whipped." Memphis Coach Tommy West ALAN SCHMADTKE The Bottom Line: 7 E.

E. 1 Williams struggles for UCF held the ball for 38 minutes, 19 seconds, nearly twice that of Memphis. Williams had 136 yards, his first game in the past four below 200, but he had only 15 carries. He couldn't get the ball because he couldn't get on the field. aged almost 10 yards per carry.

But UCF limited the success of the explosive back, especially early in the game. Williams didn't gain more than a yard on any carry until the 11 -minute, 29-second mark of the second quarter. By then, UCF was ahead by two touchdowns. The limited number of touches frustrated Williams who carried the ball just 14 times more than anything the Knights did. "In the first half, we ran the ball what, nine, 10 times?" Williams said.

"It was real tough to get into a rhythm Williams briefly returned to form with the 76-yard run, Player All Yds Avg D. Williams 14 136 9.7 Avery 4 38 9.5 Doss 9 33 3.7 Williams 1 8 8.0 Barefield 4 6 1.5 PASSING Player A I Yd Barefield 13 22 1 71 Avery 110 9 RECEIVING Player All Yds Avg Scott 5 35 7.0 Jones 4 29 7.2 D. Williams 2 16 8.0 Williams 1 0 0.0 Doss 1 0 0.0 Avery 1 0 0.0 DEFENSIVE STATISTICS Player UT TT Int. Sck B.McDnld 9 10 0 0 Smith 8 10 0 0 Baker 7 10 0 0 Goodwell 8 9 0 0 Clenin 5 6 0 1 Snyder 4 5 0 0 Collins 4 4 0 0 West 2 3 0 0 McCraney 2 2 0 0 Kasser 2 2 0 0.5 Chambers 2 2 0 0 Patterson 2 2 0 0 Jackson 0 2 0 0 Player Atl Yds Avg Smith 31 164 5.3 Peters 11 52 4.7 Wilcox 14 49 3.5 Moffett 1 -4 4.0 PASSING Player A I Yd RECEIVING Player Atl Yds Avg Walker 10 157 15.7 Marshall 4 133 33.2 DEFENSIVE STATISTICS Player UT TT Int. Sck Venson Burnett Cook Neal Richards Sandy Welsh Reid Watkins Crrngtn Shologan Rashad 7 7 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hogue 1 tackle: Parkes, Johnson, Baker.

tackle: Williams, Rufus, Farrar, Grant, Gibson, Russell, Lopez, Brewer, C. McDonald The Golden Knights are teammates to the door. Williams dominated defenses for more than 200 yards in each of his past three games but finished with 136 against the Knights, who made no secret of their primary defensive target. On the cover of UCF's weekly game plan was Williams, who might as well have been carrying a bull's-eye instead of a football. "Coach told us all week, focus on No.

20," UCF defensive tackle Kareem Reid said. "Stop him, beat Memphis. We told ourselves that we were going to get after him. Except that one run, we did OK." The Knights didn't necessarily stop Williams, who still aver 1 the 3rd team in the past 55 years to win 3 games in a row one season.