1989 UCF Knights football team

American college football season

1989 UCF Knights football

Conference| Independent
Record| 7–3
Head coach|

* Gene McDowell (5th season)

Offensive coordinator| Mike Kruczek (5th season)
Defensive coordinator| Rusty Russell (1st season)
Home stadium| Florida Citrus Bowl

Seasons

<- 1988

1990 ->

1989 NCAA Division II independents football records

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| Conf |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. T–12 New Haven |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 19 American International |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
UCF |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Saint Mary's |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 0
Wofford |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Central Connecticut |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Springfield |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Southern Connecticut State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Michigan Tech |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 7  | - | 0
Kentucky State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll

The 1989 UCF Knights football season was the eleventh for the team. It was Gene McDowell's fifth season as the head coach of the Knights. The season marked UCF's last in Division II, as the Knight would move to Division I-AA in 1990. The team posted an overall record of 7-3 in 1989 but failed to make the Division II Playoffs.[1]

As a Division II team in 1989, UCF defeated multiple Division I-AA teams, including two nationally ranked schools. On October 28, UCF upset No. 9 Liberty (I-AA), and two weeks later on November 11,[2] defeated No. 4 Eastern Kentucky (I-AA).[3] Against Eastern Kentucky, quarterback Rudy Jones led a fourth quarter comeback, throwing two touchdown passes to lift the Knights to a 20-19 victory.

The team played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in Downtown Orlando. During the decade of the 1980s, the Knights compiled an overall record of 47-59-1 (.443)[4]

## Schedule[edit]

The Florida Citrus Bowl, the Knights' home field Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 1| Bethune–Cookman|

* Florida Citrus Bowl
* Orlando, FL

| L 15–23| 23,620|
September 9| Valdosta State|

* Florida Citrus Bowl
* Orlando, FL

| W 35–14| 18,046|
September 16| at Troy State|

* Veterans Memorial Stadium
* Troy, AL

| L 6–20| 8,000| [5]
September 23| Newberry|

* Florida Citrus Bowl
* Orlando, FL

| W 30–3| 8,316|
September 30| at North Alabama|

* Braly Municipal Stadium
* Florence, AL

| W 17–16| 5,500|
October 7| East Tennessee State|

* Florida Citrus Bowl
* Orlando, FL

| W 34–0| 12,072|
October 21| at No. 2 Georgia Southern|

* Paulson Stadium
* Statesboro, GA

| L 17–31| 19,640|
October 28| No. T–9 Liberty|

* Florida Citrus Bowl
* Orlando, FL

| W 33–30| 15,095|
November 11| No. 4 Eastern Kentucky|

* Florida Citrus Bowl
* Orlando, FL

| W 20–19| 17,506|
November 18| Texas Southern|

* Florida Citrus Bowl
* Orlando, FL

| W 49–12| 14,082| [6]

* Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

[7]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "UCF Develops Winning Ways: Part 4 of 8 – The History of UCF Football". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. July 10, 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
2. ^ Eastern Kentucky (8-1) At Ucf (5-3)
3. ^ 2006 UCF Knights Football Media Guide
4. ^ "2011 UCF Football Yearbook". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
5. ^ "Troy marches by error-prone UCF". The Orlando Sentinel. September 17, 1989. Retrieved November 11, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "It's curtains for Tigers as Knights bow out of NCAA II". The Orlando Sentinel. November 19, 1989. Retrieved June 11, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Final 1989 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 12, 2023.

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UCF Knights football

Venues|

* Citrus Bowl (1979–2006)
* FBC Mortgage Stadium (2007–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Cincinnati
* South Florida

Culture & lore|

* Civil Conflict
* Knightro
* "Charge On"
* Marching Knights
* Kernkraft 400

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Alumni
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1979
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National championship seasons in bold

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