War on I-4: A History of the UCF vs. South Florida Rivalry
The South Florida-UCF football rivalry, also known as the War on I-4, is an American college football rivalry between the South Florida Bulls football team of the University of South Florida and UCF Knights football team of the University of Central Florida. This rivalry has grown into a significant event for both universities, encompassing not just football but several other sports as well.
Origins and Early Discussions
Discussions about scheduling a game between the Knights and Bulls began shortly after South Florida fielded its first NCAA Division I-AA team in 1997. Supporters suggested such a rivalry could help generate interest and revenue for both burgeoning teams. The prospect became more serious when the Bulls entered Division I-A in 2001 and was very popular among fans, but as it would be a non-conference series, difficulties arose.
Conference Realignment and Scheduling
By 2003, serious discussions resumed as both schools had joined conferences - South Florida joined Conference USA (C-USA) in 2001, while UCF joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2002. That year, the schools' athletics directors met and agreed to schedule games for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Subsequently, South Florida joined the Big East, an Automatic Qualifying conference, in 2005, while UCF joined C-USA the same year.
The Bulls won both games, which both drew crowds over 45,000. The series was extended for 2007 and 2008 as part of an agreement with C-USA that the Bulls play a member of the conference annually for five years. South Florida won these games as well, with a 64-12 blowout in 2007 and 31-24 overtime thriller in 2008.
Failed Scheduling and Conference Shifts
The two schools discussed scheduling more games over the next several years, including a failed proposal by South Florida to play at the Citrus Bowl in 2011. In addition, a possible head-to-head matchup at the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl failed to materialize. UCF was admitted to join USF in the Big East Conference in 2011 and was set to begin playing there in the 2013-2014 school year. Conference realignment turned the Big East into the American Athletic Conference prior to the fall 2013 season.
Read also: Florida International University
Thanksgiving Weekend Tradition
Since 2013, the games have been scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend. From 2015 to 2019, the AAC was split into divisions, with both schools placed in the East Division. In 2015, the game was played on Thanksgiving night, and in 2016, the game was played on the Saturday of that week.
The "War on I-4" Trophy and All-Sports Series
Beginning with the 2016 edition, the athletic departments of both universities announced the official recognition of the "War on I-4" rivalry trophy and all-sports series. The winner of the game each year takes possession of a large trophy shaped like the iconic I-4 road sign, which will be displayed on their campus for the following year. Including the base, the trophy measures 4 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. The "road sign" part of the trophy detaches from the base, which has a plaque listing all the previous winners and scores.
For the all-sports series, which also began in 2016, each of the 14 sports in which the Bulls and Knights compete against each other is worth six "points" and the number of points each game is worth depends on the number of regular season meetings between the teams (for example, the football game is worth six points because the teams only meet once in the regular season, but each men's basketball game is worth three points because the teams meet twice in the regular season). For sports like golf and cross country which do not directly compete against each other, the six points are awarded to the higher finisher at the American Athletic Conference championship.
Game Results and Memorable Moments
Since 2005, the Bulls and Knights have played fourteen times. The Knights lead the series, 8-6. The game has been played in two cities and three stadiums: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and Camping World Stadium and FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
2005: South Florida 31, UCF 14
A crowd of 45,139, second largest at the time in South Florida's eight year football history, watched the Bulls build a 21-0 halftime lead on the strength of a relentless running attack that finished with 326 yards. UCF was held to 45 yards rushing and was shut out until Joe Burnett returned a third quarter punt 60 yards to the South Florida 4, setting up Steven Moffett's touchdown run on the next play. One play after Hall nearly scored on a 17-yard run, Pat Julmiste added South Florida's last TD on 1 yard quarterback sneak late in the third quarter. South Florida freshman quarterback Matt Grothe threw for 302 yards, eclipsing Marquel Blackwell's 239 yard game against New Haven in 1999 for the program single game passing record.
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2007: South Florida 64, UCF 12
The Bulls defeated the cross state Knights 64-12 in front of a home crowd announced at 65,948. The Bulls held the Knights to just 145 total yards and Kevin Smith, who came in as the nation's leading rusher at 172 yards per game, to just 55 yards. It would be the only time during the season that a defense held Smith to under 100 yards. South Florida gained 543 total yards-over three times as many as UCF-while holding the ball three fewer minutes than the Knights. UCF scored their only offensive points-a Kyle Israel rush for a touchdown, and a field goal-in the first half.
2008: South Florida 31, UCF 24 (OT)
In what was the final meeting of the War on I-4 for many years, the visiting Bulls downed the Knights 31-24 in a closely contested overtime battle. With UCF trailing 24-10 late in the 4th quarter, quarterback Michael Greco threw two touchdown passes in less than a minute, including passes of 13 yards to Corey Rabazinski and 31 yards to Rocky Ross, to tie the game at 24 with 1:40 remaining in regulation. South Florida won the game when they stopped UCF on a 4th and short in overtime.
2013: UCF 23, South Florida 20
Despite turning the ball over five times, the Knights found a way to earn their first victory in the rivalry against South Florida. Running back Storm Johnson fumbled the ball on UCF's first two drives, including a drop at the Bulls 10 yard line. Trailing with under five minutes left in regulation, UCF quarterback Blake Bortles found wide receiver Breshad Perriman for a 52-yard go ahead touchdown reception. With 1:20 left in the fourth quarter and charging down the field, South Florida quarterback Mike White was intercepted by CB Jordan Ozerities, and he returned the ball 52 yards to the Bulls 37 yard line.
2014: UCF 16, South Florida 0
After a scoreless first quarter, Justin Holman led the Knights on a 17 play, 80 yard scoring drive to open the second quarter. The Knights held the Bulls offense to a three and out on the next series, which was followed by an 8 play, 73 yard scoring drive by UCF capped off by a 21-yard run from Rannell Hall. UCF held South Florida to 200 yards of total offense, 5 yards rushing, and forced three turnovers on downs. The Bulls missed a field goal and were not able to convert on three UCF turnovers.
2015: South Florida 44, UCF 3
After scoring a field goal on their first drive, the Knights were shut out by the Bulls defense. The Bulls held UCF to 203 yards of total offense and caught two interceptions. Scoring 44 unanswered points and gaining 455 offensive yards, South Florida handed UCF their twelfth loss of the season, guaranteeing their second winless campaign since 2004. For the first time since 1995, UCF wore black jerseys and black pants. USF, on the other hand, completed one of the biggest single season turnarounds in college football history to finish 8-4 after a 1-3 start.
Read also: Exploring FIU's Diversity
2016: South Florida 48, UCF 31
The 2016 game was the first official War on I-4 football game and both teams entered the game having already secured bowl eligibility (UCF was 6-5 and USF was 9-2), for the first time since the 2007 meeting. This game is notable for escalating tensions between the two sides.
2017: UCF 49, South Florida 42
The 13th ranked Knights welcomed the 22nd ranked Bulls (9-1) to Spectrum Stadium with the winner of the game claiming the American Athletic Conference East Division title and a spot in the 2017 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game.
2018: UCF 38, South Florida 10
The Knights defeated the Bulls 38-10, however, the game was marred by the devastating, season ending injury to starting quarterback McKenzie Milton. Twice in the first half the Knights stopped the Bulls when they went for it on 4th down. Milton led the Knights on a 97-yard drive capped off by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Davis, and a 7-0 lead. Early in the second quarter, facing a 3rd & 7 at the USF 30, McKenzie Milton scrambled to the right and was upended after a diving tackle by Mazzi Wilkins. Milton suffered a "traumatic" knee injury, and was carted off the field and brought to Tampa General Hospital for surgery. Darriel Mack Jr. took over at quarterback, and despite the pall cast over the game, the Knights rallied behind him to soundly defeat the Bulls. Mack threw for 81 yards in substitute, but it was the running game that took over in the second half. Greg McCrae rushed 181 yards on 16 carries, and three touchdowns.
2019: UCF 34, South Florida 7
The Knights took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in twelve plays, including four third down conversions. Gabe Davis made a leaping catch near the back of the endzone from Dillon Gabriel for the game's first touchdown. Early in the second quarter, Adrian Killins ran for a 35-yard touchdown run to put UCF up 14-0. Gabriel and Davis connected for a second touchdown pass and a 21-0 lead. With under a minute remaining in the half, tempers flared as four players, two on each team, received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. As Killins was being tackled, he grabbed the facemask of USF defensive back Nick Roberts, triggering a big scuffle. The incident came after another pregame skirmish during warm ups. Officials quickly broke things up, and a few moments later, Dylan Barnas kicked a 50-yard field goal. Darriel Mack Jr. took snaps at quarterback in the second half, scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Trailing 34-7, the Bulls drove into Knights territory midway through the fourth quarter. With 5:10 remaining in regulation, facing 4th & Goal at the UCF 3 yard line, Bulls quarterback Jordan McCloud was intercepted by Eriq Gilyard at the 5 yard line.
2020: UCF 58, South Florida 46
The 5-3 Knights came into Tampa as 25.5 point favorites against the 1-7 Bulls, who were missing nine players including starting quarterback Noah Johnson, running back Johnny Ford, and cornerback K.J. Sails because of COVID-19 protocols. USF wasn't deterred though, and took the opening drive 50 yards before failing to convert on a fake field goal. The USF defense forced a quick punt from the Knights, then the sides traded touchdowns. The Knights took a 14-7 lead after their next drive and never looked back. USF missed a 46-yard field goal, which led to a 2 play, 71-yard touchdown drive for UCF. After each team traded punts, USF running back Kelley Joiner fumbled near midfield which led to another UCF touchdown. The Knights received the ball to start the second half, and were quickly forced into a three-and-out. The same happened to the Bulls on their next possession, and then to the Knights again. USF and UCF both scored touchdowns on each of their next two drives, putting the score at 45-28 Knights at the end of the third quarter. After a Bulls field goal, USF's Dwayne Boyles intercepted UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel at the UCF 48 yard line, leading to a 3 play touchdown drive to put the Bulls down by seven points with just over 10 minutes left in regulation. This is the closest USF would come to stealing the lead back though, as they fumbled on their next possession leading to a UCF touchdown.
2021: UCF 17, South Florida 13
The Knights received the opening kickoff and made it all the way down to the USF 18, but UCF kicker Daniel Obarski missed the 35-yard field goal. The Knight defense stood firm and forced a quick punt from the Bulls, and their offense led by backup quarterback Mikey Keene scored a touchdown on the next drive. The Bulls scored a touchdown of their own on the next drive after a 5-yard run by true freshman quarterback Timmy McClain just as time expired in the first quarter. South Florida's defense then forced a quick 3 and out, but the Knights defense did the same on the following drive. On the Knight's next possession, Daniel Obarski missed his second field goal of the game, this time from 45 yards away. Bulls kicker Spencer Shrader did the same on the next Bulls drive, but from 48 yards. The teams traded 3 and outs again, and UCF's Titus Mokiao-Atimalala returned USF's punt all the way down to the Bulls 27 yard line with just over a minute left in the half. The second half started with a Bulls drive culminating in a 41-yard field goal by Spencer Shrader. The USF defense, despite being ranked 119th out of the 130 FBS teams going into the game, forced the Knights into a third 3 and out. Shrader kicked another field goal on the next Bulls drive from 36 yards away to make it a one-point game. The teams traded 3 and outs again as they went in to the fourth quarter. The Knights gave themselves some breathing room after a 32-yard field goal on their next drive, then forced a quick punt from USF. After a short Knights possession, the Bulls got the ball back on their own 16 yard line with just over two minutes left in the game. During a drive which included a 35-yard pass to Xavier Weaver and a 14-yard McClain run on 3rd and long, the Bulls made it down to the UCF 3 yard line with 27 seconds left. With 8 seconds remaining, McClain was sacked at the UCF 9, but he threw the ball as he hit the ground. The ball was caught by UCF defensive back Quadric Bullard, who ran with the ball believing it to be intercepted.
2022: UCF 46, South Florida 39
The final War on I-4 game for the foreseeable future began with UCF receiving the kickoff for a touchback. The Knights scored a touchdown on just the sixth play, capped off by a 64-yard run by quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. The Bulls, with true freshman Byrum Brown (their 4th-string at the beginning of the season before two quarterbacks suffered season ending injuries and one transferred out of the program) making just his second start as their quarterback punted on their next possession. UCF scored another touchdown after getting the ball back to make the score 14-0. On their next drive, the Bulls made it all the way to the UCF 7 yard line before Byrum Brown fumbled, leading to another UCF touchdown. Brown threw an interception on the Bulls next drive and UCF scored another touchdown, making the score 28-0. The Bulls finally got on the board with a touchdown 40 seconds before halftime. The Bulls received the ball to start the second half. UCF's Koby Perry was ejected for targeting on the third play of the half, but soon after the Bulls turned the ball over for the third time after another Byrum Brown fumble, leading to a UCF field goal. The Bulls scored on their next drive after a 68-yard run by Brian Battie, and made a two-point conversion to make the score 31-15. The Knights turned the ball over on their next drive leading to a quick touchdown and two point conversion for the bulls, making the score 31-23. The Knights fumbled again on their next offensive play leading to another Bulls touchdown, but they failed on the two point conversion. The Knights scored on their next drive.
Basketball Rivalry: A Glimpse
The rivalry extends beyond the gridiron and into the basketball court. While comprehensive historical data on the basketball series isn't fully available in the provided text, some data from an ESPN Analytics report offers a glimpse into specific plays and performances.
Key plays and players mentioned include:
- Grecia Ferrer Leal
- Leah Harmon
- Jacorriah Bracey
- Rhema Collins
- Samari Bankhead
- Parris Atkins
- Khyala Ngodu
These names represent just a snapshot of the athletes involved in the basketball aspect of the War on I-4.
Additional Sporting Events
The War on I-4 extends to other sports, with points awarded based on head-to-head competition or, in the case of sports like golf and cross country, the highest finisher at the American Athletic Conference championship. The all-sports series emphasizes the breadth of the rivalry, fostering competition across the universities' athletic programs.
Florida International University (FIU)
While the main focus is UCF vs. USF, Florida International University (FIU) is mentioned in the context of UCF's schedule. Florida International entered a game on the heels of a 43-10 loss at Maryland. Maryland built a 40-10 lead at halftime and finished with a 576-171 advantage in total offense. Florida International used 11 first-time starters in the loss to Maryland, including seven new starters on offense. QB Jake Medlock completed 5 of 15 passes for 26 yards and was sacked three times. QB E.J. Hilliard came on in relief to complete 5 of 7 passes for 54 yards with an interception. RB Lamarq Caldwell rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown.
UCF Basketball
UCF's head coach Johnny Dawkins noted, "Our guys got off to a good start tonight, we beat a team that we knew would be very difficult to play against. A team that presses for 40 minutes in their usual style, and I thought it was great for our guys." Sellers’ standout performance on the offensive end also represented the second time in as many seasons that a Knight has scored 23 points in his debut.
Dawkins said, “Jaylin plays with a lot of spirit and a lot of passion on both sides of the basketball, and gives you great energy and effort every time he’s on the floor. His personality is that he’s fiery, he wants to get after it, and I’m going to roll with that because it helps our team and guys feed off of it." Another Knight appearing in his first contest for UCF, Shemarri Allen, scored seven of his team’s first 10 points of the second half, accompanied by Sellers’ first 3-point shot of the game. Overall, UCF’s 10 players making their Knights debut combined for 61 points, 12 assists and 31 rebounds, and the team as a whole forced 24 turnovers throughout the game, representing the highest total forced by the team since taking away 24 against Memphis.
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