FSU Headed To Championship Game, UCF To Fiesta Bowl

By  //  December 9, 2013

SEE COMPLETE BOWL GAME SCHEDULE BELOW

UCFKnights.com — The 2013 campaign has been a memorable party for UCF fans all season long and the #UCFiesta will continue into 2014 when the Knights travel to Glendale, Ariz., for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl where it will clash with Big 12 champion Baylor Jan. 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

UCFIESTA-435
UCF will enter the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on a school-record eight-game winning streak. The Black and Gold has key victories over then-No. 8/6 Louisville and Penn State en route to an 11-1 record, while it holds a 6-0 mark away from Orlando. Its only loss was a 28-25 decision to then-No. 12/13 South Carolina Sept. 28. (UCFKnights.com image)

Tickets are already on sale for fans looking to sit in great UCF sections at the University of Phoenix Stadium so order online today.

Call the UCF Ticket Office at 407-UCF-1000 starting Sunday from 8:30-10 p.m and visit UCF’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Ticket Central Page.

Sunday’s announcement came exactly 10 years to the day from UCF hiring George O’Leary as its head coach.

BAYLOR RANKED 6TH IN BCS POLL

UCF President John C. Hitt said he is proud that UCF ranks among the nation’s best both on the field and in the classroom.

“Earning a bid to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl is an outstanding way to conclude UCF’s 50th anniversary year,” Hitt said. “Congratulations to George and our `Cardiac Knights’ for their thrilling victories all season.

This will be UCF’s first BCS bowl and its sixth bowl game in the last nine seasons, with its first appearance coming in the 2005 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. (UCFKnights.com image
This will be UCF’s first BCS bowl and its sixth bowl game in the last nine seasons, with its first appearance coming in the 2005 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. (UCFKnights.com image

“I can’t wait to see our fans make the trip to Arizona to cheer on the Knights to conclude such a historic year.”

Coach O’Leary and the Knights claimed the outright American Athletic Conference title, going undefeated in conference play for the first time in school history at 8-0. They already have matched the program record with 11 wins, and are ranked No. 15 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest marks since the program’s inception in 1979.

The Knights have never faced No. 6/5 Baylor on the gridiron, and are 17-9 all-time against teams from the Lone Star State. (UCFKnights.com image)
The Knights have never faced No. 6/5 Baylor on the gridiron, and are 17-9 all-time against teams from the Lone Star State. (UCFKnights.com image)

This will be UCF’s first BCS bowl and its sixth bowl game in the last nine seasons, with its first appearance coming in the 2005 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The Knights along with Baylor, Auburn and Michigan State were four programs who went unranked in the preseason poll but went on to reach a BCS bowl game this year.

UCF will enter the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on a school-record eight-game winning streak. The Black and Gold has key victories over then-No. 8/6 Louisville and Penn State en route to an 11-1 record, while it holds a 6-0 mark away from Orlando. Its only loss was a 28-25 decision to then-No. 12/13 South Carolina Sept. 28.

BAYLOR QB BRYCE PETTY HAS 30 TDs THIS SEASON

The Knights have never faced No. 6/5 Baylor on the gridiron, and are 17-9 all-time against teams from the Lone Star State. The Bears also are 11-1 this year with their lone loss coming at Oklahoma State, and they are coming off a 30-10 win over Texas Dec. 7 which sealed their Big 12 title as they went 8-1 in the league.

Bryce Petty
Bryce Petty

Junior signal-caller Bryce Petty ranks as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, throwing for 30 touchdowns and just two interceptions, all while racking up 3,844 yards. He leads an offense that is first in the FBS with 624.5 total yards per game and 53.3 points per game.

On the other side of the ball, the Bears are 17th in total defense and 19th in scoring defense. Five different players have at least 10.0 tackles for loss and 11 players have notched one interception or more.

In the final BCS standings, UCF stood at No. 15, its highest in the history of the BCS. Baylor checked in at No. 6.

COMPLETE BOWL GAME SCHEDULE

No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn, Jan. 6 at 8:30

The 2013-14 bowl season starts in Albuquerque, N.M., and ends in Pasadena, Calif. Here’s a look at the bowl lineup from the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 21 to the VIZIO BCS National Championship on Jan. 6 in the Rose Bowl.

Bowl Location/Tickets Date/Time Network
Gildan New Mexico
Washington State vs. Colorado State
Albuquerque, N.M.
University Stadium
Dec. 21
2 p.m.
ESPN
Royal Purple Las Vegas
Fresno State vs. USC
Las Vegas
Sam Boyd Stadium
Dec. 21
3:30 p.m.
ABC
Famous Idaho Potato
Buffalo vs. San Diego State
Boise, Idaho
Bronco Stadium
Dec. 21
5:30 p.m.
ESPN
R+L Carriers New Orleans
Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
New Orleans
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Dec. 21
9 p.m.
ESPN
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg
East Carolina vs. Ohio
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Tropicana Field
Dec. 23
2 p.m.
ESPN
Sheraton Hawaii
Boise State vs. Oregon State
Honolulu
Aloha Stadium
Dec. 24
8 p.m.
ESPN
Little Caesars Pizza
Pittsburgh vs. Bowling Green
Detroit
Ford Field
Dec. 26
6 p.m.
ESPN
S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia
Utah State vs. Northern Illinois
San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
Dec. 26
9:30 p.m.
ESPN
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
Marshall vs. Maryland
Annapolis, Md.
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Dec. 27
2:30 p.m.
ESPN
Texas
Syracuse vs. Minnesota
Houston
Reliant Stadium
Dec. 27
6 p.m.
ESPN
Fight Hunger
BYU vs. Washington
San Francisco
AT&T Park
Dec. 27
9:30 p.m.
ESPN
New Era Pinstripe
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame
Bronx, N.Y.
Yankee Stadium
Dec. 28
Noon
ESPN
Belk
Cincinnati vs. North Carolina
Charlotte, N.C.
Bank of America Stadium
Dec. 28
3:20 p.m.
ESPN
Russell Athletic
Miami vs. Louisville
Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl
Dec. 28
6:45 p.m.
ESPN
Buffalo Wild Wings
Michigan vs. Kansas State
Tempe, Ariz.
Sun Devil Stadium
Dec. 28
10:15 p.m.
ESPN
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
Middle Tennessee vs. Navy
Fort Worth, Texas
Amon G. Carter Stadium
Dec. 30
11:45 a.m.
ESPN
Franklin American Mortgage Music City
Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech
Nashville, Tenn.
LP Field
Dec. 30
3:15 p.m.
ESPN
Valero Alamo
Oregon vs. Texas
San Antonio
Alamodome
Dec. 30
6:45 p.m.
ESPN
National University Holiday
Arizona State vs. Texas Tech
San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
Dec. 30
10:15 p.m.
ESPN
AdvoCare V100
Arizona vs. Boston College
Shreveport, La.
Independence Stadium
Dec. 31
12:30 p.m.
ESPN
Hyundai Sun
Virginia Tech vs. UCLA
El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl
Dec. 31
2 p.m.
CBS
AutoZone Liberty
Rice vs. Mississippi State
Memphis, Tenn.
Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31
4 p.m.
ESPN
Chick-fil-A
Duke vs. Texas A&M
Atlanta
Georgia Dome
Dec. 31
8 p.m.
ESPN
TaxSlayer.com Gator
Nebraska vs. Georgia
Jacksonville, Fla.
Everbank Field
Jan. 1
Noon
ESPN2
Heart of Dallas
UNLV vs. North Texas
Dallas
Cotton Bowl
Jan. 1
Noon
ESPNU
Capital One
Wisconsin vs. South Carolina
Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl
Jan. 1
1 p.m.
ABC
Outback
Iowa vs. LSU
Tampa, Fla.
Raymond James Stadium
Jan. 1
1 p.m.
ESPN
Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
Stanford vs. Michigan State
Pasadena, Calif.
Rose Bowl
Jan. 1
5 p.m.
ESPN
Tostitos Fiesta
UCF vs. Baylor
Glendale, Ariz.
U. of Phoenix Stadium
Jan. 1
8:30 p.m.
ESPN
Allstate Sugar
Oklahoma vs. Alabama
New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
Jan. 2
8:30 p.m.
ESPN
Discover Orange
Clemson vs. Ohio State
Miami
Sun Life Stadium
Jan. 3
TBD
ESPN
AT&T Cotton
Oklahoma State vs. Missouri
Arlington, Texas
AT&T Stadium
Jan. 3
7:30 p.m.
FOX
BBVA Compass
Vanderbilt vs. Houston
Birmingham, Ala.
Legion Field
Jan. 4
1 p.m.
ESPN
GoDaddy
Arkansas State vs. Ball State
Mobile, Ala.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Jan. 5
9 p.m.
ESPN
VIZIO BCS National Championship
No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn
Pasadena, Calif.
Rose Bowl
Jan. 6
8:30 p.m.
ESPN