1986 UCF Knights football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1986
| team = UCF Knights
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 6–5
| head_coach = Gene McDowell
| hc_year = 2nd
| off_coach = Mike Kruczek
| oc_year = 2nd
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Bruce Bennett
| dc_year = 1st
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
}}
{{1986 NCAA Division II independents football records}}
The 1986 UCF Knights football season was the eighth season for the team. It was Gene McDowell's second season as the head coach of the Knights. McDowell's 1986 team compiled a 6–5 overall record.{{cite web | url=http://ucfathletics.cstv.com/genrel/071007aab.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120043726/http://ucfathletics.cstv.com/genrel/071007aab.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-01-20 | publisher=University of Central Florida Athletics Association | title=UCF Develops Winning Ways: Part 4 of 8 – The History of UCF Football | date=2007-07-10 | accessdate=2011-12-24 }}
The Knights competed as an NCAA Division II Independent. The team played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in Downtown Orlando. The Knights nearly earned their first-ever victory against a Division I-A team. On October 11, they fell 9-6 at Wichita State, on a miserable, soggy, afternoon after missing an extra point and two botched field goal attempts. It proved to be the Shockers' final football victory; less than two months after the game, Wichita State announced it was disbanding its program.
Schedule
File:Citrus Bowl aerial view.jpg, the Knights' home field]]
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1986
| rankdivision = NCAA Division II
| poll = NCAA Division II Football Committee
| timezone = Eastern
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 6
| w/l = w
| opponent = Bethune–Cookman
| site_stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
| site_cityst = Orlando, FL
| score = 26–14
| attend = 23,041
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-central-florida-beats-b/154884385/|work=The Miami Herald|title=Central Florida beats Bethune, 26–14|date=September 7, 1986|accessdate=September 8, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 13
| w/l = w
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1986|team=West Georgia Braves|title=West Georgia}}
| site_stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
| site_cityst = Orlando, FL
| score = 34–21
| attend = 10,125
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 20
| w/l = w
| rank = 18
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1986|team=Valdosta State Blazers|title=Valdosta State}}
| opprank = 20
| site_stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
| site_cityst = Orlando, FL
| score = 10–7
| attend = 12,056
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 27
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Akron
| site_stadium = Rubber Bowl
| site_cityst = Akron, OH
| score = 17–20
| attend = 12,186
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/florida-today-second-half-blues-in-ohio/160443651/|work=Florida Today|title=Second-half blues in Ohio|date=September 28, 1986|accessdate=December 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 4
| w/l = w
| opponent = Murray State
| site_stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
| site_cityst = Orlando, FL
| score = 38–25
| attend = 13,086
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-ucf-makes-believer/143965581/|work=The Orlando Sentinel|title=UCF makes believer of Murray State, 38–25|date=October 5, 1986|accessdate=March 23, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 11
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Wichita State
| site_stadium = Cessna Stadium
| site_cityst = Wichita, KS
| score = 6–9
| attend = 4,167
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72131934/ucfs-upset-bid-booted-by-3-field-goals/|work=The Orlando Sentinel|title=UCF's upset bid booted by 3 field goals in rain|date=October 12, 1986|accessdate=February 26, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 18
| w/l = l
| away = y
| rank = 19
| opponent = Eastern Kentucky
| site_stadium = Roy Kidd Stadium
| site_cityst = Richmond, KY
| score = 24–51
| attend = 12,200
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-ucf-looks-for-the-b/143961281/|work=The Orlando Sentinel|title=UCF looks for the best and gets the worst in loss|date=October 19, 1986|accessdate=March 23, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 25
| w/l = l
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1986|team=Wofford Terriers|title=Wofford}}
| site_stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
| site_cityst = Orlando, FL
| score = 28–31
| attend = 23,760
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 1
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = VMI
| site_stadium = Alumni Memorial Field
| site_cityst = Lexington, VA
| score = 38–9
| attend = 3,200
| source = {{cite news|title=UCF king of the road in victory over VMI|date=November 2, 1986|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94240206/ucf-king-of-the-road-in-victory-over-vmi/|accessdate=February 4, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 8
| w/l = l
| opponent = Georgia Southern
| opprank = 5 (I-AA)
| site_stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
| site_cityst = Orlando, FL
| score = 23–33
| attend = 11,137
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 15
| w/l = w
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1986|team=Samford Bulldogs|title=Samford}}
| site_stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl
| site_cityst = Orlando, FL
| score = 66–7
| attend = 6,176
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1986 Division II Cumulative Football Statistics Report |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/128/stats/13493 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=June 12, 2023 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{UCF Knights football navbox}}
Category:UCF Knights football seasons
{{collegefootball-1986-season-stub}}