Pictures: 2011 UCF vs. UTEP" />Pictures: UCF Knights vs. East Carolina Pirates" />Pictures: 2011 UCF band, fans & cheerleaders" />Pictures: UCF Knights vs. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles" />Pictures: UCF football Media Day 2011" />said. "… As I told the team at the end of the game, I thought they played hard. All year we weren't as successful as we'd like to have been but I do think they played hard and we just came up possession short or a stop short each of those games."
Murray finished the game with 21 carries for 233 yards and two touchdowns. It was the fourth highest single-game rushing total in UCF history. Murray also had two catches for 24 yards and one touchdown.
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"Number 28 was fantastic," UTEP coach Mike Price said of Murray. "He looked likeEric Dickersonthe way he was running the ball all over us."
UCF sophomore quarterbackJeff Godfreytossed an interception on the first play of the game, but the Knights' defense earned a quick stop and the Knights scored on their second possession of the game. UCF never looked back, controlling the tempo the remainder of the contest.
Godfrey passed to senior receiverA.J. Guytonfor a gain of 29 yards, then Murray ran for a 38-yard touchdown. Senior kicker Nick Cattoi hit the extra point to give the Knights a 7-0 lead with 9:31 left in the first quarter.
UCF redshirt freshman backup Blake Bortles came off the bench for the final snap of the first quarter and led the offense for the remainder of the game.
"I really looked at him as giving us the best opportunity to win the game," O'Leary said of Bortles.
Bortles picked up his first career rushing touchdown, plowing in for a 3-yard score. Cattoi hit the extra point to push UCF ahead 14-0 with 10:22 remaining in the second quarter.
UCF's defense dominated the Miners for most of the contest, amassing eight sacks. Senior Josh Linam led the defense with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and one interception.
The Knights still had problems with short-yardage plays in the red zone.
Bortles completed a 43-yard pass to redshirt freshman receiver Josh Reese, moving the ball to the UTEP 3-yard line in the second quarter. The Miners stuffed the Knights three times, then UCF picked up a penalty on what would have been a touchdown pass on fourth down.
UCF opted to settle for a field goal. Cattoi hit the 23-yard attempt, pushing the Knights ahead 17-0 with 3:45 left in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, Bortles completed another strong drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Murray, pushing the Knights ahead 24-0 with 1:19 left in the second quarter.
Bortles started the third quarter, but it was really Murray's show. He took one handoff and ran for 36 yards, then rushed for a 40-yard touchdown two plays later to give the Knights a 31-0 lead with 12:05 left in the third quarter.
UTEP tacked on two late touchdowns, but the Miners couldn't stop Murray from racking up more yards and running time off the clock.
ilimon@tribune.comor 407-650-6353. Read Iliana Limón's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/knightsnotepad.
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