Fresh off the Knights’ win over BYU, we look at the Top 25 wins in program history, including a couple that just barely missed the list.

OLI – UCF 30, Boston College 3 (Sept 10, 2011)

September 10, 2011, marked a very special and emotional day both on and off the field. Most of the sold-out crowd was honoring BC Lacrosse player Welles Crowther and all of the victims of 9/11 by wearing red bandanas. On the field, the Knights beat Boston College, led by future NFL star linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was famously trucked into the endzone by Quarterback Jeff Godfrey.

25 years ago today, former Boston College player and American hero Welles Crowther gave his life saving others during the September 11 attacks.

Survivors remembered a mysterious “man in a red bandana” emerging through the smoke, leading people to safety, carrying the injured, and repeatedly going back to help anyone he could.

Ten years later, on the eve of the anniversary, Boston College came to play in Orlando. Just days earlier, ESPN had aired a feature telling the country the story of Welles and his sacrifice.

Moved by his story, UCF students organized an effort to fill the Bounce House with red bandanas. That night, 45,671 people packed the stadium, wearing red in honor of his bravery.

Crowther’s sisters were in attendance, and were recognized on the field as tens of thousands of fans raised red bandanas in Welles’ memory.

Since that night, Boston College annually plays a Red Bandanna Game, honoring Welles with special uniforms and tributes.

On this 25th anniversary, take a moment to remember the bravery and sacrifice of the heroes of September 11 — the ones whose stories we know, and the countless others whose stories we may never know.

Never forget. 🇺🇸

— Barstool SpaceU (@UCFStool) September 11, 2026

OLI – UCF 16, Marshall 6 (Oct 8, 2011)

Running back Brynn Harvey rushed 30 times for 180 yards, and quarterback Jeff Godfrey threw his first passing touchdown of the season as the Knights held on to beat Marshall, 16-6, in a game that was played in a steady downpour that started the night before and continued all day Saturday, intensifying throughout the game. According to weather records, 7-plus inches of rain fell on game day, making it the wettest October day in Orlando since 1950. The game is now dubbed the Marshall Monsoon, and it gave George O’Leary his 100th career victory.

25 – UCF 64, Louisiana Tech 30 (Sept 5,1998)

UCF Quarterback Daunte Culpepper Threw for 370 yards and 4 touchdowns while adding 69 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. It was the first win for Mike Kruczek as UCF’s Head Coach.

24 – UCF 31, Houston 29 (Nov 5, 2005)

UCF totaled 495 yards of offense and stopped a Houston drive with the game on the line to earn a 31-29 Conference USA victory over the Cougars to become bowl-eligible. UCF led 24-10 with 8:40 to go in the third quarter, but the Cougars rallied and scored three touchdowns in the game’s final 18 minutes. Houston had the ball on its own 45-yard line with 1:29 remaining, but senior Paul Carrington sacked Kevin Kolb, and Kolb then threw three incomplete passes.

23 – UCF 39, Temple 36 (Nov 16, 2013)

The game is famous for a late touchdown pass from QB Blake Bortles to WR J.J. Worton, who made a miraculous one-handed, behind-the-back diving catch in the end zone. Bortles did not even see the catch as he was hit immediately after he let the ball go.UCF would go on to win on a 24-yard field goal on the final play.

22 – UCF 36, Boise State 31 (Sept 2, 2021)

It took two days for UCF to win the game: after enduring a lightning delay that pushed back the UCF football team’s season-opening kickoff against Boise State on Sept. 2, the Knights rallied to a 36-31 victory to start the Gus Malzahn era. The game eventually wrapped up at 1:26 a.m. on Sept. 3

Throwback Thursday: The 2021 @UCF_Football season starts vs Boise with an ominous monsoon cloud looking on. The Epic Game & @CoachGusMalzahn’s 1st at UCF spanned 2 Days ending Sunday @ 1:26 AM with a Knights’ comeback Victory 36-31 ⚔️🏈⚔️
pic credit: Sahid Alpizar https://t.co/Uv27NwdCFV

— UCFacts ✌🏽A Gritty Inclusive UnderDog Culture (@Facts_UCF) June 15, 2023

21 – UCF 34, Penn State 31 (Sept 14, 2013)

Blake Bortles passed for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns, marking UCF’s first-ever win against a Big Ten opponent. The Knights improved to a 3–0 start and went on to a historic 12-win season and Fiesta Bowl championship.

20 – UCF 23, Marshall 13 (Sept 24, 2005)

UCF defeated Marshall 23-13 to snap the nation’s longest losing streak at 17 games.

Throwback Thursday: 21 seasons ago, @UCF_Football fans tore down the Goalposts at the Citrus Bowl after ending the longest college football losing streak in the country @ 17 games by beating Marshall. The posts somehow made it back 13 miles to campus and ended up in the Reflecting Pond – Epic ⚔️
Pic Credit: @UCFSports

— UCFacts ✌🏽A Gritty Inclusive UnderDog Culture (@Facts_UCF) July 16, 2026

19 – UCF 10, Georgia 6 (Dec 31, 2010) Liberty Bowl

When sophomore safety Kemal Ishmael batted down a Hail Mary pass that seemed to hang in the air, it gave the Knights the first bowl win in program history as UCF defeated Georgia10-6. Sophomore tailback Latavius Murray was the game’s MVP, rushing for 104 yards on 18 carries and a 10-yard TD run with 9:01 to play to put the Knights ahead 10-6. They would hold on for good.

18 – UCF 29, Florida 17 (Dec 23, 2021) Gasparilla Bowl

UCF wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe won MVP honors with 85 receiving yards, a 54-yard touchdown catch, and a pivotal 74-yard rush. UCF running back Isaiah Bowser rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns on a Gasparilla Bowl-record 35 carries. It marked UCF’s first victory in program history against Florida.

17 – UCF 31, BYU 24 (OT) (Oct 9, 2014)

UCF came back from a 24-10 deficit to beat BYU in overtime before an ESPN audience. I’ll never forget walking back to the parking lot after the game and running into an exhausted Terrance Plummer, lying on the ground after playing one of the best games any Knight linebacker has ever played. Plummer set a career-high with 17 tackles, plus a sack, 4.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.

16 – UCF 25, Cincinnati 21 (Oct 29, 2022)

This dramatic game went back and forth, with RJ Harvey scoring on a 17-yard run with 48 seconds remaining to hand UCF a 25-21 win over #20 Cincinnati. Quarterback Mikey Keene came in relief for John Rhys Plumlee, who was knocked out of the game late in the first half, and led the Knights’ critical game-winning drive in the final moments.

15 – UCF 37, Houston 32 (Nov 14, 2009)

UCF got its first win over a top-25 team on Homecoming in 2009, beating Kevin Sumlin’s 12th-ranked Houston Cougars, who were then led by star quarterback Case Keenum.

14 – UCF 19, Houston 14 (Nov 9, 2013)

This game turned into a defensive struggle and came down to the most memorable goal-line stand in program history: “keeping the dream alive,” as Marc Daniels said on his radio call of the final play when the Knights’ chances for a BCS bowl berth survived.

13 – UCF 23, USF 20 (Nov 29, 2013)

On Black Friday, USF looked to spoil UCF’s dream of a BCS berth and an AAC title in the first War on I-4 conference game. I was on the sideline in the fourth quarter, standing next to UCFSports.com’s Brandon Helwig and UCF radio sideline reporter Jerry O’Neill, and the Knights played as ugly as they looked (Seriously, what were they thinking with that jersey-helmet combo?). UCF was down 20-16 with five minutes to go. I still remember the play like it was yesterday: Blake Bortles pumps and goes deep to Breshad Perriman for a 52-yard touchdown, putting UCF ahead. It all happened right in front of me. The Knights’ defense closed it out with an interception and wrapped up the AAC regular-season title.

9 yrs ago today 11.29.13 UCF defeated a bad uSf team on Black Fri at the Bounce House. It was ugly combined 8 turnover game with Bortles throwing 2 picks earning a QBR of 28, but Jordan Ozerites’ late Pick sealed our path to our 1st NY6 Bowl in a WI4 thriller.
⚔️🏈⚔️ https://t.co/aHteEFnBEa

— UCFacts ✌🏽A Gritty Inclusive UnderDog Culture (@Facts_UCF) November 29, 2022

12 – UCF 45, Oklahoma State 3 (Nov 11, 2023)

From the opening kickoff, UCF dominated en route to a memorable 45-3 win over 15th-ranked Oklahoma State. It was the Knights’ first top-15 home win since 2009 against No. 12 Houston. It was also UCF’s first-ever home win in the Big 12, and the first time an under-.500 team beat an AP top-15 team by 40 or more points since 1997. R.J. Harvey rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns, vastly outperforming Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon, who came in leading the nation in rushing. It was also UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn’s 100th career win.

11 – UCF 32, East Carolina 30 (Dec 4, 2014)

A 51-yard touchdown pass from Justin Holman to Breshad Perriman as time expired put the Knights in the win column on an improbable finish. Now dubbed the “Hail Perriman”, the win gave the Knights a share of the American Conference Championship

10 – UCF 40, Alabama 38 (Oct 28, 2000)

Mike Hedge snapped it. Jimmy Fryzel held it. Javier Beorlegui kicked it. 37 yards later, UCF had sealed a historic program win over Alabama.

9 – UCF 44, Tulsa 25 (Dec 1, 2007) 2007 C-USA Championship

A magical first year at a new stadium on campus ended with UCF hosting the C-USA Championship Game against Tulsa. Two years earlier, UCF hosted Tulsa in the C-USA Championship at the Citrus Bowl, but the Knights lost and missed the chance for the program’s first-ever conference championship.

This time, however, the game was on campus, and Kevin Smith made sure history would not repeat itself. 24K destroyed Tulsa’s defense and put on one of the greatest single-game performances any Knight has ever had on the gridiron with 284 yards and four TDs. The Knights won the program’s first-ever conference championship, and the celebration was on.

8 – UCF 56, Memphis 41 (Dec 1, 2018) 2018 AAC Championship

One week after McKenzie Milton’s devastating injury at South Florida, the Knights had to rally around Darriel Mack Jr. to beat a Memphis team that was still angry after their 1-point loss to UCF at home earlier in the season. And did they show it in the first half. But the Knights came back from 17 points down to win back-to-back American Athletic Conference Championships and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.

7 – UCF 38, Cincinnati 13 (Nov 17, 2018)

It was the most memorable day on UCF’s campus as ESPN’s College GameDay was on Memory Mall for the Cincinnati-UCF game. Oh, by the way, it was a top-20 match-up between the Bearcats and the Knights on ABC in primetime. UCF put on a show for the national audience with Chris Fowler & Kirk Herbstreit calling the game at The Bounce House. The biggest regular season TV slot in the sport.

6 – UCF 39, BYU 31 (2 OTs) (Oct 24, 2026)

The matchup against BYU was the highest-ranked opponent ever to play in the Bounce House. And despite missing several key starters with injury, the Knights rallied behind a tremendous effort from Quarterback Keyone Jenkins to come out on top in double overtime. After the final whistle, the stadium saw something it had never seen before: a proper field storming.

5 – UCF 38, at Louisville 35 (Oct 8, 2013)

Blake Bortles threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Godfrey with 23 seconds left, and UCF stunned No. 8 Louisville by rallying for a 38-35 victory, coming back from a 28-7 deficit.

Throwback Thursday:
There were so many plays in the 2013 season that were impactful in getting @UCF_Football to our 1st New Years Day Bowl vs Baylor, but there are 2 that Need no Explanation. Couple notes that are often forgotten: the Temple Play came 3 games after the Huge Louisville Win and Bortles ⛵️ took a massive hit so much that Medical staff were taking a look at Blake. The BOAT gave it Up as Did so many on the Great 2013 Team ⚔️1️⃣🖤💛0️⃣⚔️

— UCFacts ✌🏽A Gritty Inclusive UnderDog Culture (@Facts_UCF) September 28, 2023

4 – UCF 52, Baylor 42 2014 (Jan 1, 2014) 2014 Fiesta Bowl

The Knights’ first trip to the Fiesta Bowl was memorable as they beat #6 Baylor 52-42 in the 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The #15 Knights won their third consecutive bowl game and finished the season 12-1, ranked 10th in the country. Junior quarterback Blake Bortles was named Offensive Player of the Game after racking up 301 passing yards and three touchdowns, along with a career-high 93 rushing yards and a touchdown.

3 – UCF 62, Memphis 55 (2 OTs) (Dec 2, 2017) 2017 AAC Championship Game

With a trip to the Peach Bowl and a conference title on the line, Scott Frost’s last game at the Bounce House as UCF head coach became the highest-scoring Conference Championship game ever.

2 – UCF 49, USF 42 (Nov 24, 2017)

It was the most hyped and biggest War on I-4 Game in rivalry history, as the Knights and Bulls met in the biggest game of all time. The winner would advance to the AAC Championship Game – something the Bulls have never accomplished – while the Knights came in looking to go 11-0 in front of a sold-out crowd and massive national TV audience on ABC.

Gonna tweet some great rivalry game moments

Mike Hughes return to keep UCF undefeated + War on I4 https://t.co/ocnogH8q19

— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) November 22, 2021

1 – UCF 34, Auburn 27 (Dec 1, 2018) 2018 Peach Bowl

Behind by 21 points in the second half, the Knights capped a perfect 13-0 season with an upset win over then #7 Auburn. Despite a lackluster first half, Quarterback McKenzie Milton finished 16 of 35, threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns, and earned offensive MVP honors.

Perfection!

UCF completes a 13-0 season in Scott Frost’s finale, taking down Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. https://t.co/sboztDadPh

— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2018