| 2000 UCF Golden Knights football | |
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| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 7–4 |
| Head coach |
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| Defensive coordinator | Gene Chizik (3rd season) |
| Home stadium | Florida Citrus Bowl |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Notre Dame % | – | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | – | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | – | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connecticut | – | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | – | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Lafayette | – | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Monroe | – | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | – | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2000 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Their head coach was Mike Kruczek, who was in his third season with the team. The 2000 season marked the Golden Knights fifth year since ascending to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996.
Quarterback Vic Penn was sidelined after four games with a separated shoulder.[1] Redshirt freshman Ryan Schneider was elevated to starting quarterback, and won his first start, a 31–10 triumph over Eastern Michigan. During the season, UCF recorded its biggest win in program history at the time, when the Golden Knights upset the Alabama Crimson Tide 40–38 during their Homecoming on a last-second field goal by Javier Beorlegui.[2] The victory was part of a mid-season streak where the Golden Knights won six out of seven games.
The season finale was a much-anticipated, nationally televised match-up hosting #8 Virginia Tech. A crowd of 50,220 fans packed the Citrus Bowl, and Hokies quarterback Michael Vick sat out with an ankle injury. Mistakes ruled the day, as Ryan Schneider threw four interceptions, and the Hokies jumped out to a 30–7 halftime lead. Lee Suggs rushed for five touchdowns, as the Knights fell 44–21.[3]
Despite a strong 7–4 record, the Golden Knights were not selected for a bowl at the end of the season. The lack of a conference affiliation worked heavily against UCF's favor,[4] and rumors of a possible invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl never came to fruition.
- ^ Psst! Central Florida has a defense, too
- ^ "UCF Football Flashback – Going on Krucz Control: Part 7 of 8 – The History of UCF Football". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. August 8, 2007. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- ^ USA Today Virginia Tech vs. Central Florida
- ^ Virginia Tech Will Be Ucf's Bowl Game