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- The 2021 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida (UCF) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights were led by first-year head coach Gus Malzahn and played their home games at Bounce House in Orlando, Florida. They competed as members of the American Athletic Conference. The Knights started out the season 2–0 with a come-from-behind win against Boise State and a rout of Bethune–Cookman. However, the season was nearly derailed after the team suffered a rash of injuries during a last-minute loss at Louisville. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a season-ending broken clavicle, and by season's end, elected to enter the NCAA's transfer portal, eventually opting to play at Oklahoma. Injuries to running back Isaiah Bowser, defensive tackle Kalia Davis, wide receiver Jaylon Robinson, linebacker Tatum Bethune, center Corey Thornton, and several others, shuffled the starting lineups. Freshman Mikey Keene took over as starting quarterback, winning six of his nine starts, leading the Knights to an 8–4 record regular season (third place in the AAC) and 7–0 at home. The Knights concluded their season by defeating the Florida Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl. The 2021 Knights will be profiled on the ESPN+ documentary Our Time: UCF Football. (en)
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