Huntington, WV (Sports Network) - Quincy McDuffie returned two kickoffs for
touchdowns and Latavius Murray scored four touchdowns as the UCF Knights
defeated the Marshall Thundering Herd, 54-17, in Conference USA action at Joan
C. Edwards Stadium.
McDuffie became the first player in C-USA history to return two kickoffs for
scores in the same game. Murray rushed for 156 yards and three scores while
adding another touchdown receiving for UCF (6-2, 4-0 C-USA), which has won
four in a row. Blake Bortles completed 15-of-21 passes for 277 yards with two
touchdowns and two interceptions for the Knights.
For Marshall (3-5, 2-2), Rakeem Cato was busy under center, completing 35-
of-62 passes for 298 yards and a pair of scores. Ten different players caught
a pass for the Herd, led by Tommy Shuler (eight catches, 64 yards), but they
only gained 66 yards rushing on 36 attempts.
Marshall opened up the scoring midway through the first quarter with a 43-yard
field goal off the foot of Justin Haig, but the Knights responded on the
ensuing kickoff as McDuffie returned it 97 yards for a score to go up, 7-3.
UCF extended its lead five and a half minutes into the second quarter on a
two-yard rushing touchdown from Murray. Later in the quarter, Bortles
connected with Jeff Godfrey on a 16-yard touchdown to further pad its
advantage.
Murray struck again later in the quarter, this time on a 75-yard touchdown
run, as the Knights further extended their lead, 27-3.
The Thundering Herd tacked on a touchdown in the final minute of the second
half. Cato connected with Antavious Wilson on a 15-yard touchdown pass
to make it 27-10 in favor of USF heading into halftime.
The Knights picked up right where they left off to start second half, as
McDuffie opened up the third quarter with another kickoff return for a
touchdown, this time for 98 yards.
Murray got involved in the receiving game later in the third quarter, hauling
in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bortles to give UCF a 30-point lead. It
continued to pile on later in the quarter with a 42-yard touchdown run from
Murray.
Marshall would score a touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard
pass from Cato to Gator Hoskins, but UCF would close out the scoring late in
the frame with a 21-yard touchdown rush from Brynn Harvey
UCF has become bowl eligible for the fifth time in the last eight seasons.
GAME NOTES:
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