Stanford Cardinal vs UCF Knights : Predictions, Odds, and How to Watch

Where: Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, FL

When: Saturday, September 14th at 3:30pm EST

How (TV): ESPN

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Headed to the ☀️ State.

? UCF
? Orlando
? Spectrum Stadium
⏰ 12:30 p.m. PT
? @ESPN
? https://t.co/4wzItF4LAl
? https://t.co/YV2y6oy78y
? https://t.co/f7K8FXTz4p
? https://t.co/Z9QNnYKzjd#GoStanford | #NextStartsNow pic.twitter.com/rgCTjLoAmA

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 9, 2019

Head Coach: David Shaw {All-Time: 83-27 | STAN}

Regular Season Record: 1-1

David Shaw’s group will look to recover from last week’s 45-20 loss to USC and overcome a long flight to Orlando prior to facing the Knights. The last time Stanford played a regular season game in the eastern time zone was in 2013 when they beat Army 34-20 in West Point. Having K.J. Costello back after missing the USC game should give the Cardinal a much needed boost against UCF.

With junior quarterback Davis Mills making his first ever college start, the Cardinal were able to get ahead early with a 17-3 lead, with Mills tossing a touchdown pass to Connor Wedington. Unfortunately for Stanford, Mills could not be a two-way hero, as their defense allowed the Trojans to score 35 unanswered points starting in the second quarter.

When the final whistle sounded, the Cardinal had given up just under 500 yards of offense to USC, with 377 of those yards coming in the air from a freshman quarterback in Kedon Slovis. Defensive coordinator Lance Anderson will need to make adjustments with his unit to prevent another freshman signal caller from carving them up, assuming UCF’s Dillon Gabriel is taking snaps on Saturday.

UCF Knights (Home)

The only FBS team in the nation that ranks in the top-6 of total offense & defense = UCF #UCFast ⚔️ #UCFierce pic.twitter.com/F9913plKvn

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) September 10, 2019

Head Coach: Josh Heupel {All-Time: 14-1 | UCF}

Regular Season Record: 2-0

Despite starting their fourth different quarterback in their last five contests, the UCF Knights were able to cruise to victory on the road against another Sunshine State opponent in Florida Atlantic. With last year’s backup quarterback in Darriel Mack Jr. now available to play, coach Heupel will now have three starting choices going into a game that features arguably their toughest opponent of the season.

Freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel started over week one starter Brandon Wimbush, putting in mixed results. The Hawaii product threw for two touchdowns, one a 57 yarder to Jacob Harris and the other a 74 yarder to his running back Adrian Killins who did most of the work. Gabriel’s youth did reveal itself in this game, however, as he completed just seven of his 19 pass attempts, instead relying on a rushing attack that put up 312 yards on the ground.

UCF’s defense managed to bottle up the Owls last week, limiting FAU to 314 total yards, with just 177 passing yards on 18 of 40 attempts from Chris Robison. The Knights were able to sack Robison five times, while also tallying 16 tackles for a loss. Such a performance should have them licking their chops for Saturday’s game, especially with a true freshman in Walter Rouse protecting Costello’s blindside for Stanford.

All-Time Series

These two schools have played each other just once prior to Saturday’s game, with that meeting taking place in Palo Alto during the 2015 season, a year where the Knights failed to win a single game in George O’Leary’s final season. The Cardinal manhandled the Knights 31-7, with current NFLers Christian McCaffrey and Tre’Quan Smith scoring for Stanford and UCF respectively.

Other notable names from that game include the Griffin brothers, Shaquill and Shaquem, from UCF along with Blake Martinez and Austin Hooper from Stanford.

Stanford Roster Notes

Junior left tackle Walker Little is out for the season with a left leg injury suffered in Stanford’s season opener against Northwestern.

Sophomore linebacker Ricky Miezan is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury according to David Shaw.

Junior offensive tackle Foster Sarrell is doubtful to play against UCF due to an undisclosed injury according to David Shaw

Sophomore linebacker Jacob Mangum-Farrar is doubtful to play against UCF due to an undisclosed injury according to David Shaw.

UCF Roster Notes

Senior quarterback McKenzie Milton is out for the season as he recovers from last season’s knee injury. Milton is expected to be back for the 2020 season.

Head-to-Head: Paulson Adebo (STAN) vs Gabriel Davis (UCF)

One of the most interesting aspects of college football is seeing how the talent on top Group of Five programs such as UCF and Boise State matches up with the athletes from power conference schools. This game will provide us with such an opportunity, as UCF’s top receiver in Gabriel Davis will likely be shadowed by a preseason All-America pick in Stanford’s Paulson Adebo.

Paulson Adebo

Cornerback | 6-1, 190lb | Mansfield HS | Mansfield, TX | Junior

One of the top corners in the nation as part of the Thorpe Award watchlist, Adebo has faced his fair share of top receivers during his time in the Bay Area. The likes of N’Keal Harry, Dillon Mitchell, and Miles Boykin have tested the Texas native who led the nation with 24 passes defended in 2018. Despite converting from wide receiver and only having two years of experience at corner, NFL teams are taking notice of his talent.

Gabriel Davis

Wide Receiver | 6-3, 212lb | Seminole HS | Sanford, FL | Junior

Perhaps no one is more excited for this game than Davis, who has gained valuable experience from last season’s bowl loss to LSU, who featured a trio of top defensive backs in Kristian Fulton, Greedy Williams, and Grant Delpit. Davis is sure handed receiver with solid size who can be more than just a red zone threat due to his underrated speed. With a strong performance against Stanford, the in-state product could drive up his draft stock enough to make this his last year on campus.

Stanford at UCF Predictions and Odds

Check out the odds for Stanford at UCF provided by New Jersey sportsbook 888Sport.

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