TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Smith's 4 TDs Help Knights Run Over Tulsa

ADVERTISEMENT

By CRISTINA LEDRA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 2, 2007

ORLANDO - All the hours spent watching film and scribbling arrows in an attempt to counter a player like Kevin Smith are sometimes all in vain when game time comes and his shiftiness and speed defy logic.

Smith understands the depth of his responsibility and produces accordingly, the way he did Saturday afternoon for Central Florida (10-3) with 39 carries for 284 yards and four touchdowns in the Knights' 44-25 victory against Tulsa (9-4) in the Conference USA Championship game.

The win earned UCF a bid to the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29 in Memphis, Tenn. Tulsa, meanwhile, accepted a berth in the GMAC Bowl against Bowling Green.

Smith's 284 yards brought his season total to 2,448, good for second all-time on the NCAA Bowl Subdivision rushing yards in a season list behind Barry Sanders (2,628) and ahead of Marcus Allen (2,342).

"I'm expected to be back there and make the right cut at the right time," Smith said. "You can't run up the sideline without a hole so my guys gave it to me and I try not to let them down."

The UCF defense bullied Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith, sacking him six times and intercepting him four times.

"Their defensive line is incredible," Tulsa coach Todd Graham said. "They got six guys that roll in that are really good. They pressured Paul all day. We had our opportunities, but we did not make them. We thought we had a great plan to protect him."

Tulsa appeared to take the lead at 11:36 of the second quarter when Paul Smith ran for an 8-yard touchdown, but it was overturned because the Golden Hurricane had 12 players on the field.

After the 15-yard penalty was assessed from the 8-yard line, Paul Smith threw a pass incomplete, was sacked by UCF linebacker Cory Hogue for a 12-yard loss and was picked off at the Knights' 5-yard line by Johnell Neal, who returned it 26 yards.
Kevin Smith ran the ball 8 yards and Tulsa was called for a 15-yard face mask penalty. That set up his 46-yard touchdown run at the 10-minute mark of the second quarter, putting the Knights ahead 24-13.

The game of dueling offenses continued as Paul Smith led the Golden Hurricane downfield and capped the six-play drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Trae Johnson.

UCF followed with a 69-yard, nine-play drive, ending with Kevin Smith's third touchdown, a 4-yard run.

Tulsa came back with a 32-yard field foal from Jarod Tracy to cut UCF's lead to 31-23.

In second half, UCF's defense came down hard on Paul Smith, shutting out Tulsa's offense. Tulsa's defense did get on the scoreboard with a safety.

"We knew we had to stop them more than they stopped our offense and we did," Neal said. "It just feels good to come out with a win. It wasn't pretty in the first half but we came out in the second half and we knew we had to stop them in the second half to win the game."

On the first drive of the half, Paul Smith was sacked for a 7-yard loss by linebacker Lawrence Young. On the next play, Neal grabbed his second interception of the game in the end zone.

On the Golden Hurricane's second possession of the third quarter, Paul Smith was intercepted again in the end zone, by free safety Jason Venson.

The Knights turned that into a 21-yard field goal from Michael Torres to extend their lead to 34-23.

Alonso grad Leger Douzable delivered sack No. 4 on Paul Smith late in the third quarter deep in Tulsa territory on a third down to force a punt.

His second sack of the game, for a 12-yard loss, came late in the fourth quarter on a third-and-10 when Tulsa was at the UCF 40-yard line, which also forced the Golden Hurricane to punt.

Reporter Cristina Ledra can be reached at (813) 948-4203 or cledra@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT