It will be the first time that UCF head coach Josh Heupel crosses paths with FAU head coach Lane Kiffin on Friday night when the No. 16 Knights host the Owls. The two men have both coached in the SEC before and according to Heupel, both run similar offenses.

"I think it's similar in that they're athletic and they fly around the football,” said Heupel. “That's certainly what we want to be known for. And they certainly represent that."

FAU is “fast” and “athletic” on both sides of the ball according to Heupel. Entering Friday’s matchup, the Owls are 2-1 for the first time since 2007, the same year FAU won both the Sun Belt and the New Orleans Bowl.

“They have guys that can make plays. Good skill guys that have great speed. A quarterback that's played extremely well, so a big test for us there,” said Heupel.



The Owls are led by junior running back Devin Singletary, who rushed for a program-record five touchdowns, who UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton mentioned during the weekly press conference on Sunday.

“They’re fast. They got a lot of playmakers on defense. I know they got a stud running back in Singletary as well,” said Milton.

Milton called Kiffin a “great offensive mind”, but isn’t worried that the Knights won’t be able to slow down the Lane Train as it rolls into Orlando.

“He's been around the game for a long time,” said Milton. “He's definitely going to dial up some stuff for our defense, but I think Coach (Randy) Shannon and his boys will be ready."

“We're going to get FAU's best shot, but they'll get ours as well. I look forward to Friday night,” Milton added.

Other News and Notes:

Unexpected bye week:

Due to Hurricane Florence, the UCF-UNC game was called off which meant the Knights were able to take the weekend off and prepare for FAU earlier than expected.

"We actually found out after we walked off the practice field (on Tuesday),” said Heupel. “The players had Wednesday off. We did practice on Thursday and a walk-through on Friday. Gave the players the afternoon off on Friday and then had yesterday (Saturday) off as well.”

Heupel added that the extra days off “gave some of the guys who maybe have a few nicks, a few more days to get healthy.”

UCF not looking to fill bye-week:

Last week, UCF athletic director Danny White called it a “long shot” to think that UCF will add a 12th game to its schedule following the cancellation of the North Carolina game.

On Sunday, Heupel discussed why UCF is not looking for a make-up game during its bye-week on Oct. 27th.

"It's unique in the way we don't have a true bye week where you're off a full Saturday and play the following Saturday. It's tough because we play the following Thursday, a conference game, a big opponent (Temple) who just had a big win this past weekend. So it's just the way the schedule falls,” said Heupel.

Recruiting continues to trend upwards:

Following the commitments of local talent like 2019 defensive end Raymond Cutts from Jones High and 2020 wide receiver Zion Jackson from Seminole Sanford, Heupel said he likes the way “recruiting has unfolded” for the Knights.

“Since we've gotten here, we've placed a high importance on this city and on this state,” said Heupel. “We want to be known. We want to be recognized.”

Heupel has let the local high school know that the “doors are always open”. Of the 17 recruits committed in the 2019 class, 13 are from the state of Florida.

“We want our coaches having great communication with the high school coaches here inside the state,” said Heupel. “We want them to understand that our doors are always open to them. They can come in and talk shop anytime they want to. Because of that, I think we're making great inroads with some high-level recruits.”



Playing under the lights and on the big stage:

Both Heupel and Milton are excited to play on national television this Friday night when the Knights face the Owls on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.

“Anytime you get to play on national television is big," Milton said. "But I don't think we look at it any different from any other game. It's just the way we approach our work. We're going to get FAU's best shot, but they'll get ours as well.

Although the game is on Friday night instead of the regular Saturday, Heupel explained that one day doesn’t make that much a difference.

“I think it's great because it's national TV and a great opportunity for our kids to go play. I expect a great environment like week one when we were at home. So we're excited about that,” said Heupel.