WILD WAR ON I-4: Alec Holler's one-handed TD lifts UCF past South Florida, into AAC title game

TAMPA — Somehow, someway, the last War On I-4 for the foreseeable future might just have been the best.

South Florida — yes, 1-10 South Florida — erased a 28-0 first-half deficit and snatched a one-point lead in the fourth quarter as UCF imploded with fumbles and missed tackles.

And then, as the Knights appeared primed to throw away their chances to reach the American Athletic Conference championship game, Alec Holler forever etched his name in the rivalry's lore.

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Holler — once a walk-on who played high school ball for former Knights coach Mike Kruczek at nearby Trinity Prep School — hauled in a one-handed, go-ahead, 14-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in regulation as UCF defeated the host Bulls 46-39 at Raymond James Stadium.

"It's just amazing, being a UCF fan growing up and always going to games and now making big plays in big moments," redshirt senior Holler said. "Glory to God, I came down with that ball.

"It was a phenomenal play call at the end of the game. I don't think they saw it coming."

UCF flubbed a squib kick, allowing the Bulls one last drive from midfield. Three plays later, the Knights' Davonte Brown batted down Byrum Brown's 31-yard desperation heave as time expired to seal the win, a sixth in a row against their hated rivals.

"I'm exhausted, and I'm sure our fans are exhausted, too," Knights head coach Gus Malzahn said. "That's one of those special games.

"Any time there's so much on the line, you're playing your rival, you're on the road, you face adversity and you find a way to win, that says a lot about your leadership."

As a result, UCF (9-3, 6-2 AAC) booked a return trip to New Orleans where it will face Tulane at 4 p.m. Saturday for a spot in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Tulane snapped Cincinnati's 32-game home winning streak with a 27-24 victory Friday to capture home field advantage.

1. JRP sidelined for second half

Following his second rushing touchdown of the first half, Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee limped off the field in obvious discomfort and received treatment inside UCF's medical tent.

He returned at the start of the Knights' fourth possession, a quick change after Justin Hodges hauled in a deflected interception off the hands of USF wide receiver Holden Willis.

Plumlee handed the ball off four times, and Isaiah Bowser took a direct snap inside the Bulls' 10-yard line. The senior quarterback connected on two throws on the drive, though — including a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ryan O'Keefe on a bootleg.

Malzahn said after the game he and the team's training staff held Plumlee out due to a hamstring injury.

"He said he's great and ready to go back in. We'll see," Malzahn said. "You saw him roll out, throw a touchdown and it didn't look good. That was kind of my thinking. I always want to protect my players."

Plumlee has missed at least one half in four of UCF's last five games. He sustained a concussion in the second quarter against Cincinnati on Oct. 29 and sat out the following weekend's trip to Memphis. Following last week's loss to Navy, Malzahn said Plumlee dealt with shoulder soreness.

For the second straight game, Mikey Keene checked in behind center to start the second half. Suiting up for his fourth game this season, Keene would burn a year of eligibility if required to play in either the AAC title game or a subsequent bowl game.

Asked about the situation, Keene replied, "Let's go win a championship."

2. Knights survive epic third-quarter meltdown

UCF was in complete control out of the gate, gaining 293 yards and finding the end zone on its first four drives. The Knights forced three turnovers and led 31-7 at the 9:15 mark of the third quarter.

Then, as so often is the case in rivalry week, all hell broke loose.

South Florida scored 22 unanswered points, sandwiching a pair of Knights fumbles with three consecutive rushing touchdowns — Brown from 4 yards out, Michel Dukes from 5 and Brian Battie from 15. Entering the night, the Bulls had defeated just one FBS opponent over the last three seasons, resulting in Jeff Scott's firing as head coach three weeks ago.

UCF seemed to restore order when Keene tossed a 4-yard touchdown to Kobe Hudson, but South Florida answered twice again and grabbed hold of the lead with 7:02 to play on Brown's 42-yard option keeper.

"They ran up and down the field, give them credit," Malzahn said.

RJ Harvey coughed up UCF's third fumble near midfield with 5:13 left, yet South Florida curiously elected to go conservative — calling three straight runs up the middle and punting the ball back to the Knights despite draining less than two-and-a-half minutes off the clock.

Keene put the Knights in scoring range with an audacious, cross-body throw that was hauled in by a diving Javon Baker, resulting in a key 41-yard gain to the South Florida 29. Rather than risk putting freshman kicker Colton Boomer in the pressure cooker, Malzahn dialed up a 3rd-and-goal fade to the front pylon. Holler motioned to the left, stuttered and tracked the ball at the front pylon for the winning score.

"(Tight ends coach Brian) Blackmon said something to me that stuck, and that is, 'Good things happen to good people.' And that's a prime example of that happening to Alec Holler," Keene said. "He does all the dirty work. When he gets moments to shine like that, he takes advantage."

3. Koby Perry ejected, out for 1st half next week

Fifth-year senior safety Koby Perry incited a skirmish late in the first half when he belted USF freshman quarterback Byrum Brown along the Bulls sideline.

AAC referee Tim Rich issued unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to every player on both teams, an "unusual situation" in his own words.

Perry, a transfer from Austin Peay, attempted to deliver another blow to Brown on a scramble and was flagged for targeting. Rich confirmed the call after official review, meaning Perry will miss the first half of the AAC title game.

Perry has been a key reserve for the Knights, registering 41 total tackles, two TFLs and one pass breakup this season. He's listed as the backup behind Jarvis Ware, who assumed the starting spot when Quadric Bullard was lost for the season with a knee injury.

Elsewhere on defense, linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste returned after sitting out the previous two games with a concussion, and Justin Hodges recovered a South Florida fumble in the end zone and snagged a deflected interception to help UCF build that 28-0 lead.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights: 3 takeaways from 46-39 win over USF Bulls