Historic Heights

New Year's Eve: The Knights battled the SEC's University of Georgia Bulldogs and won.

As the ball dropped to greet 2011, the fortunes of UCF football and men's basketball had never been higher.

Even for the most ardent Knight fans — well, especially for the most ardent Knight fans — a double-take was necessary. In almost surrealistic fashion, suddenly, as darkness drew on 2010, a new era of excellence had dawned. On Jan. 1, the Knights were nationally ranked in both football and basketball.

Until last November, UCF had never been ranked in football. Not during the Daunte Culpepper wonder years. Not ever. Yet, led by a tenacious defensive end, Bruce Miller, and a freshman quarterback with a huge arm (and quick feet), Jeff Godfrey, the Knights won the Conference USA championship and, finally, earned the respect from national pollsters, who ranked them at No. 25. New Year’s eve then brought more jubilation — a 10-6 win over Georgia in the Liberty Bowl to claim UCF’s first bowl victory. In the end, the Knights finished the season ranked No. 20 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the final AP Poll.

In basketball, the ascension was perhaps more astounding. The holidays brought unexpected cheer with wins over then-No. 16 Florida and Miami to catapult the Knights from projected conference also-ran to nationally certified Cinderella. With an uptempo style, gritty play plus the blossoming stardom of guard Marcus Jordan, who — believe it, was making a name for himself — they were one of just seven unbeaten teams in the country on Jan. 1 and ranked 18th or 19th, depending on the major poll. Prior to this season, the Knights had only beaten one nationally ranked team. Now they were one of them. Alas, the Knights suffered a series of defeats starting Jan. 8 at Houston.

A new year brings all kinds of new hope. For Knight fans, hope had already turned to euphoria.

Gimme a 3!

The UCF cheerleaders once again proved to be one of the best in the country by receiving third place in the Division IA cheer finals at the 2011 College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships in January.

Finishing just behind national cheerleading powerhouses Alabama and Kentucky, UCF’s third-place showing was the fifth-straight season the Black and Gold boasted a top-three finish, including the national title in 2007, which was the Knights’ second title overall (the first was in 2003).

UCF has now earned a top-10 finish at the College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships 16 times in the last 18 years under head coach Linda Gooch, who received the Colonel Gene Moeller Award, which is presented annually to a university administrator who has made a significant impact on their university’s spirit groups.