HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – It took nearly four hours, but the Knights pulled out a 35-14 win over Marshall in rain-soaked Huntington, W.Va.
Midway through the second quarter, lightning struck near Edwards Stadium and delayed the game for more than an hour. Only about 1,000 of the announced 23,000 fans returned to the stadium after the delay. The rain never ceased and forced a ground-heavy attack from the Knights (4-2).
Running back Ronnie Weaver picked up 5 yards per carry en route to a career-best 150 yards. Freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey threw for 131 yards, with nearly half a dozen passes bouncing or slipping through receivers' hands. The Miami Central-product added 27 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns.
With the win, Godfrey may have taken the complete reigns of the Knights' offense. Backup QB Rob Calabrese injured his knee on a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter; an injury that UCF Athletics' John Denton says might be season-ending. Calabrese's injury forces Stanford-transfer LD Crow into the backup spot.
``I'm hoping that the doctor is wrong,'' said head coach George O'Leary to UCF Athletics. ``It wasn't a contact thing. He went to hand the ball to the referee and as he turned there was a pop.''
The little-utilized wide receiving corps was led by Brian Watters, who totaled three catches for 40 yards. Fellow receiver Jamar Newsome had only two catches, but began the second half with a 70-yard return, which set up a Godfrey touchdown.
Due to Brynn Harvey's injury and Jonathan Davis' recent disciplinary issue, Latavius Murray has moved into the backup RB spot, and for the second consecutive game added a touchdown in the late minutes. Murray ran for 33 yards on eight carries.
The Knights' defensive line again stuffed the run game, holding Marshall to just 37 rushing yards. Safety AJ Bouye picked off a Brian Anderson throw in the third quarter and returned it for a touchdown, giving UCF its second touchdown in less than a minute.
For the sixth consecutive year, UCF topped the Thundering Herd (1-5), improving the Knights' record against Marshall to 6-1 in the O'Leary era. UCF is now 2-0 in Conference USA play and has not lost a conference game since Sept. 26, 2009.
The Knights return home Oct. 23 for their Homecoming game against the Rice Owls.


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