3 THINGS TO WATCH: Will Mikey Keene or John Rhys Plumlee start for No. 25 UCF at Memphis?

Once again in control of its destiny in the American Athletic Conference, UCF hits the road for the second time in three weeks Saturday. Considering how the first trip went — a 34-13 blowout loss at East Carolina — Knights head coach Gus Malzahn said lessons were learned … the hard way.

"I told our team, 'It's mindset and approach.' It starts with me, and I really feel strongly that we'll learn from that experience," Malzahn said of the loss on Oct. 22. "There is more parity in college football than ever before. Every week, you have to bring your lunch and bring your A-game. Obviously, we didn't do that."

The Knights (6-2, 3-1 AAC) re-entered the American Athletic Conference title race last weekend with an important 25-21 victory over Cincinnati, one which catapulted them into the No. 25 spot in the Associated Press' Top 25, the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and the College Football Playoff selection committee's rankings.

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Should UCF win its four remaining regular season games, they would host the AAC championship game and have the inside track on a fourth New Year's Six bowl date.

And that's where Memphis (4-4, 2-3) — the Knights' opponent at 3:30 p.m. Saturday — comes in, attempting to spoil the fun and snap a three-game losing skid. The Tigers wake up for these occasions, posting an 8-1 home record against ranked opponents since 2015.

UCF, traditionally, has had the Tigers' number, though. The all-time series favors the Knights 14-2, with a missed PAT — sealing a 50-49 result for Memphis in 2020 — potentially separating them from perfection this century. The Tigers won the teams' only pre-2000 matchup 37-28 in 1990.

Here are three things to watch Saturday, starting with the one question on everybody's mind as it relates to UCF.

1. Who's playing QB?

John Rhys Plumlee suffered a concussion in the second quarter last week, and Mikey Keene oversaw a pair of go-ahead, fourth-quarter drives in the starter's absence. Once again, as they persisted throughout fall camp, quarterback questions were the talk of Monday's press conference.

Malzahn offered very few hints at Monday's press conference, as could be expected under the circumstances. He said Plumlee's status would be monitored on a "day-by-day" basis.

Pressed as to whether Plumlee's health would be the sole determining factor in who starts at Memphis, Malzahn responded, "We've got two guys that I think, obviously, we can win with. They knew that coming in."

Later in the week, appearing on Orlando radio station 96.9 The Game, Malzahn said Plumlee practiced on a limited basis and would be a game-time decision.

Plumlee helped UCF build a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 71 yards and ran seven times for 26 yards. Keene went 15 of 21 for 176 yards, connecting on his last six attempts.

2. Harvey's workload increasing

It took three games for RJ Harvey to receive his first carry in a UCF uniform. Since then, the redshirt junior, an Orlando native, has gradually become a more integral part of the offense.

He's getting carries in ballgames and, crucially, late in them too — most notably the game-winning 17-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left against Cincinnati. Harvey set a new career-high with 18 rushing attempts last week, gaining 84 of the Knights' 258 yards on the ground.

Harvey has also shown himself to be a proficient pass-catcher. He hauled in seven receptions for 77 yards at East Carolina, and made a highlight-reel, one-handed grab on a screen from Plumlee last weekend that resulted in a 25-yard gain.

The Knights rank eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing (244.4 yards per game) with a seasoned offensive line paving the way for a diverse, deep group of athletes.

Isaiah Bowser continues to be the Knights' preferred option in short-yardage situations, often out of the Wildcat formation. The fifth-year senior has scored a team-high 11 rushing touchdowns.

Johnny Richardson and wide receiver Ryan O'Keefe provide blazing speed around the ends on sweeps, and Plumlee is another weapon when he pulls and keeps the ball on power-read play calls.

3. Bringing the heat

UCF's defensive line produced its best game of the year last week. The Knights sacked Cincinnati's Ben Bryant four times. AAC Defensive Player of the Week Josh Celiscar rocked him in the end zone for a pivotal safety, and K.D. McDaniel effectively ended the game with a strip sack with about 40 seconds left.

For good measure, the Knights held Cincinnati to 35 yards rushing.

"It was due," defensive coordinator Travis Williams said Sunday. "It was around that time to start getting to the quarterback even more. We played a lot of teams where the ball was getting out pretty quick. I thought our defensive line had a really good day stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. When you can get to the quarterback sometimes with just rushing four, it's always a good thing."

The unit could be in for another big day against a Memphis offensive line that ranks near the bottom of major college football. The Tigers rank 103rd nationally in yards per carry (3.66) and 119th nationally in sacks allowed (25).

According to Football Outsiders, an advanced football statistics site, Memphis ball-carriers are stopped at or behind the line scrimmage on 21.4% of their attempts.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: 3 things to watch against Memphis Tigers