John Rhys Plumlee accounts for 7 touchdowns, UCF hangs 70 points on Temple: 3 takeaways

ORLANDO — John Rhys Plumlee approached the post-game podium in a spacesuit costume and delivered a proclamation after an otherworldly quarterbacking performance.

"First Space Game was a success," Plumlee said. "Mission complete. Knights win. Citronauts win."

Plumlee matched a single-game program record Thursday with seven total touchdowns, throwing four and rushing for three more, to lead UCF to a 70-13 Space Game blowout of visiting Temple at FBC Mortgage Stadium. 

The senior completed 18 of his 22 throws for 373 yards, and rushed seven times for 37 yards in a nationally televised showcase. He joins Darin Slack (1987) and Daunte Culpepper (1998) in the exclusive seven-touchdown club.

"Things are slowing down. When he's got time, he really can push the ball down the field," Knights head coach Gus Malzahn said.

"He has the ability to extend plays. … Great competitor. I think he played his best game tonight."

UCF won its fourth straight game, improving to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the American Athletic Conference.

Game recap: A look back at UCF vs. Temple

Why was UCF wearing blue? Knights unveil Space Game uniforms for Thursday game vs. Temple

UCF recruiting: Mosley three-star tight end Randy Pittman celebrates 18th birthday with UCF commitment

UCF scored touchdowns on 10 of its 12 possessions, punting once and taking a knee in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. In total, the Knights amassed 739 yards of total offense. Only once before has UCF posted more points, a 73-33 victory over Austin Peay in 2017.

Temple (2-4, 0-2) dropped its sixth straight meeting with UCF, allowing more than 30 points for the first time all year. The Owls entered the evening ranked 20th in the nation in scoring defense.

Here are three takeaways from a dominant offensive effort.

1. UCF lights up the field with explosive plays

This was a vintage UCF offensive outing, gashing the overwhelmed Owls left and right with chunk plays.

After Temple broke through with a rare red-zone touchdown against the Knights to go ahead 10-7, RJ Harvey sped to the Temple 1 with a 61-yard run. It was both Harvey's longest career carry, and the longest rush of the season for the Knights. Plumlee cashed in on the next snap with an easy 1-yard score off a bootleg.

Harvey showed what he could do as a receiver, as well, with a 29-yard reception up the seam. Plumlee polished that drive off with a pump fake and 25-yard strike to Kobe Hudson.

"Just to watch him, it almost brings tears to my eyes," defensive end Josh Celiscar said of Harvey, an Orlando native who missed all of 2021 with a torn left ACL. "I'm proud of him. Seeing him going through his injury and tough times, he's my rackmate (in the weight room), so to see him be successful, I was happy for him."

In the second half, Plumlee navigated the pocket and found Isaiah Bowser alone in the flat for a 45-yard stroll down the left side, leading to Ryan O'Keefe's 14-yard TD reception on a screen.

Plumlee's last two throws traveled about half the length of the field. He hit O'Keefe for a 68-yard TD, and Hudson for a 64-yarder. The Ole Miss transfer averaged nearly 17 yards per attempt.

2. John Rhys Plumlee rewarded for gutsy call

UCF seized control in the final two minutes before halftime, blitzing the Owls for a pair of quick touchdowns.

Hudson's 25-yard TD — his first as a UCF player — padded the lead to 21-13 with 1:40 on the clock. Tre'mon Morris-Brash granted the Knights a late, extra drive by hurrying E.J. Warner, the son of former NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner, and forcing a three-and-out.

UCF patiently moved the ball near midfield, but popped another big play when Stephen Martin uncovered over the middle for 34 yards to the Owls' 5. Malzahn stashed one timeout in his pocket, allowing for at least two shots at the end zone.

Plumlee misfired on first-and-goal, but made a gutsy decision to come away with seven on the next snap. Rolling right, he slipped a potential sack and fought through two tacklers to cross the goal line on a 5-yard run.

Had he been tackled in bounds, Malzahn would have been forced to burn the timeout and send out the kicking unit.

"It was really, really good for us to have the opportunity to execute a two-minute situation," Plumlee said. "Some guys made some really big plays to get us down there. Ultimately, I rolled out and had some guys on a pick route covered up. I just tried to get it, ended up falling in the end zone, so we'll take it."

3. Castellanos, McDonald score first touchdowns

With the game well and truly in hand around the four-minute mark of the third quarter, Thomas Castellanos got a rare, extended chance to flash his potential.

And the true freshman from Waycross, Georgia, did not disappoint.

Castellanos raced for a 37-yard touchdown, knocking down a defender around the 10 to finish the run. The early enrollee tacked on a 43-yard keeper, ending the night as UCF's leading rusher.

Jordan McDonald got into the scoring act as well, making the most of his first college touches. He broke the plane on third-and-goal from the 1, the Knights' 10th and final touchdown with 7:31 left in regulation.

Fellow freshmen Nikai Martinez, Kam Moore, Demari Henderson, Jamaal Johnson and Dwartney Wortham also made contributions in the latter stages.

"You can't have enough depth in college football," Malzahn said. "What I liked in that whole fourth quarter and early third quarter, we put our young guys and it didn't get sloppy. They played good football, and that's really encouraging."

What's next?

UCF departs the Sunshine State for the first time all season next Saturday to face East Carolina. The Pirates are 3-3 entering Saturday's game with Memphis, dropping two of their first two games in AAC play — a double-overtime home defeat to Navy, and a 24-9 loss at emerging title contender Tulane.

East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers will make his fifth career start against the Knights. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound southpaw is 0-4 in those games, averaging 288.3 passing yards per game with six touchdowns and four interceptions.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 3 takeaways from UCF football win over Temple