UCF’s first trip on Gus Bus was quite bumpy but worth the ride

Standing in front of a small crowd at Addition Financial Arena on the UCF campus on Feb. 15, Gus Malzahn introduced himself to Knight Nation as its next football coach, eight months removed from his former job at Auburn.

An energized Malzahn shared his vision for the future of the program.

“If the right guy ever got to UCF and would stay there and build it, everybody else would be in trouble,” Malzahn said. “I feel like I’m that right guy, and I truly believe this is a program for the future of college football.”

Ten months later, Malzahn found himself midfield at Raymond James Stadium moments after leading the Knights to a 29-17 win over Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday. Even a postgame Gatorade bath couldn’t dampen the mood of the longtime coach.

“We’ve been talking about building our foundation this year and that was just the icing on the cake,” said Malzahn. “The best is yet to come.”

Those words drew a cheer from the large contingency of UCF fans who stuck around to enjoy the postgame festivities.

While it wasn’t at a New Year’s Six bowl game or even a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals, it was the first step for a program that faced tremendous challenges throughout the season, most notably excessive injuries, including several key starters.

“We have 27 guys who started the season that won’t play,” Malzahn said Monday. “It was just attrition. Whether it’s injuries or the transfer portal, we’re a thin team.”

Fourteen of those 27 players didn’t play due to injuries.

Nine starters missed a total of 45 games, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel (9), running backs R.J. Harvey (12) and Isaiah Bowser (5), receiver Jaylon Robinson (6), defensive tackles Kalia Davis (5) and Ricky Barber (2), linebackers Bryson Armstrong (2) and Tatum Bethune (2) and cornerback Corey Thornton (2).

The Knights also were without several players who entered the transfer portal, including Gabriel, who decided to leave on Nov. 27.

Also choosing to transfer was linebacker Eriq Gilyard (Oct. 6), running back Bentavious Thompson (Oct. 6), defensive end Stephon Zayas (Nov. 1), safety Jermaine McMillian (Nov. 9), receivers Kaedin Robinson (Nov. 28) and Ke’von Ahmad (Nov. 30), offensive lineman Mike Lofton (Nov. 30) and cornerback Emmanuel Appiah-Takyi (Dec. 17).

The roster shuffling left UCF to lean on some of its younger players, including quarterback Mikey Keene, a true freshman who enrolled in January. He stepped into the starting role in the fourth game after Gabriel went down with a broken left collarbone.

Keene led the Knights to a 6-3 finish while passing for 1,586 yards with 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

Other players who stepped up for UCF include running back Johnny Richardson (693 yards), safety Quadric Bullard (78 tackles, 3 fumble recoveries) and defensive end Josh Celiscar (35 tackles, 3 sacks).

With a roster composed of 54% of freshmen and sophomores — many who saw action because of the injuries — the experience gained becomes a considerable asset heading into 2022.

The Malzahn Effect also has been felt on the recruiting trail as UCF signed the No. 41 recruiting class last week, according to 247 Sports, during the early signing period. It was the best recruiting class in program history. Among the 14 signees was Nikai Martinez, a 4-star cornerback out of Apopka.

Malzahn believes the win over the Gators will pay immediate dividends in recruiting.

“Every day, we’re fighting against the three in-state schools,” said Malzahn. “For a lot of them, the logo is cool, but the reality is, we believe we’re the program of the future. That’s not just talking, and that’s what’s going to happen. What will happen now is you’ll see these recruits that won’t just grab that logo and they’ll be a part of something special.”

But perhaps the biggest win of the season came not on the gridiron but when UCF accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference on Sept. 10. The Knights hope a move can go as early as 2023, with the school joining fellow American Athletic Conference colleagues Cincinnati and Houston along with independent BYU.

Throughout it all, UCF and Malzahn have focused on what lies ahead.

“The future is going to be a lot of fun,” Malzahn said with a smile.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.