RJ Harvey found the end zone as he’s done time and time again during his UCF career.
Forty-eight times, to be exact.
Forty-eight times, Harvey has scampered, slashed, sliced, powered or dived his way into the end zone.
This time, however, meant more than the previous 46, giving the redshirt senior the school’s record for touchdowns in a career — one more than previous record-holder Kevin Smith.
Harvey’s 5-yard touchdown with 3:25 to go in the second quarter Friday night earned him a permanent place in UCF history. To mark the accomplishment, his offensive linemen surrounded him and placed an imaginary crown on his head, acknowledging the king of all scores.
It was a highlight — unfortunately, the only highlight for the Knights, who lost their season finale 28-14 to visiting Utah on Friday night.
UCF (4-8, 2-7 Big 12) took the opening kickoff and drove to the Utah 29, but the drive stalled out thanks to a pair of penalties and a fumble by quarterback Dylan Rizk. The Utes recovered the football at the UCF 46 and converted the mistake into a 37-yard field goal by kicker Cole Becker.
Utah (5-7, 2-7 Big 12) extended the lead to 10-0 after cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn intercepted a Rizk pass midway through the second quarter and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. It was the second interception of the season by Rizk; both were pick-6s.
Harvey’s touchdown cut the lead to 10-7, but a 24-yard field goal by Becker pushed the score to 13-7 at the half.
Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter as they combined for 2 of 7 on 3rd downs.
Utah broke the game open early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Luke Bottari threw a laser-like pass to tight end Landen King in the left corner of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. The subsequent 2-point conversion pushed the Utes’ lead to 21-7 with 14:46.
The win ends an otherwise brutal season for the Knights, who finished well below their preseason expectations. It also starts the clock for what is expected to be one of the most critical offseasons in program history.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
