The University of Central Florida Knights arrived back in Orlando Monday night after capping off a perfect season with a win over No. 7 Auburn in a hard-fought gridiron battle at the Peach Bowl.
The team's airplane was greeted by a water-canon salute as it taxied down the runway at Orlando-Sanford International Airport.
The 12th-ranked Knights were vying to beat an SEC team in a bowl game for the second time.
ATLANTA — Photos: 2018 Peach Bowl
Photos: 2018 Peach Bowl Volume 2
UCF was ahead 13-6 going into halftime, but Auburn took the lead with a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter.
Sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton reminded everyone why he received four first-place votes in the Heisman Trophy race by setting up Otis Anderson for an eight-yard touchdown.
Needing to make something happen, Auburn started a push down the field during the fourth quarter only to have quarterback Jarrett Stidham picked off by Chequan Burkett, who ran the pass back for a touchdown.
Auburn tagged on another touchdown with a little more than four minutes to play to bring the score to 34-27.
A missed UFC field goal, with about two minutes left, kept the door open for Auburn.
That is, until a Hail Mary pass into the end zone ended with a UCF interception with only seconds to go.
UCF held on to win 34-27.
The team was met by dozens of cheering fans when it arrived at the UCF campus in Orlando late Monday.
Got down on the field just in time for the Burkett pick-6. Wait until the end of the video. #Auburn #UCF #PeachBowl pic.twitter.com/bvh42JWMXc
— Christian Bruey (@CBrueyWFTV) January 1, 2018
Cox Media Group
