The chaos surrounding the day after Thanksgiving is typically associated with the millions of dedicated shoppers who camp outside stores for holiday gifts.
However, Black Friday has long been linked with the UCF – USF football rivalry.
The War on I-4 series had seen its fair share of spectacular games, particularly during its time in the American Athletic Conference .
Mark Harlan witnessed many of those games during his brief time as South Florida’s athletic director, a position he held from 2013-18 before becoming AD at Utah .
When the Big 12 schedule was released and he saw his Utes traveling to Orlando for a Black Friday matchup with UCF on Nov. 29 (Fox, 8 p.m.), it brought back some memories.
“Competitive games,” Harlan recently told the Sentinel.
One game stood out, perhaps the greatest in the rivalry series: the 2017 showdown .
“It was [USF coach] Charlie Strong’s first year and [UCF coach] Scott Frost’s second season and [USF quarterback] Quinton Flowers was just slinging the ball around,” he recalled. “We fell behind 21-7 and came storming back and scoring a touchdown with what we thought was enough time and then UCF had that kickoff return. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ball go 100 yards that fast.”
The game had five lead changes, including two in the final three minutes. UCF took a 42-34 lead with 2:21 left before Flowers connected with Darnell Salomon for an 83-yard score 40 seconds later.
A two-point conversion tied the score at 42 with 1:41 left, but on the kickoff Mike Hughes returned the ball 95 yards for the winning touchdown for the Knights, sending the sellout crowd at the Bounce House into pandemonium.
“It was voted the best football game of the year in college football,” said Harlan. “A tough outcome and just an incredible game, but I remember it bouncing.”
UCF defeated Memphis in the AAC Championship, beat No. 7 Auburn and then-coach Gus Malzahn in the Peach Bowl to cap a 13-0 season. USF defeated Texas Tech to win the Birmingham Bowl and finish 10-2.
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UCF’s move to the Big 12 last season shelved the annual series for the foreseeable future.
Utah, meanwhile, will be making its first trip to Orlando after accepting an invitation to the Big 12 following the Pac-12’s collapse.
“We were just honored to have an invitation because you take nothing for granted,” Harlan said of joining the league. “I knew our success in football and other sports would be attractive. So, it was still great to sit down with the commissioner [Brett Yormark] on that day that it all went down last summer and see his enthusiasm match my enthusiasm.”
Harlan didn’t need to look far when seeking advice about transitioning to Utah’s new home.
UCF AD Terry Mohajir and BYU AD Tom Holmoe were newcomers to the process last season, and their insight was invaluable for Harlan.
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“We were going from Power Four to Power Four, so the budgeting and staffing are there, but it’s more about learning about the places that we’re going and the strategies of those teams, but I feel like as we get ready to start, we’re prepared and ready to go,” said Harlan.
Harlan competed against Cincinnati and Houston in the AAC and fellow Pac-12 teams Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado.
“The familiarity for me and some of the staff was pretty good,” he said.
Utah is no stranger to conference realignment.
The Utes spent 36 years in the Western Athletic Conference before moving to the Mountain West in 1999. Twelve years later, they transitioned to the Pac-12. They won back-to-back conference championships in 2021-22.
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It seems unbelievable that Harlan would again find himself back in Florida on Thanksgiving weekend.
“It’s crazy to think that I’m coming back with Utah on the Black Friday game to play UCF,” he said. “Our guys are enthusiastic about going to these new places. We’ve got a lot of Florida kids on the roster, and they are excited about playing in Orlando this year, especially during family time and Thanksgiving.”
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
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