At this time last year, UCF was preparing to face Utah in a relatively meaningless game.
The Knights had been eliminated from bowl eligibility the previous weekend after losing 31-21 at West Virginia. A day following a disappointing 28-14 loss to the Utes, Gus Malzahn announced he was stepping down as coach to become offensive coordinator at Florida State.
Around the same time, Scott Frost received a call about the vacant head coaching position at UCF. He was in New Orleans, serving on the Los Angeles Rams staff, and preparing to face the Saints.