Quarterback Blake Bortles led the program to its first victories over teams from the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences , by defeating Penn State and Baylor respectively . Bortles also led the Knights to their first win over a Top – 10 team , upsetting eighth-ranked Louisville on their homecoming 38 – 35 . The Knights won The American 's first football championship under its new name ( it had previously been the Big East ) , and the third conference championship in school history ( 2007 , 2010 , 2013 ) . With the championship , UCF earned The American 's automatic berth to a BCS bowl game , the first major bowl appearance in school history . The Knights were victorious in the Fiesta Bowl , upsetting the sixth-ranked Baylor Bears 52 – 42 for the first BCS bowl victory in program history . It was considered one of biggest upsets in BCS history
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
2013 UCF Knights football team