USF nearly gave UCF more than they could handle, but the Knights used a late interception from Jordan Ozerites to clinch a 23-20 victory over the Bulls in the first instalment of the “War On I-4” since 2008.

The Knights offense struggled for most of the game, but Blake Bortles made the throw when it counted, hitting Breshad Perriman for a 52-yard touchdown pass with 4:50 remaining in the game.

USF would have time to try and mount the comeback but freshman quarterback Mike White threw an interception late in the game to seal the win for UCF.

This game marked the resurgence of the “War on I-4” rivalry between the two school. The last time the Bulls and Knights played each other was in 2005, in a game which USF won in overtime.

With the win UCF notches their first win against the cross-state rivals and now are 1-4 against the Bulls.

UCF remained undefeated in the AAC with the win on Friday, while improving their overall record to 10-1 with one game remaining in the season.

Now the Knights will travel to Dallas, Texas to face the SMU Mustangs on Saturday, Dec. 7. Kick off is scheduled for 12 p.m., with the game being televised on ESPN.

 With a win on Saturday UCF guarantees themselves their first-ever BCS bowl bid in program history.