FACTS & STATS: Site: Bright House Networks Stadium (45,301) -- Orlando, Florida. Television:ESPN. Home Record: Tulsa 5-1, UCF 5-1. Away Record: Tulsa 4-2, UCF 4-2. Neutral Record: Tulsa 0-0, UCF 0-0. Conference Record: Tulsa 6-2, UCF 7-1. Series Record: Series is tied, 1-1.

GAME NOTES: The Tulsa Golden Hurricane and the UCF Knights meet in the Conference USA title game for the second time in three years, as they collide at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando this weekend. Tulsa, much like UCF, needed to win its regular season finale to reach this title game and it did so by outlasting Rice, 48-43, this past weekend. It was the fifth straight victory for the Hurricane, which finished 6-2 in league play to capture the West Division title. Tulsa actually finished in a first place tie in the division with Houston, but its 56-7 triumph over the Cougars during the season gave it the tie-breaker. The Hurricane boasts a solid 9-3 record on the year and it is just one victory shy of posting its highest win total since 1982. As for UCF, it finished the regular season with a league-best 7-1 mark en route to the East Division title. The Knights ripped off six straight wins to end the regular season and that includes a 36-20 victory over Texas-El Paso last weekend to clinch the division crown. Much like its opponent, UCF stands at 9-3 overall and it is one triumph short of tying the school record for wins in a season set in 1990. The Knights and Hurricane met in the inaugural 2005 C- USA title game, with Tulsa posting a 44-27 victory for its first league title since 1985. Much like this game, UCF hosted the title contest in 2005, although it is sporting a new arena this time around. The Knights now play their games at Bright House Networks Stadium, where they are 4-0 versus C-USA foes this season, and that includes a 44-23 triumph over Tulsa on October 20th. That was the Hurricane's last loss and it was the start of the Knights' current win steak.

Tulsa enters the game with one of the top offensive units in the country, as it ranks first in the nation in total yards (548.6 ypg), third in passing (369.3 ypg) and ninth in scoring (40.7 ppg). Quarterback Paul Smith has broke countless school and conference records this season, as he has thrown for 4,327 yards and 39 touchdowns. He has completed 61.3 percent of his throws and if that wasn't enough, he has also scored 12 touchdowns on the ground. In last weekend's division-clinching win over Rice, Smith threw for 441 yards and five scores, and he also ran for a touchdown. It was the third time Smith has thrown for five touchdowns in a game this season and the 12th straight time he has eclipsed 300 passing yards. Brennan Marion was his favorite target with seven catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns, while true freshman Trae Johnson added five receptions for 85 yards and two scores as well. For the season, Johnson leads the team with 61 catches and he ranks second to Marion with 940 receiving yards and 10 scores. Marion, a big time playmaker, has 32 receptions for a team-high 1,148 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he is averaging an eye-popping 35.9 yards per catch. As for the overlooked ground game, it is paced by Tarrion Adams, who has rushed for 1,072 yards and seven scores behind a 5.8 yard per carry average. Adams was also a factor in last weekend's win, toting the ball 24 times for 146 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball is where Tulsa has shown considerable weakness this season, allowing its opponents to score 34.7 ppg and gain a whopping 471.8 total ypg. The unit has struggled against both the run (186.6 ypg) and pass (285.2 ypg), and it has forced a modest 19 turnovers. In a big game last weekend, the Hurricane was burnt by Rice for a ridiculous 700 yards of total offense and that includes 541 via the pass. The unit gave up 38 first downs in the win and that helps explain why it spent over 34 minutes of the game on the field. Nelson Coleman headed the charge for Tulsa with 14 tackles, while Chris Chamberlain finished with 13. The duo have been rather outstanding considering the unit's struggles, and they have combined for an impressive 268 tackles.

The Knights have also been successful on offense this season, but they have taken a different approach. Unlike Tulsa, UCF relies heavily on its ground attack, which is accounting for 237.3 of the squad's 425.7 total ypg. Heading the charge for the Knights is Kevin Smith, who is just one of 13 players in FBS history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. The speedy back has amassed an incredible 2,164 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground to not only lead the conference in both departments, but the entire nation. Last weekend, Smith carried the ball a school-record 46 times for 219 yards and a touchdown in leading UCF to a division-clinching win over UTEP. It was the fourth 200- yard rushing performance of the season for Smith. Quarterback Kyle Israel also turned in a solid performance last weekend, completing 18-of-26 pass attempts for 261 yards and three touchdowns. It was one of the better efforts for the season by Israel, who has now thrown for 1,957 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 131 yards and five more scores.

On defense, UCF has done a decent job for most of the season, but the unit is by no means stingy. The Knights are currently allowing 28.1 ppg and 371.8 total ypg on the season, but they have allowed over 20 points just once in their last five outings. The defense has also benefited from some big plays, as it has picked off 20 pass, in addition to recording 32 sacks. Last weekend, UCF generated two turnovers and a pair of sacks as it defeated UTEP. The unit also limited UTEP to only 320 yards of total offense in the win. Sha'reff Rashad posted eight stops and an interception in the game, and he leads the club with 90 tackles and four picks for the year.

This should be a classic, as Tulsa's passing game goes against UCF's dominant ground attack. The Knights have the edge playing at home and they should be able to keep the Hurricane's offense off the field with their running game, as they get their revenge with a win this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: UCF 42, Tulsa 31