Gus Malzahn struts through UCF complex in spacesuit to promote annual space game

Gus Malzahn is willing to do whatever it takes to promote UCF football, and this week that means putting on a spacesuit for the Knights’ annual space game.

Malzahn and the Knights opened American Athletic Conference play with a 41-19 victory against SMU last Wednesday and on Thursday this week, the Knights will host Temple in the annual Space Game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will air live on ESPN.

Space game? Space game. pic.twitter.com/KhCTF9fjxk

— Citronauts Football (@UCF_Football) October 12, 2022

UCF has played the Space Game annually since the 2017 season and the Knights are 5-0 all-time in the event, the school announced. UCF also is No. 1 nationally for placing graduates in aerospace industry jobs, and 29% of Kennedy Space Center employees are UCF alumni. In 1968, UCF established its motto: “Reach for the Stars” to represent the University’s promising aerospace education in engineering, electronics and other technological professions.

The game recognizes the University of Central Florida’s roots, founded as Florida Technological University in 1963 with the mission of providing personnel to support the growing U.S. space program at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. As the academic scope expanded beyond its original focus on engineering and technology, the school was renamed the University of Central Florida in 1978.

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.