Penn State Downs UCF, 37-13

Tony Hunt rushed for three touchdowns in Penn State's 37-13 win over Central Florida.

Tony Hunt rushed for three touchdowns in Penn State's 37-13 win over Central Florida.

Sept. 18, 2004

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Tony Hunt rushed for three touchdowns, leading Penn State to a 37-13 victory over Central Florida on Saturday.

Hunt's first touchdown, a 4-yard run in the second quarter, gave Penn State the lead. On his second, a 26-yard run, he started left, then cut back to the right, spun around a defender and dived past two more into the end zone, making it 14-3.

Jon Bronson, a former defensive end, made his first career catch for a 1-yard touchdown and a 21-3 lead late in the second quarter.

But when Zack Mills' pass bounced off Terrance Phillips' chest, Mike Walker returned his second interception of the game 59 yards to set up Matt Prater's last-second, 22-yard field goal. That made it 21-6 at halftime.

Tavaris Capers fumbled a punt return on UCF's 2-yard line, and Calvin Lowry recovered for Penn State. But Mills fumbled the snap on Penn State's first play, and Stanford Rhule recovered for the Golden Knights.

Four plays later, UCF punter Aaron Horne let the snap sail through his hands and out the back of the end zone for a safety and a 23-6 Penn State lead.

Hunt scored his third touchdown on a 33-yard run up the middle late in the third.

Capers made up for his mistake in the fourth quarter, slipping past four would-be tacklers on a 54-yard punt return, bringing UCF within 30-13.

Hunt finished with 125 yards rushing, and Mills completed 19 of 29 passes for 229 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.

On their first drive, the Nittany Lions got to the UCF 13 before Mills fumbled. Later, a 6-yard punt by Jeremy Kapinos gave the Golden Knights a short field, setting up a 33-yard field goal by Prater for a 3-0 UCF lead.