Before the season began, the UCF Knights (7-2, 5-0) were picked as one of the favorites to win Conference USA. Saturday's 42-17 victory against SMU (4-5, 3-2) continues to prove that this year's Knights squad is a championship caliber team.

UCF remains in first place in the Conference USA East Division and if the squad wins out, they will host the Conference Championship game at Bright House Networks Stadium. If the Knights continue to play the way they have the past few weeks they should earn their fourth trip to the C-USA Championship game.

In the last three weeks, UCF has outscored Memphis, Marshall and SMU 131-51. Senior running back Latavius Murray has been on fire as well. The New York native has accounted for 503 rushing yards, 96 receiving yards and 9 total touchdowns in those three contests.

Even though the scoreboard has shown a great bit of dominance by the Knights during that stretch, the players feel their dominance has shown on the field since the beginning of the season.

"I feel like we do that every week," senior defensive end Troy Davis said. "As the season has gone on we've gotten better and better. That's what you're seeing with the result of hard work."

"That's what we're capable of if we go out there and execute the game plan," senior center Jordan Rae said. "We have to continue to get better and we're looking forward to next week."

That week the Knights will face the UTEP Miners for the final time as a Conference USA opponent. Senior defensive back Kemal Ishmael feels things won't slow up for the Knights in their final three games of the regular season.

"Chemistry has been picking up real well," Ishmael said. "We've been running the ball well, throwing the ball well, playing good defense and just getting the ball in the end zone."