Blake Bortles passed a lot during UCF's spring game on Saturday. The sophomore quarterback threw the ball 45 times - completing 27 of them - for 239 yards and one touchdown, which is a considerable amount considering it's still, well, spring.
Bortles led the first stringers (UCF) to a 20-7 win over the second stringers (Golden Knights) during the annual scrimmage at Bright House Networks Stadium, in spite of 12 dropped passes from a number of wide receivers and running back.
"I really wanted to put Blake under some heat because I think it's going to happen pretty quick in the early part of the season," UCF head coach George O'Leary said. "I wanted to see how he really took it on. We practiced some no huddle this past week and there needs to be more of a sense of urgency. I thought he handled it well."
Wideout Josh Reese was on the opposite end of a handful of passes from Bortles. The redshirt freshman caught nine passes for 64 yards. Senior Quincy McDuffie also had five receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown.
The second unit, though, wasn't overwhelmingly impressive.
Redshirt senior signal caller Rob Calabrese finished just 9-of-17 passing for 42 yards and two interceptions.
But Bortles' effort was, perhaps, the most promising, as he projects to be the starter. Last year, he showed glimpses filling in for then-starter Jeff Godfrey. During a Nov. 12 game against Southern Miss, Bortles 24 of 34 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns, along with one interception.
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