3 THINGS TO WATCH: UCF's John Rhys Plumlee 'ready to roll' in Tulane rematch for AAC title

Surviving one, last, wild War on I-4 with rival South Florida, UCF earned the opportunity to exit the American Athletic Conference as champions one last time.

To do so, the Knights will need to take down the league's highest-ranked team in its backyard for the second time in less than a month.

No. 22 UCF (9-3, 6-2 AAC) visits No. 18 Tulane (10-2, 7-1) at 4 p.m. Saturday with a trip to the Cotton Bowl Classic on the line. The Knights are aiming for their fifth conference title and fourth appearance in a New Year's Six bowl game in the last 10 seasons.

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UCF defeated Tulane 38-31 on Nov. 12, moving into the driver's seat for home-field advantage in the AAC championship game with two weeks left in the regular season. But the Knights handed the initiative right back to Tulane the following Saturday with an upset home loss to Navy.

Yulman Stadium, instead, will serve as the backdrop for the showdown, one Knights head coach Gus Malzahn expects to be an even tougher challenge this time.

"Our players, they know what it feels like. They understand the speed and know the personnel," Malzahn said. "I've had this (situation) a few times in my career, so we'll know quite a bit about each other."

Tulane, which hasn't played in a New Year's bowl since 1940, avoided distraction this week as reports circulated about head coach Willie Fritz being a target to fill the vacancy at Georgia Tech. Instead, Brent Key — a longtime UCF assistant under George O'Leary — was promoted into the role on a full-time basis.

Earlier this week, Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt told NOLA.com he rooted for the Knights to fend off USF and set up a rematch, rather than an immediate turnaround and showdown with Cincinnati. Tulane ended the Bearcats' 32-game winning streak at Nippert Stadium with a 27-24 triumph last Friday.

"These are the guys we wanted to play," Pratt said. "We are super excited. I think we left a lot on the field in the first go-around, and just the opportunity to play them again, hopefully we'll get after them really good."

Should the Green Wave be careful what they wished for against this veteran UCF group? Here are three things to watch during Saturday's game.

1. Plumlee 'ready to roll' despite hamstring injury

Another week, another round of questioning in regards to the quarterback position. This time, Malzahn fielded inquiries in regards to John Rhys Plumlee's health after the senior was held out of the second half against South Florida with a hamstring injury.

"He's practiced every day and he's practiced well every day. He's ready to go," Malzahn said Thursday during his weekly appearance on FM 96.9 The Game. "I can't tell you he's going to be 100%, but this time of year, I'm not sure who is 100%. But he's going to be ready to go."

Malzahn said earlier in the week that Plumlee will shoulder a full workload as a runner if deemed fit enough to play. His rushing ability was crucial in the Knights' victory at Tulane three weeks ago, setting a UCF single-game record for a quarterback with 176 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

Plumlee gashed the Green Wave for two huge runs in the opening quarter alone — a 47-yard sprint on the opening drive to set up a field goal, and a 67-yard touchdown dash as Tulane vacated the middle of the field.

Had he not left injured last week, Plumlee very likely would have broken his own rushing record against South Florida. He shredded the Bulls for 133 yards and two touchdowns on just eight attempts, helping the Knights build a 28-0 lead.

"I feel great. I feel awesome," Plumlee said. "I was banged up a little bit, but Mary (Vander Heiden), and everyone in the training room, Ed (Woodley) and Fred (Donnell), Kyle (Flora) and Mackenzie (Kennedy) and all those guys — they do a super job taking care of us. They have done an awesome job this week of getting me back as healthy as I can be, ready to roll for this weekend."

2. Keene ready, if needed

Should Plumlee not be able to finish the game, an increasingly frequent occurrence in the second half of the campaign, sophomore Mikey Keene will again be on standby.

He's entered at or near halftime on three separate occasions this fall, shining in pivotal moments against Cincinnati and South Florida. Keene's 14-yard touchdown pass to Alec Holler, a spectacular one-handed catch that will live long in the memory of Knights fans as the seminal moment of the War on I-4's finale, proved to be the game-winner.

Keene has participated in four games this season, the maximum allowed by the NCAA in regards to its redshirt rules. Another appearance would burn a year's worth of eligibility for Keene, who could look to enter the transfer portal as early as next week to seek a better opportunity to start full time.

When asked about the situation last Saturday, Keene replied, "Let's go win a championship."

3. Fear the Spears

Named the AAC's Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, Tyjae Spears quite frankly did not touch the ball enough in the first meeting between the two teams.

Tulane attempted 39 passes on a windy New Orleans late afternoon and gave their junior workhorse just eight carries. Spears made the most of those limited opportunities, gaining 130 yards — a staggering average of 16.3 per attempt.

Expect that to change Saturday.

Spears logged at least 14 carries in eight of the Green Wave's final nine games and powered the team to its monumental win at Cincinnati last weekend. Spears ran 35 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns, cementing his case to become the first non-quarterback to take home honors as the AAC's top offensive player.

UCF's defense is coming off its worst performance, surrendering a season-high 39 points in addition to 330 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground to lowly South Florida.

Linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste believes that performance was a "hiccup," as opposed to a troubling trend.

"Wrapping up and getting guys to the ground; if we're able to tackle, we're a great defense," Jean-Baptiste said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: 3 things to watch vs. Tulane for AAC championship