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Josh Heupel blown away by McKenzie Milton performance on Sunday

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels09/06/21

ChandlerVessels

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David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire

Former UCF coach Josh Heupel turned on the Florida State-Notre Dame game Sunday night hoping to see McKenzie Milton. He turned the game off in the fourth disappointed that Milton hadn’t yet entered.

He never could have expected what he woke up to Monday morning.

Milton entered the game with a little more than nine minutes to go in regulation. He dropped back to pass and effortlessly completed his first pass in a live game in nearly three years. The 22-yard connection with Ja’Khi Douglas sent the crowd in Tallahassee into a frenzy.

The former UCF quarterback led the Seminoles back from what was at one time an 18-point deficit to force overtime. He finished 5-of-7 passing for 48 yards.

Heupel, now the coach at Tennessee, said he couldn’t be happier for Milton.

“I woke up to a barrage of text messages from a bunch of buddies, so this morning I just tried to find the highlights,” he said. “Unbelievable story. Only he can do what he’s done over the last three years – coming back from in the early hours of that injury, just hoping that he was going to be able to keep his leg to a two and a half to three-year rehab process to get back. It started with just wanting to be able to have a normal, functioning leg, and have a normal life to now becoming a guy that can go play. You can see last night, he’s back to doing the things that he’s able to do. He’s special. Inside the white lines, he’s got great command, great presence, and has unbelievable play-making ability, and you guys saw that last night. It’s special, unbelievable to see him and be able to watch.”

Josh Heupel coached McKenzie Milton at UCF for three years. He took over the Knights in 2018, the same season Milton got injured. The quarterback threw for 2,663 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games. UCF finished the year undefeated but lost in the Fiesta Bowl.

Milton made the decision to transfer this offseason in hopes that he could win the starting job in Tallahassee. Although Jordan Travis won the title in Week 1, Milton’s performance gave Florida State coach Mike Norvell plenty to think about.

“McKenzie is a great competitor,” Norvell said to reporters after Sunday’s game. “As he went into this week, he just continued telling coaches, ‘I’ll be ready. I’ll be ready.’ You never know when that opportunity is going to present itself. Jordan (Travis) had a couple things happen there late and McKenzie came in and he was ready. He prepared well. He was such a wonderful competitor. It was great to see him go out there and compete. Everybody knows his story and all that’s gone into it. He’s somebody that you cheer for. Just a special young man and just to see him rise up in that moment, really proud of him.”

The Seminoles next face Jacksonville State at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.