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Dillon Gabriel talks War on I-4 and potential return of McKenzie Milton

Nobody will ever forget UCF's last visit to Tampa in the War on I-4. It was a 38-10 Knights win, but overshadowed by the devastating leg injury suffered by quarterback McKenzie Milton.

KZ nearly lost his leg, but after two years of grueling rehabilitation he's on the verge of playing meaningful football again. He's been UCF's scout team quarterback for the past several weeks, but has yet to suit up in a real game.

Current starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel might have dropped a hint when asked about the significance of this game in relation to a possible KZ return.

"If I was a fan I'd want it to be a surprise, so I can't say yes. I can't say no," Gabriel said. "We'll just see what happens. I know KZ is doing great mentally and physically. He's ready to go whenever he's ready to do so. I'm going to let that be it and see what happens."

Gabriel later teased a bit more when asked to clarify in a follow-up question.

"I'll be honest," he said. "There's a bunch of surprises. I would just sit back and see. I'm not saying he is. I'm not saying he isn't. Who knows, you know what I mean. We'll see."

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Here's more from the Monday interview with Dillon.

On the Cincinnati loss:

"Super disappointing obviously. Time doesn't wait on anybody. We've got a new game this week. We've got to flip the switch somehow. That's what we're going to do. We just had practice and we're moving past from it."

On facing Cincinnati's tough defense:

"There's a bunch of good defenses in our conference. They're super talented. They got a bunch of guys that have played a bunch of football. At the same time, we had opportunities to take advantage of it but we didn't. That's the name of the game. You've got to take advantage of opportunities in every single quarter, the whole game and that's what we didn't do. Learn from it. Move past it. Flipping the switch. Getting ready for this weekend. Find a way to go plus-one."

On the offense stalling on some drives against Cincinnati:

"We're so used to putting up points early and doing so every single drive. Yeah, there's bumps in the road and that's something we need to fix. It's attacking every single day. Not letting off the gas pedal. Just taking advantage of opportunities. We were put in positions to move the chains and continue to go through our drive but we just didn't. You've got to move the chains, get into the red zone and take advantage of that. During those times, we didn't. Three-and-outs or times we didn't move the chains. It's hard to create rhythm. We have to take advantage of every single drive."

On the significance of playing a rivalry game:

"I think it's huge. Obviously it's bragging rights. It's a rival you play every single year. You get that trophy and you want to defend. This game is as big as any game we played this year. This is our opportunity to go get a W."

On the impact of wide receiver Tre Nixon returning after an injury he suffered in the season opener:

"It's another weapon. Tre is a great receiver. He obviously creates a lot of matchups for us. Just another weapon that helps the whole offense. Great having Tre back. Love the guy. I think the world of him and know he can make a bunch of plays."

On which players in this senior class have meant the most to him:

"All of them. Greg, Tre, Jacob, all guys I'm close to. Richie, A-Rob. Guys who have been here through the years and have seen the top of the top and seen the not so good. Guys who have been through a lot, played a lot of football. Guys who are really intelligent when it comes to the game of football and knowledgeable outside, just being older and going through experiences that us younger guys haven't. I value every senior. Very intelligent guys in terms of on and off the field."

On what he usually does for Thanksgiving:

"We'd usually go to my grandma's house. We'd have some turkey, ham, some garlic mash, all the good stuff. Ever since I came to college, we've got a game day and the rivalry game, so we usually have it the day after on Saturday. Probably be having the same stuff. My family is here. It'll be a fun time."

On why he thinks the War on I-4 has developed into a meaningful rivalry:

"It's Florida vs. Florida. It's guys who are super prideful about the state they grew up in and love the state they grew up in. There's a lot of competitive spirit on both sides. You saw what happened last year with the fighting. I think it's really the energy of the game. Just competitive spirit. I know that it's part of the game. It's fun. It creates more hype to it. For the most part, it's a great rivalry game to be a part of and I'm excited for the matchup. Come Friday it'll be a fun one."


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