The No. 8 Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ football team will host the American Athletic Conference Championship for the second consecutive year Saturday. As East Division champion, the Knights will take on West Division champion\u00a0Memphis in Spectrum Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.<\/p>\n
The Knights, who are coming off a 38-10\u00a0win in the War On I-4 rivalry series against USF on Black Friday, are chasing their fourth American trophy since joining the conference in 2013. <\/strong><\/p>\n If Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½\u2019s recent matchups against Memphis are any indication of what\u2019s in store for Saturday, there\u2019s bound to be some fireworks. The two teams squared off in last year\u2019s title game at Spectrum Stadium, and the Knights pulled out an exhilarating 62-55 double overtime win that clinched their spot in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ and Memphis also met in October this year in Tennessee, where the Knights rallied in the second half for a down-to-the-wire 31-30 win.<\/p>\n Fans took it upon themselves to promote wearing leis to Saturday’s title game as a symbol of their support for Hawaiian native and Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ quarterback\u00a0McKenzie Milton, who underwent successful surgery after his leg was badly injured during Friday’s game in Tampa.<\/p>\n “McKenzie is in good spirits and has a very positive attitude. He looks forward to cheering on his teammates in their quest for another conference championship this Saturday.” \u2014 Mark and Teresa Milton<\/p><\/blockquote>\n On Tuesday morning, Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Athletics announced that thanks to a combined effort with Global Promo and the Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Student Government Association, the Knights will be joining the movement by distributing 40,000 leis at the stadium prior to kickoff. Fans are encouraged to wear black to the game.<\/p>\n In the Milton family’s first update to fans on Nov. 24, they closed their statement with the message: “Remember what Ohana means. No one gets left behind. #Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½amily.” Since then, the hashtag #10hana has grown in popularity as a sign of support as it combines Milton’s jersey number and the Hawaiian term.<\/p>\n Milton’s parents shared an update on his progress Tuesday afternoon, revealing that blood flow has been restored to his leg, a nerve is injured and he will have reconstructive surgery to repair his knee on a date yet to be determined. They thanked Knight Nation for their well wishes.<\/p>\nMilton Update<\/h2>\n