UCF didn’t just beat No. 2 BYU on Saturday. The Knights outlasted the Cougars in a 39-31 double-overtime stunner that gave the program its first win over a top-5 team in school history and sent Bounce House Stadium into a full-on celebration.
It was the biggest victory UCF has posted since the 52-42 upset of No. 6 Baylor in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, and it marked the program’s first top-10 win since taking down No.
7 Auburn in the 2017 Peach Bowl. Now sitting at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12, UCF turns around quickly to host Baylor on Friday in the annual Space Game.
The headline performance came from quarterback Keyone Jenkins, who delivered his best outing of the season at just the right time. Making his fifth start in place of Alonza Barnett III, Jenkins threw for a season-high 293 yards and three touchdowns while also running for a score.
UCF finished with 463 total yards, its biggest offensive output since the season opener against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 3.
Jenkins completed 61% of his passes and continued a trend that has him looking more and more comfortable in the role. It was his second straight game with multiple touchdown passes this season, and coach Scott Frost made clear afterward that the Knights weren’t getting backup-level play.
“I don’t know why this year in the NFL and in college there seems to be a lot of quarterbacks hurt this year and a lot of backup quarterbacks playing,” said Frost. “Our guy isn’t playing like a backup.
He played like a legit starter tonight, and we needed every play he made. I’m glad we went and got him.”
Jenkins, though, knows the situation remains fluid as Barnett works back from a hamstring injury.
“It’s really up to the coaches. They’re gonna do what they feel is best for the team,” said Jenkins. “I’m going to control what I can control.”
UCF’s ability to close out the game was a major shift from the previous two losses to Houston and Oklahoma State, when the Knights let strong starts slip away. This time, they kept punching until the end. Receiver Josh Derry said the emphasis all week was simple.
“Finish was the word all week,” said receiver Josh Derry, who caught six for 54 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown in the first overtime.
Defensive tackle Thomas Collins said the group spent the week focused on matching BYU’s intensity and carrying it through four quarters and beyond.
“We were just coming in with the mindset of working hard for four quarters, matching their intensity and just wanting that extra oomph,” said defensive tackle Thomas Collins, who tipped a Bear Bachmeier pass in the second quarter and linebacker Tackett Curtis intercepted it.
The overtime sequence belonged to UCF. Jenkins found Derry for a touchdown in the first extra period, then connected with tight end Grayson Brousseau for another score in the second overtime. The Knights also converted a two-point try to Tyren Hornes, sealing the win.
Hornes was one of the biggest stories of the day. The freshman wideout was moved into the starting lineup over the bye week, and the decision paid off in a huge way. He finished with a team-high 137 receiving yards on six catches, adding 86 yards after the catch.
“It’s hard as an 18-year-old to come in and play powerful football,” said Frost. “We recognized the talent in him right away. We decided in the bye week to start him and get him more opportunities and he’s capable of some of those plays.”
Derry saw it too.
“He was ready for his opportunity and he took advantage of it,” added Derry.
UCF also got production from Landen Chambers after Taevion Swint was ruled out with an undisclosed injury. Chambers shared work with Duke Watson, finishing with nine carries for 22 yards and a 2-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. He also caught two passes for 27 yards and scored on a 6-yard touchdown just before halftime, his first receiving touchdown of the season.
“This running back room is very special. When somebody goes down, we just go keep building,” said Chambers.
For Chambers, the atmosphere after the final whistle made the night feel even bigger. Many of the players experienced the field storming for the first time, and the moment clearly hit.
“That was unreal. It felt like a movie,” said Chambers.
Frost called it one of the most memorable wins of his time at UCF.
“I’ve been part of a few of the coolest games in UCF history now and that one’s right up there,” added Frost.
And Collins said the result only confirmed what the Knights already believe about themselves.
“We already know that we could beat anybody, and we come in with that confidence every game and every day at practice. But this obviously, this helps a lot,” he said.
In Other News...
BYUs Stunning Upset Loss Ended With A Final Sequence Fans Wont Forget
BYUs trip to Orlando turned into one of those nights that can leave a coaching staff replaying every snap, especially the frantic stretch at the end of regulation. UCF had already forced the No. 2 team in the country to survive a blocked field goal, a recovered loose ball and a penalty flag that was ultimately picked up, and the final minute only got messier as a helmet-off sequence triggered a 10-second runoff and the clock ran out before either side could settle things on the field.
The Knights then carried that chaos into overtime and never let the moment slip away. After the game moved to a second extra period, a roughing-the-kicker penalty on BYU kept UCFs drive alive long enough to finish the upset with a touchdown and two-point conversion, the kind of ending that makes a regular-season win feel bigger than the standings and leaves the defeated side searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Just Gave UCF Fans A Reason To Believe Again
UCFs homecoming crowd got the kind of afternoon that can reset a mood around a program, with the Knights knocking off second-ranked BYU 39-31 in double overtime. It was the sort of win that carries extra weight because of who was on the other sideline and because of what it meant to Scott Frost, who called it a significant and emotional victory for the program.
The night belonged to the kind of breakthrough that UCF has been waiting to see more often, with backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins stepping into the spotlight and steering the offense through a tense finish. His poise showed up when the game was hanging in the balance, and the Knights made the plays they needed in the extra sessions to turn a memorable upset into something bigger for the programs confidence moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Stunned BYU Even After A Late Big 12 Blunder
UCFs double-overtime win over BYU came with an odd bit of late-game drama that had nothing to do with the Knights offense or defense. In the closing seconds of regulation, Big 12 officials incorrectly enforced a 10-second runoff, wiping out UCFs chance to line up for a potential game-winning field goal after the sequence on the blocked kick.
Former NFL referee Terry McAulay said the runoff should not have applied because the clock stopped due to a legal kick down, not just because a players helmet came off. The miscue landed one week after the Big 12 replay crew acknowledged a different end-of-game mistake in BYUs previous game, adding another frustrating officiating note to a matchup UCF still managed to finish off in double overtime. [Read more 🡒]