UCF’s win over Kansas came with a price.
The Knights ended a 12-game road losing streak last Saturday, but the trip also left them waiting on the health of two important running backs: Duke Watson and Landen Chambers. Watson was carted off with a foot injury and later appeared on the sideline in street clothes with a boot on his right foot. Chambers’ injury has not been disclosed.
Scott Frost said he does not have an update yet on either player and expects to learn more during his weekly Monday press conference later this evening.
That uncertainty matters because UCF’s ground game has been a central part of its offense, and Frost and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper have leaned on a three-man mix that includes Watson, Chambers and Taevion Swint. Watson has been the explosive piece in the group, piling up 596 yards and three touchdowns on 94 carries. He has also delivered the kind of chunk plays that can flip a game in a hurry, including two runs of more than 60 yards, one against Bethune-Cookman and another against Georgia State.
Chambers fills a different role. The Central Arkansas transfer is the short-yardage hammer, the back Frost turns to on third-and-short and near the goal line. He leads the running back group with four touchdowns and has done most of his damage by grinding through traffic.
If both Watson and Chambers are sidelined for any length of time, UCF’s depth takes a real hit. That would push Swint into the lead role while also keeping him in line for kickoff returns.
The redshirt freshman has already dealt with his own injury issues, missing consecutive games against then-No. 2 BYU and Baylor.
Swint showed what he can bring back against Kansas. He finished with 133 all-purpose yards and sparked the Knights with a big second quarter.
Early in the second half, he ripped off a 43-yard return, weaving past defenders to set UCF up at midfield. Chambers then added 26 rushing yards before Swint hit an open lane for the score that put the Knights ahead 19-7.
His speed was missed on special teams, too. In Swint’s absence, wide receiver Josh Derry handled kickoff returns and totaled 64 yards on three attempts.
Now UCF turns to Saturday’s home game against Arizona State with bowl eligibility on the line. The Knights are one win away.
The Sun Devils bring the eighth-best run defense in the Big 12, allowing 126.2 yards per game, one spot ahead of UCF. Frost has already gone up against some of the league’s toughest fronts this season in BYU, Baylor, Houston and TCU, so if Swint is the primary back, the playbook likely won’t need a major overhaul.
In Other News...
UCFs Bowl Push Now Comes Down To Avoiding Another Letdown
Coming off a road win over Kansas, UCF has put itself in position to chase postseason eligibility, but the margin for error is still razor thin. With a 5-4 record, the Knights need one more victory to lock up a bowl berth, and Scott Frost has made it clear the next step is less about celebrating the last one and more about keeping the same edge that carried them through it.
Arizona State offers a different kind of test, one built around a young offense that can lean on its run game and force defenders to stay disciplined snap after snap. For UCF, the assignment is straightforward in theory and tricky in practice: keep the Sun Devils from controlling the line of scrimmage, stay focused for four quarters, and avoid the kind of letdown that could turn a promising push into another missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Dior Johnson Is Carrying UCF But A Bigger Test Is Coming
UCF kept its unbeaten start intact with an 87-75 win over Yale, and Dior Johnson once again set the tone for a team still finding its early-season rhythm. Johnson led the way with 28 points and seven rebounds, while the Knights also got double-digit scoring help from other contributors as they pulled away with a stronger second half to move to 2-0.
The next step looks a little tougher. South Alabama comes in off a double-overtime win over Jacksonville State, with Stephen Williams powering that effort with 27 points and 13 rebounds, so UCF is about to see a more demanding test than the one Yale provided. For a team leaning heavily on Johnson early, the question now is whether the supporting cast can keep pace when the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]