UCF is heading into Big 12 play with plenty to prove, and Saturday’s opener against TCU gives the Knights a clear shot to start changing the conversation.
Since joining the conference in 2023, UCF has gone 7-20, a record that has made the jump to Power Four football feel as steep as it looks on paper. The problem has shown up in the same places over and over: the offense has had trouble sustaining long drives, and the defense has often been left on the field too long.
Offensive lineman Preston Cushman didn’t shy away from that reality when he spoke Monday. He knows the outside expectations are low, and he sees the TCU game as a chance to flip them.
"People still got us down and just go prove everyone and earn it," Cushman said during Monday's media availability. "Like we say all the time, it's just earn it."
UCF already got a taste of life against a tougher opponent in Week 2, when it went on the road to face Pittsburgh. The Knights managed just one touchdown, and Pittsburgh bottled up the run while extending its opponents’ road losing streak to 10 straight.
That matters this week because TCU brings one of the conference’s better run defenses to the matchup. The Horned Frogs are giving up 79.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks fifth in the Big 12.
For UCF, the ground game is still the engine. Duke Watson leads the team with 297 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and his 11 yards per carry leads the nation. That number is even better than his freshman average at Louisville.
If TCU can slow Watson down, the pressure shifts to quarterback Keyone Jenkins and to an offensive line that has to hold up long enough to keep the offense moving. Cushman said the Knights have to handle the individual battles first.
"If someone does screw up, we got enough playmakers on the field to make somebody right," Cushman said. "But every rep's a one-on-one matchup. Just win it, and we'll be in a pretty good spot."
Saturday will be the second meeting between UCF and TCU. The Knights won the first one, pulling out a 35-34 comeback on Sept. 14, 2024.
UCF started Big 12 play well that season, but the finish told a different story, with the Knights going 1-7 in the rest of their conference games.
In Other News...
UCF Opens Big 12 Play Facing An Early Test They Cant Dodge
Big 12 play arrives quickly for UCF, and the opener in Orlando brings a familiar kind of early-season pressure. The Knights and TCU both come in at 2-1, both trying to sort out who they are after uneven starts, and both coaches have already pointed out the parallels in their seasons. TCU has steadied itself with back-to-back wins since its opening loss, while UCF is coming off a victory built around the run game and another start from Keyone Jenkins at quarterback.
For UCF, the larger question is whether that formula can hold once conference play begins and the margin for error gets thinner. TCU has already shown it can recover from an early setback, with Jaden Craig and Ed Small helping push the Horned Frogs into a better rhythm, and that makes this feel less like a warmup than a first real measuring stick. The Knights do not get the luxury of easing into the league schedule, and the answer to how well they can handle that test is about to start coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
UCF May Have Found The Backfield Threat Fans Were Hoping For
Duke Watsons first few weeks at UCF have looked like the kind of backfield spark the Knights were hoping to uncover when they brought in the Louisville transfer. He broke loose for 177 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia State, flashing the burst and decisiveness that can change an offense in a hurry and quickly giving UCF a runner who looks comfortable in space and dangerous between the tackles.
Watsons fast start has done more than just put yards on the board. He has praised coach Scott Frost and pointed to his prior relationship with general manager Trent Mossbrucker as part of what drew him to Orlando, a reminder that UCFs transfer work has to fit both on and off the field. The bigger question now is whether this opening surge is a glimpse of what the Knights can ride all season, or just the first chapter of a much longer evaluation. [Read more 🡒]