UCF gets a late kickoff and a slightly different TV window for Saturday’s matchup with Arizona State, but the stakes around the game haven’t changed much for the Knights. Scott Frost is still chasing his first bowl trip in his second stint at UCF, and he needs one win over the final three games to get there.
The Knights and Sun Devils will now kick at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Acrisure Bounce House.
The game will air on ESPNU with Chuckie Kempf on play-by-play and Dustin Fox as analyst. English radio coverage will be on FM 96.9 / AM 740 with Marc Daniels, Gary Parris and Scott Adams, while Spanish radio will be available on the UCF Knights YouTube Channel with Carlos Bohorquez and Sergio Ruiz Torres.
The change came after Arizona State was among 12 teams whose flights were prevented from taking off Friday afternoon when the FAA issued its second nationwide ground stop since Sept. 11, 2001.
The stop lasted four hours and 21 minutes, and Arizona State chose to push its trip to Orlando to the following morning. That led to the kickoff being moved back two hours and shifted from ESPN2 to ESPNU.
Weather should not be a factor. According to AccuWeather, it will be 62 degrees 30 minutes before kickoff at Acrisure Bounce House, with north-northeast winds at 9 miles per hour and a 0% chance of rain. FanDuel Sportsbook lists UCF as a 3.5-point favorite.
Arizona State enters at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12, and it also owns the edge in the series, 2-0.
UCF’s injury situation remains a major part of the story. Linebacker Lewis Carter appears close to returning after being listed with probable designations all week, and Frost said Monday, "You know, I didn't think it was going to be this long a deal, but every injury responds different, and he's been a huge part of our team we haven't had. But I think there's a really good chance he gets some time this week," Frost said on Monday.
Even with that potential boost, the Knights are still not close to full strength. Running back Duke Watson and wide receiver Waden Charles are set to miss their first games of the season, adding more strain to an offense already dealing with the wear and tear of the year.
Saturday also brings a familiar face back to Orlando. Arizona State quarterback Mikey Keene returns to the Acrisure Bounce House for the first time since 2022, and the setting ties back to his time at UCF.
Keene started his college career with the Knights in 2021 and was thrust into the starting role for much of the season after Dillon Gabriel was injured. He threw for 1,730 yards and 17 touchdowns that year and helped UCF beat Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl, which remains the Knights’ most recent bowl win.
In 2022, Keene moved back into a backup role after John Rhys Plumlee arrived via the transfer portal. He still appeared in four games and started one.
His path has taken another turn this season. Keene entered Arizona State’s Oct. 17 game against Texas Tech after original starter Cutter Boley was injured, then threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns and earned the starting job for the Kansas State game. But he suffered a knee injury in that contest, opening the door for Jake Fette, who has started Arizona State’s last two games.
Keene is available for Saturday, but whether he plays will depend on Fette’s health or on decisions from coach Kenny Dillingham. UCF, meanwhile, is still trying to take the next step toward bowl eligibility with one of its final chances in front of it.
In Other News...
Arizona State Faces A Brutal Pre-Kickoff Test At UCF
Arizona States trip to UCF turned into an unexpected travel headache before the teams ever got to the field, with a nationwide FAA ground stop forcing the Sun Devils to sit on a plane for two hours before heading back to their facility. The delay created an immediate logistical mess for a road team trying to get settled for a game in Central Florida, and it added another layer of inconvenience to what was already shaping up as a tricky trip.
The coaching staff now has to keep the focus on football while players adjust to the unusual rhythm of the day and the uncertainty that comes with a disrupted travel schedule. Kickoff was pushed back to 5:30 p.m. ET after the ground stop was lifted, but the bigger issue for Arizona State is how quickly it can reset and handle the kind of pregame disruption teams rarely have to navigate. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs Crowded Backfield Just Got More Intriguing With This Commit
Omari St. Fort is giving UCF another layer to work with in the backfield after committing to the Knights and setting himself up to join the running back rotation as a freshman. The senior season he just wrapped up showed a player who can affect the game in more than one way, with production as a runner, receiver and return man.
His most eye-catching moment came on a 70-yard touchdown run, the longest rush of his career, and he finished with 411 rushing yards, three rushing scores, 83 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown and 200 kick return yards. For a UCF offense that likes options and pace, St. Fort arrives as another versatile piece, and his decision adds more intrigue to a crowded room before he ever steps on campus. [Read more 🡒]