UCF gets a marquee test on Saturday when No. 2 BYU comes to Orlando, and there’s a little extra weight on the day: it’s Homecoming, and the Knights already know how that script can go.
Two years ago, in 2024, No. 11 BYU walked into that spot and left with a 37-24 win.
This time, the Knights are chasing something they have never done before - beat a top-five team. BYU is the seventh top-five opponent UCF has ever faced, but it’s the first one to come to the Knights’ home field. Since 1995, Top 25 teams have gone 5-11 at UCF.
The matchup will be easy to follow for fans. FOX has the TV call with Connor Onion on play-by-play, Robert Griffin III as analyst and Alexa Landestoy reporting from the sideline.
On radio, the English broadcast will air on FM 96.9 / AM 740 with Marc Daniels, Gary Parris and Scott Adams. Spanish-language coverage will be available on the UCF Knights YouTube Channel with Carlos Bohorquez and Sergio Ruiz Torres.
Kickoff conditions could also be part of the story. AccuWeather is calling for 78 degrees, a 34% chance of rain 30 minutes before kickoff, and north-northeast winds at 15 miles per hour.
BYU enters as a 7.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Both teams are dealing with key backfield losses, which adds another layer to a game that already has plenty riding on it. BYU’s LJ Martin and UCF’s Taevion Swint were both ruled out Wednesday night.
That matters because UCF is running straight into one of the best rush defenses in the country. BYU has a top-10 rushing defense, and this is the third time in 2026 the Knights have had to deal with that kind of unit. The other two times were against Pittsburgh and Houston, the only defenses that held UCF under 100 rushing yards.
BYU has its own questions on the ground without Martin. Preston Rex and Journee Tonga, or both, figure to handle the carries out of the backfield.
In the three games Martin missed, the two combined for 42 carries and 161 yards, good for 3.83 yards per carry. Martin, meanwhile, is averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
In Other News...
UCF Backfield Loses A Key Weapon Before Its Biggest Test Yet
UCFs rushing attack took a hit Wednesday when Taevion Swint landed on the injury report and was ruled out for the Knights upcoming trip to BYU. Swint has become a key part of the ground game, so his absence shifts more of the workload onto Duke Watson and Landen Chambers as UCF heads into one of its biggest tests of the season.
Scott Frost did not offer any details on what sidelined Swint or when the injury occurred, leaving the Knights to sort through the backfield without one of their most reliable options. The timing is notable, too, with BYU also expected to be without star running back LJ Martin, setting up a game where both teams will need to adapt quickly on offense. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Gets A Huge Boost For Its Shot At No. 2 BYU
A healthier receiving corps could be exactly what UCF needs with No. 2 BYU looming, and Duane Thomas Jr. is expected to be available for his season debut after missing the opening weeks with a lingering injury. His return would give the Knights another option in a passing game that has been leaning on Josh Derry, who has emerged as a key target for Keyone Jenkins in recent weeks.
Quarterback health is still part of the equation, too, with Alonza Barnett III possibly returning from injury even though Jenkins remains the likely starter. For UCF, that creates a little more flexibility as it tries to piece together an offense capable of keeping pace in a matchup that already carried plenty of weight before the injury news began to shift the picture. [Read more 🡒]
McKenzie Miltons Latest UCF Honor Says Everything About His Return
McKenzie Miltons return to UCF has already taken on a meaning beyond the usual homecoming. Once the quarterback who helped drive the Knights to two American Conference titles and that unforgettable 13-0 season in 2017, he is now back in the program in a coaching role, working as UCFs quarterbacks coach under Scott Frost. It is the kind of circle-the-wagons move that says as much about the person as it does the program.
The latest recognition only reinforces that connection. Milton was inducted into UCFs Hall of Fame in the 2026 class, joining five other former Knights athletes in a ceremony at the Celeste Hotel, a nod to how deeply his legacy still runs through the school. For UCF, it is another reminder that his story did not end when his playing career did, and for Milton it adds one more chapter to a relationship with the Knights that has kept evolving. [Read more 🡒]