Conner Weigman turned Saturday into his personal rescue mission, and UCF paid for every step of it.
Houston’s quarterback accounted for three rushing touchdowns and helped erase a 17-point deficit in the Cougars’ 24-17 win, a comeback that stretched the Knights’ road losing streak to 11 straight. UCF had opened the game with control, built a 17-point cushion early in the third quarter and still watched the night slip away behind 27 unanswered Houston points.
The Knights got the start they wanted. Keyone Jenkins and Josh Derry connected early on the opening drive, with Derry hauling in a 49-yard catch on the second play before finishing the march with a 13-yard touchdown. It was Derry’s first score of the season, and he joined teammates Waden Charles, Caden Piening, Caleb Rollerson and Jonathan Bibbs in the end zone list.
UCF’s defense backed that up with a strong second quarter, turning Houston away again and again in the red zone. Tackett Curtis broke up a Weigman pass on fourth down, Demari Henderson forced Patrick Overmyer to fumble at the 14-yard line, and Will Stone cashed in with a 30-yard field goal to send the Knights to halftime ahead 10-0.
Then Jenkins added to the lead right out of the break, using a pump fake before rolling into the end zone on a five-yard touchdown run. That pushed UCF up 17 and, for a moment, put the Knights in the kind of position that usually feels safe.
It wasn’t safe for long.
Weigman flipped the game with his legs. He scored on back-to-back third-quarter drives, including a 19-yard rushing touchdown that got Houston rolling, then delivered the go-ahead score with more than 10 minutes left in the fourth. By the time the Cougars had strung together 21 unanswered points, the comeback was complete and the momentum had fully shifted.
Weigman finished 18-for-33 for 239 yards through the air and added 50 rushing yards on 50 carries. Saturday was his second straight game with multiple rushing touchdowns after he ran for two against Georgia Southern last Saturday.
The loss dropped UCF to 0-1 against ranked opponents and left the Knights staring at a difficult two-week stretch against No. 19 Oklahoma State and No.
10 BYU. Houston, meanwhile, moved to two straight wins after surviving the early hole.
In Other News...
UCF Suddenly Has A Bigger Concern Than The Houston Loss
The Houston loss ended up being only part of the concern for UCF, because the Knights came out of the game with a few health questions layered on top of the result. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins was dealing with cramps during the game, but he got treatment and returned, while wide receiver Josh Derry also worked through an ankle issue and was able to keep going in the second half.
The bigger concern centered up front, where center Jacob Maiava left with a hip injury and had X-rays afterward. With Maiava out, Cooper Terpstra had to step in at center, leaving UCF to sort out what the line looks like if the injury lingers and whether the offense can keep its stability after already absorbing one tough night in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
UCF's Road Problem Just Got More Frustrating
For much of the afternoon in Houston, UCF looked ready to turn a road trip into something useful, building a 17-0 lead midway through the third quarter against No. 20 Houston. The Knights had enough early control to make the game feel tilted in their favor, even with backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins trying to manage the offense under pressure.
Then the second half turned into the kind of collapse that keeps a road streak hanging around. UCFs offense stalled badly over its final five possessions, and Houston answered with Conner Weigman powering in three rushing touchdowns after halftime as the Knights watched another winnable game slip away on the road. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Just Got A Huge Defensive Boost At The Right Time
Cole Kozlowski is back in the mix for UCF at a time when the defense could use a lift. The linebacker has been cleared to play for the remainder of the 2026 season, giving the Knights a veteran presence as they navigate a linebacker group that has been dealing with injuries and a stretch of ranked opponents on the schedule.
For UCF, the timing matters as much as the name. Kozlowski brings experience and proven production to a unit that needs stability, and his return gives the Knights another trusted option in the middle of the defense as the games get tougher and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]