UCF pulled off the kind of ending that makes a campus erupt and a national ranking look flimsy in a hurry.
The Knights knocked off No. 2 BYU 39-31 in double overtime, stunning the Cougars on the road and delivering the first AP Top 5 win in program history. UCF sealed it by stopping BYU on fourth down in the extra session, then celebrating a breakthrough that came one week after the Knights had already upset Notre Dame.
The decisive sequence in double overtime started with UCF settling for a field goal. Then came a roughing the kicker call that changed everything, turning three points into a first-and-goal from the four-yard line. From there, quarterback Keyone Jenkins hit Utah native Gabe Brousseau for a touchdown and then found Tyren Hornes on the two-point conversion to put the pressure squarely on BYU.
The Cougars answered by taking to the air, with quarterback Bear Bachmeier coming up just short on a touchdown throw to wide receiver Kyle Kasper. BYU then moved to second-and-goal from the four, but Bachmeier missed on three straight throws on difficult chances, and the game ended with fans storming the field.
Jenkins, the backup quarterback at UCF, was sensational throughout the night. He threw for 293 yards, ran for 35 more and accounted for four touchdowns in a performance that carried the Knights. Bachmeier had three touchdown passes for BYU, but UCF’s defense delivered when the game was on the line.
The loss also snapped BYU’s run of success against unranked opponents. It was the Cougars’ first loss to an unranked team since a 17-13 defeat against Kansas on Nov. 16, 2024.
Regulation itself nearly ended in chaos before overtime ever arrived. With seconds left, BYU appeared to force a strip-sack that would have sent the Knights into a dangerous spot near the edge of field-goal range.
But replay showed Jenkins was pushing his arm forward with control, so the call was changed to an incomplete pass. A subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was also added against BYU captain Keanu Tanuvasa.
That penalty moved the ball into field-goal range on third down, and Stone’s kick was blocked by All-American safety Faletau Satuala. Even then, Stone recovered the ball and seemed to have given UCF another shot at the winner, but his helmet coming off during the tackle triggered a mandatory 10-second runoff and ended regulation. Scott Frost was trying to line up a second game-winning field goal with a different kicker, but instead the game rolled into overtime.
BYU’s hangover from last week’s breakthrough was obvious. One week after that historic win, the Cougars had trouble keeping the momentum on a cross-country trip. Bachmeier completed only half his passes, and the defense gave up 463 yards.
Now BYU sits at 3-1 in Big 12 play with a heavyweight meeting against No. 10 Utah still ahead.
And the bigger historical note is hard to miss: this is only the second time in the AP Poll Era that an AP Top 2 team has lost to unranked opponents in three straight weeks. The only other time was 2007.
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 🡒]
UCF Gets Its Biggest Home Test Yet Against No. 2 BYU
Saturdays matchup at FBC Mortgage Stadium carries the feel of a measuring-stick game for UCF, with No. 2 BYU bringing a top-tier national profile into one of the Knights biggest home stages of the season. The broadcast and radio setup is in place for a late kickoff, and the backdrop only adds to the buzz, with clear skies and cool temperatures expected in Orlando.
The on-field puzzle is centered on the run game, where both sides are dealing with key injury absences at running back. BYUs defense has been stout against the ground all season, and UCF has had trouble generating much there at times already, which puts even more pressure on a game that has long been tilted in the Cougars favor on paper. The odds reflect that reality, but this is the kind of home test that can still tell you a lot about where the Knights stand. [Read more 🡒]