A double rainbow appeared outside Acrisure Bounce House Stadium on Saturday, and UCF turned it into something bigger: the biggest upset in school history.
The Knights outlasted No. 2 BYU, 39-31, in double overtime, handing the Cougars their first loss of the season and snapping a seven-game winning streak that stretched back to last year.
For UCF, it was a breakthrough win over a top-5 team and its first victory against a ranked opponent since beating No. 15 Oklahoma State on Nov.
11, 2023.
The finish was chaotic, tense and finally electric. After BYU struck first in overtime on Bear Bachmeier’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Legend Glasker, UCF answered immediately. On the very next snap, Keyone Jenkins slipped away from pressure and found Josh Derry open for a 25-yard touchdown to force a second overtime.
That’s where the Knights closed the door.
Will Stone knocked through a 26-yard field goal in the second overtime, but BYU was flagged for running into the kicker, giving UCF a fresh shot. Two plays later, Jenkins hit tight end Grayson Brousseau for a 4-yard touchdown, then delivered a perfect two-point conversion strike to Tyren Hornes to push the Knights in front 39-31.
BYU still had a chance, reaching the UCF 4, but Bachmeier’s fourth-down throw to Walker Lyons fell incomplete. Then the field emptied.
The win also stopped a two-game losing streak for UCF, which improved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12. BYU dropped to 6-1 and 3-1.
The Cougars came out fast. On their opening drive, Bachmeier connected with Kyler Kasper for a 27-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 with 8:19 left in the first quarter. The 11-play drive took nearly six minutes, and the score was Bachmeier’s eighth passing touchdown of the season.
UCF’s own opening-drive scoring streak ended when it couldn’t convert on third-and-6 and had to punt. Still, the Knights got a boost from the return of receiver Duane Thomas Jr., who had missed the first six games with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Thomas made his first catch of the season, a 7-yarder, at the 8:19 mark of the opening quarter.
The Knights settled in on their third possession. Duke Watson ripped off a 30-yard run to get UCF into the red zone for the first time, and Landen Chambers finished the series with a 2-yard touchdown run to tie it 7-7. It was Chambers’ fourth rushing touchdown of the season and the 15th of his career.
UCF kept building from there, mixing short runs and screen passes to move the ball. Hornes caught an 18-yard pass to set the Knights up at the BYU 8, but Waden Charles dropped what looked like a sure touchdown on first-and-goal. Stone salvaged the drive with a 20-yard field goal, giving UCF a 10-7 lead with 8:10 left in the half.
BYU answered before halftime. Bachmeier hit Kasper on a 32-yard completion to reach the UCF 2, and two plays later Bachmeier took it in himself to make it 14-10 with 3:47 remaining. UCF then had a promising drive stall after a holding penalty wiped out a first down on third-and-1, and Jenkins’ third-and-10 throw to Derry fell incomplete.
The Knights got the ball right back when Thomas Collins tipped a pass and Tackett Curtis intercepted it. It was Curtis’s second interception and UCF’s 12th takeaway of the season.
That turnover led to points: Jenkins connected with Hornes for 30 yards, then found Derry for 12 to move inside the 10. With eight seconds left in the half, Jenkins hit Chambers for an 11-yard touchdown to send UCF into the locker room ahead 17-14.
BYU regained the lead in the third quarter. Bachmeier converted a fourth-and-4 with a 14-yard pass to Kasper, then hit Jojo Phillips for 24 yards to set up Sione Moa’s short touchdown run. That pushed the Cougars in front 21-17 with 9:45 left in the period.
UCF answered right back. Hornes took a bubble screen and raced 56 yards to the BYU 15, and four plays later Jenkins dove into the end zone for his fourth rushing touchdown of the season. Matthias Dunn’s 47-yard field goal then tied the game at 24 with 12:09 to play.
From there, neither side could finish in regulation. UCF had one final drive that reached the 1 on third-and-goal after Watson’s run, but he couldn’t sneak in on fourth down. BYU later punted with 42 seconds left, setting up the final wild sequence before overtime.
On UCF’s last drive of regulation, Jenkins found Chambers for 21 yards to get into BYU territory. The next play looked disastrous, as Jenkins was sacked and appeared to fumble at midfield, but replay ruled it an incomplete pass.
BYU was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the ball to the 28. Stone lined up for a 47-yard field goal on third down, but he blocked it and recovered it.
A replay review then showed Stone’s helmet had come off, triggering a 10-second runoff and sending the game to overtime.
UCF now turns to Baylor in the annual Space Game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
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 🡒]