UCF opened Big 12 play with a hard-earned 21-13 win over TCU on Saturday, and the Knights had to survive a little bit of everything to get there.
Keyone Jenkins shook off two turnovers and still delivered a sharp day at quarterback, finishing 19 of 20 for 160 yards and a touchdown. Taevion Swint and Landen Chambers added rushing scores, and UCF’s defense turned the game with four takeaways, four sacks and eight tackles for loss. That effort came without starting linebacker and leading tackler Lewis Carter, and it held up even as the Knights were flagged only four times for 50 yards compared with 11 penalties for 86 yards on TCU.
The tone was set almost immediately. After the Horned Frogs received the opening kickoff, Jaden Craig hit Em Small for about 14 yards, but Jayden Bellamy ripped the ball loose after the catch. Braeden Marshall recovered at the TCU 43, and Swint finished the short field with a 13-yard touchdown run to put UCF ahead early.
TCU answered quickly. Craig sparked a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 41-yard completion to Jordan Dwyer, and Jeremy Payne punched in a one-yard score to tie it at 7-7.
UCF’s first turnover came on its next possession when Jenkins, needing just one yard for a first down, kept the ball on a run and was stripped by Vernon Glover at the TCU 45. The Knights’ defense bailed them out by forcing a fourth down outside Sonny Dykes’ preferred field goal range.
The second quarter brought more of the same back-and-forth tension. TCU took a 10-7 lead on a 29-yard field goal after Craig connected with Jeremy Scott for 37 yards to set up the chance. UCF answered in the red zone, helped by an unnecessary roughness penalty, and Jenkins found Caden Piening for a 19-yard touchdown to swing the lead back to the Knights, 14-10.
Then Bellamy struck again. On TCU’s next series, he intercepted Craig at the Frogs’ 36-yard line for his first pick of the season.
But UCF couldn’t cash in. Jenkins was stripped while dropping back to pass from the TCU ten, and the Frogs recovered with 1:24 left in the half.
TCU got one last shot before the break, but came away empty.
The third quarter opened quietly for UCF, which punted after three plays. TCU mounted a long, 15-play drive that ate nearly 10 minutes and ended with a 45-yard field goal, trimming the margin to 14-13.
UCF then put together the drive that mattered most. After Jenkins appeared to be stopped at the TCU 20 on an incomplete pass, back-to-back penalties on the Frogs gave the Knights another shot, and Chambers scored from one yard out to make it 21-13 with 12:25 remaining.
From there, the defense finished the job. UCF got the ball back after a missed TCU field goal from beyond 50 yards, but an unnecessary roughness penalty on center Jacob Maiava helped back the Knights into a first-and-25.
They eventually punted, and TCU’s next deep shot ended with Antione Jackson’s interception and a 19-yard return to UCF’s 26. The Knights bled the clock down to 14 seconds before punting again, and TCU’s final possession ended almost immediately when the Horned Frogs fumbled on the first play with eight seconds left.
The win moves UCF to 3-1 overall and gives the Knights a 3-1 start for the fifth straight season. It also marks just the second time UCF has opened Big 12 play 1-0, coming five days after the program reflected on the one-year anniversary of offensive line coach Shawn Clark’s passing.
UCF heads to Houston next, with kickoff set for noon on October 3.
In Other News...
UCF Heads Into TCU With Two Critical Spots Suddenly Exposed
UCFs depth is about to get tested in a hurry. The Knights head into Saturdays Big 12 matchup with TCU at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando carrying a heavier-than-usual injury burden, with several key names showing up on the league report for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. TCU is dealing with its own list of unavailable and probable players, but the bigger concern for UCF is how it absorbs the losses while trying to keep the season on track at home.
The defensive side of the ball takes a particular hit, with linebacker Lewis Carter among the most important pieces suddenly out of the mix. Carter has been UCFs leading tackler, and his absence changes the look of the middle of the defense, while the situation at quarterback adds another layer of uncertainty for a unit that was already trying to settle in. There is at least some optimism on Carters timeline, with a possible return coming around the October 10 trip to Oklahoma State, but for now the Knights are left figuring out how to patch two critical spots against a conference opponent. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Faces A Tougher TCU Test In Big 12 Home Opener
TCU brings a different kind of challenge into UCFs Big 12 home opener, and a big part of it is the return of Jordan Dwyer. The wide receiver is expected to make his season debut after being sidelined by a foot injury since last December, adding another layer to an offense that has already been reshaped and demands extra attention from a Knights defense that has spent much of this season answering problems as they appear.
UCF defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said the Horned Frogs adjusted scheme makes preparation tricky because it is not always clear how the pieces will fit together, especially with Dwyer back in the mix. Still, UCFs defense has shown a knack for resilience, creating turnovers and settling in after early-game hiccups, and now that group will have to do it again against an opponent bringing more uncertainty than the tape might first suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Watson Could Decide How Much UCF Can Trust Its Passing Game
Before UCF can sort out how much confidence it should have in its passing game, the Knights need to keep Duke Watson involved in the way that has made their offense dangerous. The running back has been a key piece for an offense trying to find better balance, especially after a tough showing against Pittsburghs run defense and a stretch in which quarterback Keyone Jenkins has had to work through some rough moments.
That is why TCUs attention is centered so heavily on Watson, even as offensive coordinator Steve Cooper looks for ways to spread the load and give Jenkins cleaner answers. Getting receivers Josh Derry and Tyren Hornes more involved would help, but the bigger question remains whether UCF can keep forcing defenses to honor the run well enough to open up the rest of the playbook during this difficult part of the season. [Read more 🡒]