TCU and UCF both arrive at Saturday’s Big 12 opener in Orlando with momentum, but also with a little unfinished business.
Each team is 2-1, each has already taken a loss, and each is trying to turn a recent win into something sturdier as conference play begins. TCU comes in off back-to-back victories after dropping its opener to North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland.
UCF, meanwhile, snapped back with a 44-30 home win over Georgia State after a loss at Pitt on Sept. 12.
TCU’s latest step forward came in a 31-7 home win over Arkansas State last Saturday. Jaden Craig threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, while Ed Small turned in the best receiving game of his career with seven catches for 164 yards, including one touchdown.
"We're 2-1 -- we're disappointed that we're not 3-0," TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. "There's nothing we can do about that.
We just have to continue working and getting better and improve. We're nowhere where we need to be.
And I'm confident we're nowhere near where we're gonna be."
UCF leaned on its ground game to handle Georgia State. Duke Watson delivered a career-high 177 rushing yards and scored twice, helping the Knights pile up 304 rushing yards among 390 total yards.
The Knights also got a lift from Keyone Jenkins, who made his first start at quarterback in place of the injured Alonza Barnett III. Jenkins completed passes for 86 yards and a touchdown and added 25 rushing yards with two more scores. UCF expects him to start again against TCU while Barnett remains out with a hamstring injury.
"Keyone came in and did a good job," UCF coach Scott Frost said Monday. "Obviously, we're in a situation with injuries you don't want to have to be in, and all you can do is figure them out. You don't have another option."
Frost also pointed to the parallel starts both teams have had through three games.
"Our season and TCU's has been pretty close. We both played a really tough game and lost a close one," Frost said.
"We've had similar paths to get to this point. I'm sure both teams want to continue improving and getting better.
Looking forward to this challenge."
In Other News...
UCF Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Change How Fans See Them
UCF is heading into a Big 12 matchup with TCU looking for a result that could do more than just add a conference win. Since joining the league, the Knights have gone 7-20, and that record has shaped the way they are viewed as they keep trying to climb above the low expectations that have followed them. This one feels like another measuring stick, and it comes against a defense that is built to force offenses to earn everything.
The challenge gets sharper because TCU has been particularly stout against the run, which means UCF may have to find answers in a game plan where space is limited and mistakes can linger. Offensive lineman Preston Cushman framed it as a matter of winning individual battles, with the Knights needing their playmakers to handle their business if someone up front slips. For UCF, the bigger question is not just whether it can move the ball, but whether it can do enough in a tough setting to start changing the conversation around the program. [Read more 🡒]
UCF May Have Found The Backfield Threat Fans Were Hoping For
Duke Watsons first few weeks at UCF have looked like the kind of backfield spark the Knights were hoping to uncover when they brought in the Louisville transfer. He broke loose for 177 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia State, flashing the burst and decisiveness that can change an offense in a hurry and quickly giving UCF a runner who looks comfortable in space and dangerous between the tackles.
Watsons fast start has done more than just put yards on the board. He has praised coach Scott Frost and pointed to his prior relationship with general manager Trent Mossbrucker as part of what drew him to Orlando, a reminder that UCFs transfer work has to fit both on and off the field. The bigger question now is whether this opening surge is a glimpse of what the Knights can ride all season, or just the first chapter of a much longer evaluation. [Read more 🡒]