UCF’s Space Game was supposed to be a launch point. Instead, Baylor turned Friday night into a hard reset.
The Knights were buried 41-9 in their 10th annual Space Game, their largest defeat of the season and a jarring follow-up to the momentum they carried into Week 9 after upsetting then-No. 2 BYU. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway delivered the kind of performance that put UCF on its heels from the start, throwing four touchdown passes - a season-best for the junior - while the Knights had to settle for all of their points coming from placekicker Will Stone.
The loss margin topped UCF’s previous low point of the year, a 14-point defeat to then-No. 18 Oklahoma State on Oct.
- This one never really tightened up.
Lagway finished with 319 passing yards, making him the third quarterback to throw for 300-plus yards against UCF. He completed five passes of 20 or more yards, including a 77-yard touchdown to wide receiver Gavin Freeman, and every Baylor scoring drive featured a big completion that helped flip the field or set up points.
Defensive tackle Horace Lockett said afterward that the Knights have to stay connected.
Lockett, who finished with eight tackles and a sack, said the team has to stick together in his postgame press conference. He also stressed the importance of setting the tone for the players around him. He was one of three Knights to record a sack, joining linebackers Jahleel Culbreath and Tackett Curtis.
From Alex Grinch’s perspective, the front seven did show some progress. Lockett, Culbreath and Curtis matched the team’s sack total from the previous three games combined. But the improvement up front came with a cost on the back end, where Baylor found too much space too often.
That split was the story of the night: a pass rush that took a step forward and a secondary that took a step back.
Friday’s result also puts UCF right back in a familiar place. With four games left, Scott Frost is close to repeating history.
The Knights were 4-4 after eight games and then went 1-3 over the final four. Last Saturday’s upset over BYU had eased the pressure to win three of the last five, but that cushion is gone now.
The road ahead is the toughest part. UCF split its two-game home stand and now heads to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium to face Kansas at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday.
The Knights are still trying to end an 11-game road losing streak, and Frost may have a key piece available if linebacker Lewis Carter is able to go. Frost said Carter should be a game-time decision.
In Other News...
UCF Gets A Huge Opportunity As Kansas Tries To Stop The Slide
Kansas briefly steadied itself with a win over Baylor, but the momentum did not last long. The Jayhawks fell to TCU and now sit at 3-5, which puts a little more pressure on a home date with UCF as they try to keep their season from slipping further off track. FanDuel Sportsbook still has Kansas as a slight favorite, but the margin is thin enough to suggest this one could turn quickly.
The bigger question for the Jayhawks is under center, where Isaiah Marshalls status remains uncertain after leaving the TCU game with a lower-leg injury. His availability could shape everything about how Kansas approaches UCF, from the pace of the offense to how much the home-field edge really matters. For UCF, it is the kind of opening that can turn a road trip into a statement if the Knights are ready to take advantage. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Already Has An Opening Night Debate Fans Wont Ignore
The Big 12 came out of opening night looking every bit like the league it was billed to be, with 15 of 16 teams in action and a 13-2 mark against a slate that included losses only to ranked opponents. Arizonas near rally against UCLA grabbed plenty of attention, thanks to Ivan Kharchenkovs 38-point burst, but the conferences first night also delivered a reminder that there were no easy starts anywhere on the schedule.
For UCF, the spotlight belonged to Dior Johnson, who erupted for 41 points in a narrow win over Florida Gulf Coast and gave the Knights a needed early statement in league play. It was the kind of performance that can steady a team before the grind begins, even if the final margin left plenty of nerves in the building and plenty for fans to sort through once the box score settled. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Secondary Suddenly Faces Pressure It Can't Afford To Ignore
The secondary had a rough afternoon in UCFs loss to Baylor, and the film is likely to keep the Knights busy this week. Miscommunications in the back end led to four touchdown passes and several big plays, leaving a defense that has usually needed to be sharp suddenly looking vulnerable in the one area it can least afford to slip.
Kansas is next, and the Jayhawks bring a passing game that ranks ninth in the Big 12, which means the Knights do not have much time to clean things up. For UCF, the assignment is straightforward even if the fix is not: communicate better, tighten coverages and avoid giving another opponent the kind of easy openings Baylor found. [Read more 🡒]