UCF left Houston with more than a comeback loss to sort through. The Knights also had a growing injury list, and Scott Frost spent his postgame update trying to make sense of a night that kept taking bodies off the field.
The biggest concern centered on quarterback Keyone Jenkins, who left after dealing with cramps following a near-pick-six in the third quarter. Trainers worked on him for a stretch before helping him off the field, and UCF then turned to third-stringer Kaleb Annett for one drive. Houston quickly forced a three-and-out, and Annett threw the first collegiate pass of his career before Jenkins came back in and pushed through the cramps.
Jenkins had another scare on UCF’s final drive when a Houston defender landed on his ankle as he released an incomplete pass to Waden Charles. The play ended in a turnover on downs, and Jenkins walked away with a slight limp. With Annett and freshman Rocco Marriott both inexperienced, UCF can’t afford to lose him for long.
The problems weren’t limited to quarterback. Center Jacob Maiava exited in the third quarter and needed trainers for an extended stretch before being carted to the locker room after he couldn’t put weight on his right ankle.
Frost said Maiava is dealing with a hip injury, and the X-rays he got came back positive. He’s now the second offensive lineman to go down this season, joining Owen Spell, who is out with plantar fasciitis and was on the sideline in a boot.
Michigan transfer Cooper Terpstra stepped in at center after Maiava’s injury, and the change showed up quickly. Jenkins had trouble handling some snaps in the second half and faced fast pressure from Houston’s defense.
Wide receiver Josh Derry also had his own issue, sitting out most of the second quarter with an ankle injury before returning in the second half. That at least offered some relief for UCF, and Derry had already been a major part of the Knights’ first scoring drive. He accounted for 62 of UCF’s 75 yards on that opening march and finished it with a 13-yard touchdown catch, his first of the season.
That score put Derry in a group with four other Knights who have also found the end zone this year: Waden Charles, Caden Piening, Jonathan Bibbs and Caleb Rollerson.
In Other News...
UCF's Road Problem Just Got More Frustrating
For much of the afternoon in Houston, UCF looked ready to turn a road trip into something useful, building a 17-0 lead midway through the third quarter against No. 20 Houston. The Knights had enough early control to make the game feel tilted in their favor, even with backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins trying to manage the offense under pressure.
Then the second half turned into the kind of collapse that keeps a road streak hanging around. UCFs offense stalled badly over its final five possessions, and Houston answered with Conner Weigman powering in three rushing touchdowns after halftime as the Knights watched another winnable game slip away on the road. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Just Got A Huge Defensive Boost At The Right Time
Cole Kozlowski is back in the mix for UCF at a time when the defense could use a lift. The linebacker has been cleared to play for the remainder of the 2026 season, giving the Knights a veteran presence as they navigate a linebacker group that has been dealing with injuries and a stretch of ranked opponents on the schedule.
For UCF, the timing matters as much as the name. Kozlowski brings experience and proven production to a unit that needs stability, and his return gives the Knights another trusted option in the middle of the defense as the games get tougher and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Collapse Raises A Bigger Question Than Just Another Road Loss
UCF had a road result slip away in a way that felt all too familiar, building a 17-0 lead midway through the third quarter before leaving Houston with a 27-17 loss to No. 20 Houston. The Knights still showed enough early control to make it look like a breakthrough was possible, but the defeat became another entry in a growing road skid, one that now stands at 11 straight away from home.
The bigger issue is how much the night demanded of a lineup already stretched thin, with quarterback Keyone Jenkins starting in relief of the injured Alonza Barnett III and finishing with 253 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. UCF also had to keep moving after multiple injuries in the lineup, and by the time Houston found its rhythm, the Knights were left wondering whether the collapse was just one bad finish or a sign of something deeper on the road. [Read more 🡒]