UCF’s 73-6 rout of Bethune-Cookman gave the Knights a chance to do more than cruise to a win. It also put a couple of lesser-known defenders in the spotlight, and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch came away impressed with what he saw from EDGE Quentin Hatch and defensive back Tyce Porcher.
Hatch made the most of his snaps, and that mattered because his production wasn’t just about game day. Grinch pointed to the work Hatch has been putting in during practice, where he’s earned a reputation that carried over into Thursday’s blowout.
"We'd like to call him point-of-attack Hatch," Grinch said during Tuesday's media availability. "When we put him into practice, he makes plays, and he did in the game as well."
That showed up on the stat sheet. Hatch finished with a career-high three tackles, including one solo stop and two assisted.
Porcher’s path was a little different, but Grinch was just as eager to praise him. The freshman defensive back is a walk-on, and his debut stood out to the defensive coordinator, who said he understood the significance of a Division I opportunity.
"This is a Division III guy you're talking to that's never got a chance to play Division I football," Grinch said. "A bunch of guys got an opportunity the other night, which is really cool."
For UCF, the blowout did exactly what a game like that should do: it opened the door for second- and third-string players to get real snaps and show the staff what they can do. That matters even more because the Knights won’t have the same kind of runway this week.
Saturday brings Pittsburgh, and the Panthers are coming off a 59-14 win over Miami (OH) behind Mason Heintschel’s 450-plus-yard, seven-touchdown performance. Grinch and the UCF defense are now shifting their focus to a quarterback who can create damage when plays break down, using his legs to keep things alive.
Defensive tackle Horace Locett put the plan in simple terms. The goal, he said, is to "cage the quarterback," as UCF tries to pressure Heintschel and shut down the scrambling lanes that can open up in chaos.
In Other News...
UCF Fans Have 13 NFL Knights To Track And A Few Concerns
Thirteen former UCF players have made NFL rosters as the 2026-27 regular season gets going, giving Knights fans plenty of reason to keep one eye on Sundays. The group is spread across a handful of teams, with some alumni opening the year as starters, others as backups, and a few tucked onto practice squads as they look for a bigger foothold.
There is a little concern mixed into all that optimism, though, because not every name is in the same place health-wise or job-wise. Several of the former Knights are already dealing with injury designations or roster uncertainty, and the early-season slate for their new teams will offer an immediate look at who is ready to contribute right away and who still has ground to make up. [Read more 🡒]
UCF And USF Are Still Far Apart On War On I-4
The War on I-4 has been dormant since 2022, but the bigger issue now is that UCF and USF still are not even close to bringing it back. UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir has made clear the Knights are approaching future scheduling with a very specific financial and competitive model, while USF athletic director Rob Higgins has continued to press for a reunion in whatever form might work.
Higgins has already shown a willingness to get creative, including a home-and-home option that could begin as early as 2031 and a broader four-game setup with neutral-site dates in Orlando and Tampa. UCF, though, has not moved off its position, leaving one of the states most recognizable rivalries in limbo and the path back to the series still unclear. [Read more 🡒]
Sincere Edwards Gives UCF A New Twist Before Pitt Showdown
UCFs defense came out of the Bethune-Cookman game with plenty to feel good about, holding the Wildcats under 200 yards while generating sacks and turnovers. A big part of that effort was junior EDGE Sincere Edwards, who was active around the line of scrimmage and finished with five tackles while helping the Knights set a more disruptive tone on defense.
Edwards now gets a different kind of spotlight with Pittsburgh next on the schedule, and the matchup adds a personal layer to an already important test for UCF. The former Panther is expected to be a key piece again when the Knights line up against his old program, giving UCF a familiar face with a little extra motivation in a game that should carry some edge of its own. [Read more 🡒]