Scott Frost didn’t sugarcoat it after UCF’s 41-9 loss to Baylor in the Space Game on Friday night.
“I don't think that was the best version of us out there tonight, and we got whipped by a good team that played really well,” Frost said.
That was the story from start to finish for the Knights, or Citronauts in the Space Game setting, who suffered their biggest defeat of the season and were held out of the end zone for the first time in 2026. The long weekend gives them time to sort through what went wrong, but the biggest problem was obvious from the opening whistle: UCF got pushed around in the trenches.
Even with center Jacob Maiava back in the lineup, the offensive line couldn’t handle Baylor’s front. The Bears entered the night ranked in the top five nationally in sacks and tackles for loss, and they looked every bit the part.
UCF’s rushing attack never found traction, and if not for Rocco Marriott’s 56-yard run to the 1-yard line with just over a minute left, the Knights would have finished with only 16 net rushing yards. That total still includes the damage from Baylor’s seven sacks.
The backfield didn’t offer much relief, either. Duke Watson and Landen Chambers each carried the ball seven times, combining for just 44 yards.
Watson being held under 50 yards marked only the second time all season that happened. The first half was especially rough, with UCF managing just 12 rushing yards before the break.
“I mean, we couldn't get anything going in the first half," Frost said. "We couldn't get a run game going, and we didn't protect very well.”
That protection issue hit starting quarterback Keyone Jenkins hard. Baylor’s pressure showed up in sacks, tackles for loss, and plenty of punishment even on plays that didn’t end in either. Jenkins took a hard hit that knocked him out after he completed 14 of 21 passes for 82 yards.
By the time Alonza Barnett III entered, Baylor had already taken control, but the quarterback did make his return to the field for the first time since Sep. 12.
Barnett finished 8 of 16 for 133 yards, and he closed with five straight completions inside the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. Frost said Barnett made some good throws, but the bigger issue was impossible to miss.
“Whoever was playing quarterback, it's going to be hard if we don't block better and create a running game,” Frost said.
While UCF struggled to get anything going offensively, Baylor kept finding ways to strike. The Bears leaned on the run for much of the night, with freshman Ryelan Morris causing problems with his 7.5 yards per carry, but it was DJ Lagway and the passing game that did the real damage. Baylor piled up 503 total yards, and 256 of them came on just seven passing plays.
The biggest of those was a 77-yard touchdown catch by Gavin Freeman midway through the third quarter, a play that shut the door on any comeback hopes. Frost said the Bears hurt UCF in a few different ways through the air.
“You know, they hit some throws down the boundary sideline on us, and it was in three different coverages,” Frost said. “So, it wasn't one thing.”
For all the frustration, UCF did leave with one clear bright spot. Kicker Will Stone drilled a 57-yard field goal, setting a new program record and topping the previous mark of 55 yards shared by Ed O’Brien in 1985 and Colton Boomer in 2023.
“It felt great," Stone said after the game. "I think I was more thankful and happy when I just got to see my teammates after and how excited they were for me."
That kind of leg could matter down the line, especially with the offense searching for answers. UCF now heads back on the road, looking to snap its losing streak away from Orlando when it faces Kansas in Lawrence on Nov. 7.
In Other News...
Baylor Showed Fans Exactly Why This Team Feels Different
Dave Arandas first game as Baylors head coach gave fans an immediate look at why this team can feel different, and it started with a level of balance that had been missing too often in recent seasons. DJ Lagway was sharp from the opening stretch, completing 16 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, while the offense as a whole looked more coordinated across multiple position groups than UCF had seen from Baylor in a long time.
The defensive side matched it with the kind of disruption that changes a game before it ever settles in. Baylors front got into the backfield repeatedly, and UCF never found much room to breathe on the ground, a combination that made the Knights chase the game from early on. For a program trying to reset its identity under a new coach, this was the sort of complete performance that can make a first impression linger. [Read more 🡒]