Former Louisville running back Duke Watson wasted no time making his presence felt at UCF.
In his first game with the Knights, Watson turned seven carries into 110 rushing yards and a touchdown, and the biggest blow came on his very first touch. That opening carry went 64 yards to the end zone, giving UCF an instant spark and showing exactly why Louisville fans remember his name so well.
Watson arrived in Orlando after spending his first two seasons at Louisville, where he came in as a 4-star recruit ranked No. 382 overall in the 2024 class and No. 27 among running backs. He flashed right away as a freshman, then saw limited action as a sophomore before entering the Transfer Portal. UCF listed him as a 3-star transfer, but his debut looked like the kind of performance that can change a team’s backfield fast.
His Louisville freshman season was the one that put him on the map. Watson led college football with an average of 8.9 yards per carry and finished with 67 carries for 597 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
He also had two 100-yard games, including a 104-yard day on just six carries in Louisville’s 41-14 win over Kentucky. Over the final four games that season, he piled up 373 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
For Louisville fans watching from afar, the debut was a reminder of the burst Watson can bring when everything clicks. For UCF, it was a first impression that landed loud and clear.
First carry as a Knight = 64-YARD TOUCHDOWN
Get ready to learn Duke Watson‼️ pic.twitter.com/RXzgemChDE
- UCF Football (@UCF_Football) September 3, 2026
In Other News...
Louisville Faces Another Brutal Nonconference Test With March Stakes Already Rising
Louisvilles 2026-27 nonconference slate is already shaping up like a March rsum builder, with BartTorvik.coms early projections putting at least six opponents inside the top 50. Texas Tech, Texas, Michigan, Kentucky and Baylor are all on the list, along with a matchup against either St. Johns or Oregon, giving the Cardinals a run of high-end games that should answer plenty of questions before ACC play even begins.
For Louisville, the bigger point is not just the quality of the names, but how much room there is for the schedule to get even heavier depending on tournament results. A glance around the league shows Duke projected with a slightly tougher nonconference setup, but the Cardinals are still facing a gauntlet that should say a lot about where they stand when the bracket chatter starts to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Has A Real Shot To Make A Week 1 Statement
Week 1 brings Louisville right into the kind of spotlight game that can shape how the rest of the season is viewed, with No. 24 Louisville set to meet No. 9 Ole Miss in a matchup that carries plenty more weight than a typical opener. The Cardinals enter with some real confidence points of their own, especially after last seasons defensive profile and the kind of roster continuity and coaching stability that can matter early in September when teams are still finding their footing.
Ole Miss will not be short on answers of its own, though, and the Rebels have a quarterback situation that now includes Trinidad Chambliss back in the mix after his eligibility appeal was approved. That makes this even more intriguing from Louisvilles side, because the Cardinals are being sized up as a team with enough returning pieces and defensive reliability to make a strong early statement if they can handle the road challenge and keep the game on their terms. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Brohm Has Louisville In Position To Shake Up Week 1
Jeff Brohm has Louisville in a familiar spot heading into Week 1, with a chance to make an early national statement against a ranked opponent. The opener against No. 9 Ole Miss carries real weight for the Cardinals, not just because it is a top-25 showdown, but because it gives Brohm another opportunity to lean into the kind of upset-minded football that has followed him throughout his career.
Ole Miss enters with playoff expectations and a new-look offense that has drawn plenty of attention around quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy and changes on the staff at offensive coordinator. Louisville knows a win here would ripple far beyond one September night, while a loss would put the Rebels immediately on the defensive in the race for the College Football Playoff. Even analysts who like Ole Miss have pointed to how fragile these games can be when the quarterback situation is unsettled and turnovers start to matter. [Read more 🡒]