UCF knows exactly where the pain has been lately. It hasn’t been in the first half, or even most of the second.
It’s been in the stretch that decides games, and that’s the issue the Knights are trying to solve as No. 2 BYU arrives at the Bounce House on Saturday.
The matchup gives UCF its toughest assignment yet, and the Knights understand the size of the hill they’re trying to climb. They are 0-6 against teams ranked in the top five of the Associated Press poll, and a win over the Cougars would count as the program’s first signature victory since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
UCF enters at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12, and the pattern has been frustratingly familiar: the Knights compete, hang around, and then see games slip away late. Coach Scott Frost said the group has been close enough to flip some of those outcomes.
“We’ve played well enough to win and we haven’t played well enough to win,” said coach Scott Frost. “I’m happy with our team’s effort, but we can find a little more.
“We’ve had several opportunities where we can make one play here or there that would have flipped a couple of these games. I want our guys hunting for those opportunities.”
That’s been especially true in the second half. Against then-No.
20 Houston, UCF carried a 17-0 lead late into the third quarter before an interception changed everything. Houston answered with 27 straight points, with quarterback Conner Weigman rushing for three touchdowns in a 27-17 win.
The next week brought another sharp turn. UCF was tied with then-No.
18 Oklahoma State at 21 at halftime, but a screen pass behind the line of scrimmage turned into a fumble, and the Cowboys converted it into a touchdown. That sequence helped Oklahoma State build a 35-21 fourth-quarter lead and eventually win 42-28.
“We’re going against top 25 teams and rolling them up for the first three quarters and then it just goes downhill after that,” said senior offensive lineman Preston Cushman. “We’re right there.
That’s the motivation. We’re right there on so many levels.”
The numbers back up the frustration. UCF was outscored 48-14 in the second halves against Houston and Oklahoma State. Before those two games, the Knights had allowed only nine combined second-half points against TCU, Georgia State and Pitt.
On defense, Alex Grinch said the missing ingredient has been making the decisive play when the game reaches its most critical point.
“You’ve got to make plays in the fourth quarter,” said defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. “The opponents over the last two weeks made more plays in the fourth quarter than we have.
Our opponents have gotten momentum-type takeaways in the third and fourth quarters. We haven’t matched those momentum plays on our side of the ball.”
UCF has generated plenty of turnovers overall, tying Baylor for the second-most in the Big 12 with 12. But in the last two losses, the Knights recovered two fumbles in the first half while Houston and Oklahoma State cashed in on their own takeaways after halftime.
Offensive coordinator Steve Cooper said part of the push has been about raising the standard inside practice, especially late in the day when the margin for error gets thin.
“When it comes down to it, you’ve just got to find the edge. You’ve got to find that grit and that’s the challenge that we’ve been putting on the offense,” Cooper said.
Frost pointed to both mentality and physical reality when asked what still needs to change.
“When you think you’ve given everything you have, usually there’s more in there. Part of it’s a mentality; part of it’s us being healthy and running out of depth.”
For players like cornerback Antione Jackson, the lesson is important, but the focus has to move forward quickly.
“Obviously, we can learn from them, but just leave them where they are in the past, and just focus on getting better each week,” Jackson said. “Focus on how we can pull off the wins and finish strong, play four quarters strong.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Finally Looks Dangerous Again But One Problem Still Lingers
After two seasons that left Oklahoma State searching for traction, Saturdays win over Colorado offered a much cleaner picture of what this team can be. The Cowboys had already surpassed their combined win total from the previous two years, and the victory felt significant not just for the record book but for the way it came together, with Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins and Justin Bowick all turning in the kind of performances that can carry a team when the schedule tightens.
The lingering issue is still hard to ignore, though. Oklahoma States defense wobbled in the first half before finally finding a turning point early in the third quarter, and if the Cowboys are going to keep building on this momentum, they will need that side of the ball to be steadier from the opening whistle instead of relying on timely swings to change the game. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Turned A Shaky Start Into A Statement Win
Colorado had the upper hand at halftime, and the first half did not exactly hint at what was coming next. Oklahoma State flipped the script in a major way, rolling to a 57-24 win that turned a shaky opening into one of its most complete performances of the season. The Cowboys found their rhythm on both sides of the ball after the break, when their quarterback helped drive the offense to a burst of points that quickly erased any doubt.
Oklahoma State's passing game did the heavy lifting, with the quarterback throwing for 386 yards and four touchdowns, while Sam Keltner kept adding to the scoreboard with a school-record five field goals. Colorado, meanwhile, was held to just 120 yards of offense in the second half as the Cowboys' defense slammed the door and turned a tight game into a statement win. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Forced Colorado To Face A Much Bigger Problem
The Colorado Buffaloes skid deepened in Week 8 with a 57-24 loss to Oklahoma State, their fifth straight defeat, but Joseph Williams still gave them one of the few bright spots on a rough afternoon. The receiver turned in a career game with nine catches for 135 yards, giving Colorado a needed spark even as the Cowboys kept the pressure on and forced the Buffaloes to keep chasing the game.
Williams pointed to the way the second half unraveled as the bigger issue, with penalties and the inability to put together a full four quarters once again costing Colorado. Even with the losses piling up, he said he still believes in what the team can become, which makes the frustration all the more obvious for a group still searching for a complete performance. [Read more 🡒]