The UCF Knights open Big 12 competition on the road as Kansas State took advantage of the Knights’ mistakes to win 34-20. It’s time for some Knee-Jerk Reactions.
UCF’s Quarterback Decimation
During the offseason, there was a three-headed competition between Cam Fancher, Tayven Jackson, and Jacurri Brown for the starting quarterback position. Head coach Scott Frost selected Fancher as the winner, but that didn’t last. In the first half of the first game, Fancher took a hit and has been out of commission since. Jackson stepped in and led the Knights to a 3-0 start. Granted, it was against paltry competition, but the Knights were decently efficient, and Jackson was developing his ability to be the guy.
Enter Big 12 conference play. The physicality of the Big 12 was apparent almost immediately as UCF’s offense sputtered out of the gate. The offensive line was manhandled, and the quarterbacks took multiple hits. Jackson took a brutal hit and hurt his shoulder. It looked like his day was over, and Brown stepped in. Outside of a fluke scoring play on a missed tackle, Brown couldn’t move the ball. Brown took a hard hit at the end of the first half and looked to be shaken up.
Brown did start the second half, but Jackson did miraculously return to the game shortly after. The offensive line struggled throughout the day to protect the quarterbacks, and players were routinely rushed and hit. The Knights’ offense began to make adjustments to their play, and as the second half wore on, the offense became increasingly efficient. Unfortunately, the fourth down magic they had in the first three games ran out, and UCF was 0/2 on fourth down.
Bend, Break, and Then Rebuild
This was not the start the UCF defense envisioned against Kansas State. The offense has struggled to put together any sustained drives, and that has forced the defense to be on the field more than necessary. When you add in a competent dual-threat quarterback in Avery Johnson, along with running quarterback Blake Barnett, and running back Dylan Edwards, the defense wears down. The Wildcats had multiple drives that started on their side of the field and ended on the Knights’ side, including a late first-half touchdown to open up a 24-7 lead. More than one of Kansas State’s drives started deep in UCF’s territory, so at times it was difficult to keep points off the board.
The defense gave up some big plays in the second half, including a 75-yard run by Edwards, but the squad continued to fight, giving the offense a chance to get the team back into the game. In the fourth quarter, Kansas State was limited to 30 yards of offense.
What Now?
The injury to Tayven Jackson in the first half looked severe, and while he returned to the game, one has to wonder if there will be any long-term effects to deal with. With Jacurri Brown in, UCF’s passing game loses a lot of credibility. Even with Jackson back in the second, the passing game struggled. UCF’s strength of schedule in non-conference play was incredibly weak. It made the 3-0 start for the Knights suspect. Kansas State had a rough 1-3 start, but all of their games were one-score differentials that could have gone the other way. UCF’s fight to stay in the game against Kansas State is admirable and can help them in future games.
Uniform Review
UCF inverted their tops and bottoms from last week, opting for white tops and black bottoms while retaining their gold helmets. This combination, although still a three-color combo, works better than the gold/black/white combination used last week. Despite my immense disdain for gold jerseys, gold works as a secondary color, and gold pants match well with the gold helmet. I’d love to see UCF use those two with either the home black or road white at some point.
Stat Leaders:
Passing:
UCF: Tayven Jackson: 12/24 for 115 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
KSU: Avery Johnson: 18/25 for 168 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Rushing:
UCF: Myles Montgomery: 10 carries for 119 yards, 0 TD
KSU: Dylan Edwards: 18 carries for 157 yards, 1 TD
Receiving:
UCF: Duane Thomas Jr: 4 catches for 55 yards, 0 TD
KSU: Jaron Tibbs: 8 catches for 72 yards, 0 TD
Game Notes:
- KSU leads the series 3-0.
- This is Scott Frost’s first loss at UCF since the 2016 Cure Bowl
- Myles Montgomery had his first 100-yard rushing game.
- DJ Black’s 82-yard reception is the longest touchdown reception since Doug Gabriel had an 83-yard scoring catch in 2001 against Liberty.
- Sorry, it’s not my best, but I haven’t had to cover a road game this season.
