UCF’s bowl chances took a major hit as the Citronauts lost their Space Game 30-27 to the Houston Cougars. It’s time for some Knee-Jerk Reactions.
Another Offensive Dud
Second verse, same as the first. UCF’s offense looked bad, again. Quarterback Tayven Jackson looked uncomfortable. He had trouble finding the open man consistently, leading to multiple passes being thrown away. In some cases, throwing the ball away was the right move due to good coverage or a missed block. Jackson had numerous opportunities to tuck the ball and run, and he opted not to. He had one pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Latreveon McCutchin snatched it out of the air and had a clear shot at the endzone.
On the final drive with the Citronauts down 30-27, Davi Belfort stepped in at quarterback and engineered a drive using his quick speed and agility to get within field goal range. With just a bit of time left, instead of setting up for the tying field goal, he attempted a pass with multiple players going deep. Belfort held on to the ball a little too long and underthrew the ball, leading to an interception and sealing the win for Houston.
Running back Myles Montgomery scored a rare touchdown from the one-yard line, but left the game after that with an injury and did not return. It allowed Jaden Nixon a chance to step in, and he looked good, scoring a first-half touchdown. The offensive line wasn’t able to consistently open holes. Still, Nixon played the scatback role well, using his low center of gravity to make it more difficult for defenders to tackle him.
Playcalling is a problem
Head coach Scott Frost’s playcalling has been questionable at best. His obsession with wide receiver screens needs to stop. They’re largely ineffective when they are run so many times. After the game, we learned from Frost that Jackson had been dealing with a leg issue during the game. Frost also defended his controversial final pass play by saying he was playing for the win, not to tie the game up. This ultimately cost the team the game. On two occasions, the Citronauts had ten-point leads, and the Cougars came back to take the lead each time. It shows that the team still lacks the ability to win against competent opponents.
Bending, But Not Breaking
This was a challenging game for the UCF defense. The highlight was Phillip Dunnam becoming the first player in UCF history to record three interceptions in a single game. The second interception was returned for a touchdown, offsetting the defensive touchdown Houston had.
The offset was that the defense had to deal with multiple players going down with injuries. Defensive ends Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly both left the game with injuries. Linebacker Jayden McDonald and defensive back Braeden Marshall also left the game due to injuries. With the defense getting thin, this allowed Houston quarterback Connor Weigman and running backs DJ Butler and Dean Connors to wear down the defense in the fourth quarter. UCF’s usually stout second-half defense struggled against the run, giving up 158 yards on the ground in the second half after only giving up 52 yards in the first half.
The Citronaut defense would not give up. On Houston’s final drive, the Cougars ran the ball to inside the UCF five, but had to settle for a field goal. Their effort allowed UCF to stay in the game until the very end.
What Now?
This one hurt. UCF is now 8-1 in Space Games. Scott Frost 1.0 went 1-0. Josh Heupel went 3-0. Gus Malzahn went 4-0. Scott Frost 2.0 is now 0-1. While weird things still happen in the Space Game, it shows the Citonauts are mortal. UCF falls to 4-5 with three games remaining. UCF has road games against Texas Tech and BYU. Those are the top two teams in the Big 12, and if UCF hopes to make a bowl game, it needs to steal one and defeat Oklahoma State at home. Good luck with that.
Uniform Review
It’s the Space Game, and you know what that means. UCF’s equipment team created an all-new custom uniform from the ground up. Using the colors of black and Canaveral blue, and rebranding as the Citronauts. This year’s theme is hyperspace, so UCF used a combination of blue and white for the shoulders and numbers. This really pops with the black. It’s one of the simpler designs by the equipment staff, but this one works really well.
Stat Leaders:
Passing:
UCF: Tayven Jackson: 15/29 for 136 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
Houston: Connor Weigman: 20/31 for 223 yards, 2 TD, 3 Int
Rushing:
UCF: Jaden Nixon: 11 carries for 62 yards, 1 TD
Houston: Connor Weigman 22 carries for 82 yards, 0 TD
Receiving:
UCF: Dylan Wade: 6 catches for 80 yards, 0 TD
Houston: Amare Thomas: 5 catches for 103 yards, 1 TD
Game Notes:
- UCF leads the series 8-4.
- This is the loss in the Space Game series after winning the first eight. The Space Game began in 2017 and has been played annually since then.
- Phillip Dunnam is the first UCF player ever to record three interceptions in a game. The last time UCF had a player with two interceptions was Demari Henderson in the 2023 Space Game against Oklahoma State. It’s the 13th time it has been done in Big 12 history, dating back to 1996.
- Sorry, it’s not my best, but as we learned at the end of the third quarter, Skynet is real, and the UCF robot uprising has begun.
