The UCF Knights open 2026 in a record setting blowout as the Knights defeated the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 73-6. It’s time for some Knee-Jerk Reactions.
A One-Sided Affair
This was a blowout, plain and simple. UCF entered this game as a 42.5 point favorite and they didn’t disappoint. We got a chance to see some new faces finally get some game action. It starts with quarterback Alonza Barnett, III. Barnett, a transfer from James Madison, missed the spring practice sessions due to an injury, but he kept working in the background. Against BCU, we got to see what he could do. He looked pretty sharp in the short and medium ranges. He ran into some trouble when his protection broke down, but he made smart decisions and he has a quick release. Where Barnett really struggled was with the deep ball. On multiple occasions, he overthrew his receiver, which led to an interception and UCF’s lone turnover. Barnett ended up playing the entire first half and the first possession of the second half. He finished going 11/18 for 158 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Head coach Scott Frost had a gameplan and largely was able to follow it until later in the second half. In the first half, he was able to run a more balanced offense between the pass and the run. In the second half, Frost had to dial back the pass. The Knights were scoring so quickly, they had to revert to a more run-first conservative offense. Because the team had to pivot to the run, we did not get to see Kaleb Annett or Rocco Marriott throw the ball while Keyone Jenkins went a perfect 4/4 for 42 yards and a touchdown. All four quarterbacks did get some valuable field time.
A Running Back Clinic
With UCF’s passing game taking a backseat in the second half, the running backs feasted on the Bethune-Cookman defense. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though. The feasting began during the first possession of the game. On the second play of the game, Duke Watson ran it 64 yards for the game’s opening touchdown. This was only the tip of the iceberg for the running backs as Taevion Swint and Landon Chambers joined in. The three-headed monster that is Watson, Swint, and Chambers combined for 17 carries for 214 yards and four touchdowns. They also totaled seven runs of 10 or more yards. Later is the game, Agyeman Addae got in on the action too, adding in another 74 yards and a score to the pile.
For the game, the team finished with 360 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns on 38 carries between ten different players. Chambers scored twice while Watson, Swint, Barnett, Addae, and Marriott scored once.
The Defense Did Its Job
UCF was favored by 42.5 points. That was not only indicative of the offense, but the defense’s superiority. Things started with a bang as defensive back Jayden Williams picked off Tyler Jefferson on Bethune-Cookman’s opening drive and returned it for a touchdown to make it 14-0 UCF. The starting defense gave up a few first downs, but limited Bethune-Cookman to 92 yards of offense and 1/9 on third down in the first half.
In the second half, UCF’s second unit completely shut down the Wildcats in the third quarter, giving up 14 yards of offense. Eventually, the Knights went further into their bench to give those reserves some playing time. It wasn’t until the final drive that Bethune-Cookman started moving the ball. After an 80-yard drive, the Wildcats scored on the final play of the game to stave off the shutout. Despite not getting the shutout, the defense did record nine tackles for loss and three sacks.
While the stats don’t show it, linebacker Lewis Carter continued to show why he’s a force to be reckoned with. He tied for the team lead with five total tackles, half a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hurry, but his disruption within the line gaps forced the Bethune-Cookman running backs to have to change direction and allow fellow Knight defenders like defensive end Sincere Edwards to make the play.
What Now?
Don’t read too much into this game. UCF was 42.5 point favorites on Fanduel for a reason and it showed. Bethune-Cookman was heavily outclassed. The Knights were able to cycle through their backups and many players got a chance to play, including players outside of the two-deep. Frost and company kept the play-calling relatively simple to not create too much film for Pitt, who will be hosting the Knights on September 12th.
UCF has had a long history with Bethune-Cookman over the decades, but this game reinforced how one-sided the series has become. The Wildcats haven’t beaten the Knights since 1989.
Uniform Review
For the 2026 season-opener, UCF went with gold helmet, black tops, and black bottoms. I enjoy this look for evening games. UCF didn’t change anything from 2025 to 2026, but the Big 12 did. During the offseason, the Big 12 made a deal with Monster Energy. As part of the agreement, the conference logo used for the field and on uniforms were modified to include the Monster logo as well. This could have been done so much better. The Big 12/Monster patch isn’t overwhelmingly big on the uniform, but the conference logo with the Monster M behind it would have looked so much cooler. Despite the patch, the Knights looked good. Bethune-Cookman wore maroon helmets with yellow tops and maroon bottoms. The yellow, since it’s more of a pure yellow and not a gold, gives an old Washington Redskins vibe and it works for them.
Stat Leaders:
Passing:
UCF: Alonza Barnett, III: 11/18 for 158 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int
BCU: Tyler Jefferson: 4/10 for 55 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
Rushing:
UCF: Duke Watson: 7 carries for 110 yards, 1 TD
BCU: Isaiah Daniel: 10 carries for 65 yards, 0 TD
Receiving:
UCF: Josh Derry: 5 catches for 62 yards, 1 TD
BCU: Rickie Shaw, II: 4 catches for 40 yards, 0 TD
Game Notes:
- UCF leads the series 13-5 with a nine-game winning streak. Bethune-Cookman’s last win against UCF was in 1989.
- UCF extends their season-opening streak to 11 games. Their last season-opening loss was in 2015.
- UCF’s 73 points ties the most points scored by the Knights in a single game(Austin Peay, 2017).
- UCF’s 73 points sets a new school record for points scored in a season-opener(71 points vs Gardner Webb, 1992).
- UCF’s 73-point margin is the largest in school history(64 points vs Grand Valley State, 1987).
- Sorry, it’s not my best, but I was sad that the Bethune-Cookman marching band was not able to attend the game.
