EDGE Sincere Edwards Believes UCF's Defense Is Resilient
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The UCF Knights' defense has been one of the best in the Big 12 and showed resilience in a second-half comeback against the Georgia State Panthers last Saturday.
Georgia State scored 24 points in the first half. It was an uncharacteristic showing for a UCF defense that limited opponents to nine points before Week 3.
The Panthers piled on the Knights, scoring 17 points in the second quarter. Quarterback Cameran Brown dissected the secondary for his second passing touchdown, and running back Qwantavious Wiggins broke open a 78-yard touchdown run.
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch encouraged his players to trust the second-half game plan and have a next-play mentality.
UCF held Georgia State to two field goals and generated turnovers. Linebacker Tackett Curtis caught his first career interception, and safety Demari Henderson, who won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, finished with two interceptions.
EDGE Sincere Edwards said the defense showed resilience. That trait is crucial for the program heading into Saturday's Big 12 opener.
"I feel like we've been tested in all kinds of ways, and so early in the season," Edwards said during Monday's media availability. "I just feel like we're not backing down from no one or anything, and I feel like we could fight."
Edwards had an impressive outing, tallying three solo tackles, one sack and a pass deflection. He's building on what could've been a stellar sophomore season cut short by a season-ending Lisfranc injury.
The former Pittsburgh Panther tallied 17 tackles and three sacks as a freshman and was on pace to surpass those totals after six games at UCF. He ended the season with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The Knights are onto their next challenge in their conference opener against TCU. These programs will meet for the second time since 2024.
Former quarterback KJ Jefferson threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns; current Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns; and wide receiver Kobe Hudson had 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Conference play has been a thorn in UCF's side, with a 7-20 record since jumping from the American in 2023. A 2-7 conference record last season is a significant reason why the Knights missed a bowl game for the second straight year.
UCF has a more manageable conference schedule this season, as it dodged two powerhouses: the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Utah Utes.
Dodging two powerhouses can bring a sigh of relief, but it doesn't suggest every matchup becomes more favorable. ESPN's matchup predictor has favored the Knights' victory over the Iowa State Cyclones and the Arizona State Sun Devils.
UCF will look to rely on its dominant defense once more to start Big 12 play with its first-ever conference home-opener victory.
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