Five things we learned about UCF’s loss to Houston

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UCF jumped out to a double-digit lead on two occasions but struggled in the second half as Houston fought back to end the Knights’ unbeaten streak in the space game, winning 30-27 on Friday night.

The loss significantly damaged UCF’s hopes for the postseason, as the Knights need to win two of their remaining three games to reach six wins and become bowl eligible. That includes a pair of tough road contests at No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 7 BYU.

In the meantime, here’s a look at five key takeaways from UCF’s loss.

Quarterback spot could be up for grabs

Last week, coach Scott Frost reiterated that he would stick with Tayven Jackson as his starting quarterback for the rest of the season, despite a poor showing in the 30-3 loss at Baylor.

Jackson struggled once again, this time against Houston, completing just 52% (15 of 29) of his passes for 136 yards in the loss to the Cougars on Friday night. He failed to throw a touchdown for the second straight game and threw his third interception in as many games, a pass that UH linebacker Latreveon McCutchin returned 45 yards for a touchdown.

Frost didn’t want to comment on Jackson’s performance until he had watched film of the game, but redshirt freshman Davi Belfort replaced him as UCF attempted to tie or win the game late.

Belfort got the Knights within field goal distance to tie the game, but ultimately threw an interception in the end zone that sealed the loss.

“Tayven had a hamstring issue earlier in the game and we taped it up,” said Frost. “We figured in that situation, they [Houston’s defense] would be coming for us and we needed someone who could get away from the pass rush and create something for us and for the most part, it worked.”

Belfort finished second on the team with 36 rushing yards on 5 carries.

Former starter Cam Fancher has missed the past two games due to broken ribs, and backup Jacurri Brown has been sidelined since the Kansas State game on Sept. 27 while recovering from an AC joint strain.

Penalties continue to be a concern

The Knights were flagged for a game-high nine penalties on Friday, tying the team record for second-most this season. Even more frustrating were the number of pre-snap penalties (5), including delay of game, false starts, and illegal shifts.

On the season, UCF has been penalized 68 times, with 48 of those penalties occurring on the offense, and 31 of those penalties were pre-snap infractions.

“We’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” said offensive tackle Preston Cushman. “It’s hard to come back from that. Those are little things we need to fix.”

Phil Dunnam has a breakout game

All through spring camp, UCF coaches raved about the performance of safety Phillip Dunnam.

The 6-foot-1 Dunnam, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, was lauded for his ability to be in the right place at the right time.

That was certainly the case on Friday night as Dunnam recorded a program-best three interceptions, including a pick-6.

“Phil showed up in a big way today,” said Frost.

Dunnam entered the week as the team’s third-leading tackler with 44 and the top-graded safety in the Big 12 according to Pro Football Focus, who had him at 82.7.

UCF athletic director sees change in football culture under coach Scott Frost

The running back room is stretched thin

Myles Montgomery has been one of the leaders on the UCF team, with his voice carrying significant weight among his teammates.

So when Montgomery left the Houston game late in the first half with an apparent shoulder injury and didn’t return, it left the Knights thin at the running backs unit.

With Taevion Swint and Stacy Gage already out for the season with injuries, that leaves UCF with one scholarship running back on the roster: Jaden Nixon.

“It sucks seeing that,” said Nixon, who led the team with 62 rushing yards on 11 carries, “But you can’t let that get into your head or get to your head as much as you want to. We need to encourage them and be there for them. It’s next man up. We still have a job to do, and until the clock hits zero, we must continue fighting and doing our job.

“Even if we’ve got to bring one of the kickers to play running back, next man up.”

Walk-ons Agyeman Addae (7 carries, 21 yards), Tyler Wrenn (1 carry, 8 yards) and Chance Nixon are the only remaining tailbacks available.

Montgomery is the team’s leading rusher with 595 yards on 118 carries with four touchdowns.

The Knights are a battered bunch

UCF entered Friday’s game without the services of several key contributors, including defensive tackle Horace Lockett and defensive end Sincere Edwards.

Also out of the lineup were quarterback Cam Fancher, who is recovering from broken ribs, defensive back Jayden Williams and tight ends Cayden Piening and Thomas Wadsworth, who missed the game with a variety of injuries.

To make matters worse, the Knights lost starters Myle Montgomery (running back), Malachi Lawrence (defensive end), Braeden Marshall (safety) and linebacker Jordan McDonald.

“I don’t want to comment now. I just know a lot of our best guys weren’t there at the end and that’s tough,” said Frost. “Everybody goes through that in football. We seem to have a lot of them right now and we’ve got to try to do what we can to get guys back and healthy.”

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

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