Game time: UCF Knights vs. TCU — TV info, betting odds, keys
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
TCU at UCF
Where:Acrisure Bounce House Stadium, Orlando
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
TV: FS1
Weather: 84 degrees with 0% chance of precipitation
Latest line: TCU by 3 points
Coaches:Scott Frost is 26-15 at UCF, 42-46 overall; Sonny Dykes is 38-18 at TCU, 109-81 overall.
Quick slant: This will be the second meeting between the two programs and the first since 2024. In that game, TCU held a 21-7 halftime lead before UCF made a comeback engineered by quarterback K.J. Jefferson, who connected with receiver Kobe Hudson on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds left to secure a 35-34 victory for the Knights in Fort Worth. … TCU coach Sonny Dykes is 1-2 all-time against UCF, including a 1-1 record while coach at SMU. … This is the first time that UCF has opened its Big 12 schedule at home since joining the league in 2023.
About UCF (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): The Knights squandered an early first-quarter lead last week as Georgia State pushed ahead 24-20 at halftime. UCF leaned on its ground game in the second half, rushing for 216 yards led by backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins, who had two rushing touchdowns, including the go-ahead score late in the third quarter to pull away, 44-30. The defense shut down the Panthers in the second half, limiting them to just six points.
About TCU (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): The Horned Frogs struggled early last week against Arkansas State, leading just 14-7 at the half before pulling away, 31-7. TCU quarterback Jaden Craig threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, his second straight game with multiple touchdown passes. Receiver Ed Small had a career-high 164 receiving yards, his second 100-yard receiving game this season. Meanwhile, the defense had six quarterback hurries on ASU quarterback Trey Owens.
3 things to watch
1. Receiver Jordan Dwyer is expected to return to the TCU lineup this weekend after missing the first three games with a foot injury he suffered during the postseason. Dwyer was the Horned Frogs’ second-leading receiver last season with 54 catches for 730 yards and seven touchdowns.
2. UCF linebacker Lewis Carter will miss Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Carter has a team-high 24 tackles this season with two quarterback hurries. Jayden Jennings and Jahleel Culbreath will work with fellow middle linebacker Tackett Curtis to fill the role at the heart of the defense.
3. Running back Duke Watson leads the Big 12 with an 11 yards per carry average through the first three games of the season for the Knights. He’s on pace to shatter the single-season record held by Greg McRae, who averaged 8.89 yards per carry in 2018.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram at @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos