UCF Knights vs. Pittsburgh: TV info, betting odds, keys
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UCF at Pittsburgh
Where: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Weather: 80 degrees with a 25% chance of precipitation.
Latest line: Pitt by 7 points
Coaches:Scott Frost is 25-14 at UCF, 41-45 overall; Pat Narduzzi is 81-61 at Pittsburgh, 81-61 overall.
Quick slant: This is the fourth meeting between the two programs, but the first since 2019. UCF is 1-2 against Pittsburgh in the series. In the last meeting, the Knights came back from a 21-0 deficit in the first half to take a 34-28 lead with under five minutes remaining in the game. However, Aaron Matthews’ 3-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett with 59 seconds left on the clock sealed a 35-34 victory. … UCF is 17-26 overall against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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About UCF (1-0, 0-0 Big 12): The Knights were impressive in their season debut last Thursday, scoring nine touchdowns and tying a program record for most points in a game with their 73-6 win over Bethune-Cookman. Six different players scored a rushing touchdown in the game, including quarterback Alonza Barnett III, as UCF eclipsed 500 yards of total offense for the third time since Frost’s return in 2025.
About Pittsburgh (1-0, 0-0 ACC): Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel tied a school record with seven touchdown passes while throwing for 453 yards as the Panthers opened the season with an impressive 59-14 win over Miami of Ohio on Saturday. Seven different players caught a touchdown in the game, led by Miami native Cataurus Hicks with five catches and 114 yards, including a game-high 53-yard score in the third quarter.
3 things to watch
1. Heintschel connected with seven different receivers for touchdowns during his performance, including wideout Cataurus Hicks, who led the team with 114 yards receiving on five catches and slot receiver Censere Lee. Hicks and Lee were targeted 36% (15 times) of the time against the RedHawks last week.
2. UCF kicker Will Stone connected on a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter against B-CU last Thursday. It was the first field goal of the senior’s college career after spending the first four seasons as a kickoff specialist at Texas. His 10 extra points tied a mark for the most in a single game, held by Matthew Wright (2017) and Colton Boomer (2022).
3. Barnett is 1-2 overall against Power Four programs (North Carolina, Louisville and Oregon), completing 56% (60 of 107) of his passes for 763 yards with eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 121 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns.
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.
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