UCF’s Scott Frost Believes Bye Week Comes at a Good Time

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The UCF Knights are entering their bye week after allowing 21 unanswered points in Saturday's loss to the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Coach Scott Frost believes the bye comes at a great time. UCF is on a two-game losing streak, and the week-long break halts the team's downfall.

Frost's squad needs time to erase their second-half woes and recover from the piling injuries.

The Knights have proven they can hold a candle to the nation's top teams. They held the then-No. 20 Houston Cougars scoreless in the first half last Saturday, and entered halftime tied with Oklahoma State at 21 points.

It's encouraging to see strong first-half performances, especially with Keyone Jenkins leading the charge. The play calling has maximized short-to-intermediate passes, and the defense tallies crucial stops.

UCF's building blocks seem to collapse after halftime. Houston quarterback Conner Weigman set a new career-high with three rushing touchdowns; Oklahoma State's defense got a scoop-and-score, and Drew Mestemaker threw a 5-yard touchdown pass.

Injuries have played a significant role in some meltdowns. The Knights are missing key leaders who elevate the team's productivity.

Wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr. was upgraded to questionable before the game and was a game-time decision before being ruled out. It's worrying that he hasn't made his season debut, especially when Frost has emphasized that the senior is "day-to-day."

The receiver corps has impressed this season without Thomas. Josh Derry and Waden Charles lead the group, while freshman Tyren Hornes is climbing the depth chart.

Hornes caught his first career touchdown before halftime. He would've scored earlier, but Jenkins overthrew a deep pass.

Linebacker Lewis Carter has missed the past two games, and offensive lineman Jacob Maiava is dealing with a groin injury. Carter is his position group's leader, and Maiava has cemented himself as UCF's starting center.

The bye week is exactly what the Knights need to buy time for their recovery.

"We got six games left and half of a season left," Frost said after the game. "And I think being fresh and ready for those gives us the best chance."

UCF will end its three-game ranked opponent slate facing off against the No. 8 BYU Cougars. The two programs have a history dating back to last season, when BYU sealed UCF's hopes of making a bowl game.

BYU is the third-worst passing offense, throwing for 179.8 yards per game, 1.6 yards more than UCF. It may be a sigh of relief for Grinch's pass rush, but the Cougars have allowed three sacks and have a 57.4% third-down conversion rate, the third-best in the conference.

The Knights must pull off an upset against the Cougars to snap their losing streak and alleviate some late pressure to win three of the last five games.

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