Up 17-0 in third quarter, UCF falls to No. 20 Houston; road skid at 11
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HOUSTON — Halloween is later this month, but UCF suffered its own horror story after losing a double-digit lead and quarterback Keyone Jenkins for a brief time, falling to No. 20 Houston 27-17 at TDECU Stadium on Saturday.
The Knights held a 17-0 advantage midway through the third quarter before the Cougars scored back-to-back touchdowns. On the second UH score, Jenkins’ pass was intercepted and the redshirt senior was injured trying to make a tackle.
The training staff helped him to the locker room and backup Kaleb Annett took his place.
Jenkins returned to the game, but couldn’t lead the Knights back.
UCF (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) saw its road losing streak increase to 11 games with the loss to Houston (4-1, 1-1 Big 12). The Knights’ last road win was against TCU on Sept. 14, 2024.
Plus, the Knights haven’t defeated a ranked opponent since then-No. 15 Oklahoma State on Nov. 11, 2023.
Things looked very different for UCF in the early-going.
Jenkins picked up right where he left off against TCU last week, completing two throws to receiver Josh Derry. The first throw came on a curl route, and the senior broke free and took it 49 yards to put the Knights in Houston territory. Six plays later, Jenkins avoided an inside blitz and found Derry, who raced 13 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.
Jenkins entered the game having completed 14 straight pass attempts going back to last week’s win over the Horned Frogs. He set a school record by completing 95% of his passes (19 of 20) in the 21-13 win.
UCF’s defense held Houston scoreless in its opening drive, forcing a punt as the Cougars pinned the Knights deep in their own territory at the 3-yard line.
Jenkins’ streak continued after one of his passes bounced off diving Houston cornerback Jason Mayo and into UCF receiver Wade Charles’ hands for a 21-yard completion.
The streak ended on the next play when Jenkins was forced out of the pocket and threw the ball out of bounds.
Following a UCF punt, Houston orchestrated an impressive 10-play drive. However, on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, quarterback Conner Weigman’s pass was deflected by linebacker Tackett Curtis at the line of scrimmage and the ball dropped harmlessly to the ground as the Cougars walked away empty-handed.
Pinned deep in its own territory, UCF failed to convert on three attempts and punted back to Houston. Returner Trent Walker seized the opportunity, breaking free for a 22-yard gain that put the Cougars back in prime position at the 25-yard line.
Three plays later, Houston faced a fourth-and-2 at the 3-yard line and UH coach Willie Fritz elected to roll the dice again, but the Cougars couldn’t convert for the second straight possession, coming away without points.
Prior to the game, Houston had converted just one fourth down this season.
After another UCF punt, the Cougars drove inside the 10-yard line for the third straight possession, but safety Demari Henderson forced a fumble by tight end Patrick Overmyer. The ball went into the end zone and Curtis recovered it.
It was the 10th takeaway of the season and the third straight game with a turnover for UCF.
Jenkins led the Knights down the field, connecting on a 15-yard pass to Derry and a 35-yarder to Charles, to reach the UH 30-yard line. Despite their efforts to convert, the Knights opted for a 30-yard field goal from Will Stone, extending their lead to 10-0 at halftime.
UCF’s first possession of the second half was a master class in execution as the Knights used a short passing attack by Jenkins and an effective ground attack powered by Landen Chambers and Duke Watson.
Watson’s 37-yard gain, his longest run of the day, put the Knights at the UH 5. Two plays later, Jenkins scrambled into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the season and a 17-0 lead.
Weigman scored on a 19-yard touchdown run, capping a 7-play drive that lasted just under 2:30, to cut the lead to 17-7 with 3:38 left in the third quarter.
On UCF’s next possession, Jenkins’ pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Houston linebacker Latreveon McCutchin, who returned it 17 yards down to the UCF 2-yard line. In the process, Jenkins was injured and was taken to the locker room by the training staff.
Weigman dove into the end zone for his second touchdown run of the half, pulling Houston to within 17-14 with 1:11 left in the third.
Houston took its first lead of the game on a 1-yard Weigman run, his third TD of the game.
Kicker Jonathan Dimas connected on a 40-yard field goal, extending the Cougars’ lead to 24-17 with 4:14 left.
The Knights will be away from home in their next game, too. They visit No. 19 Oklahoma State on Saturday.
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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