Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 01:12
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The UCF Knights opened Big 12 play with a 21-13 victory over the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando. UCF improved to 3-1 overall (1-0 Big 12), while TCU fell to 2-2 (0-1 Big 12).
Key Storylines
UCF’s defense was the difference, forcing four turnovers and holding TCU scoreless in the fourth quarter. Despite allowing 343 total yards, the Knights repeatedly came up with timely takeaways.
Quarterback Keyone Jenkins was remarkably efficient, completing 19 of 20 passes (95%) for 160 yards and a touchdown, setting a school record for completion percentage in a game with at least 15 attempts.
TCU actually outgained UCF 343-266, but turnovers and field position swung the game in the Knights’ favor.
How the Game Unfolded
First Quarter
UCF struck first after forcing a turnover, with Taevion Swint scoring on a 13-yard touchdown run.
TCU answered with a 75-yard drive capped by a Jeremy Payne 1-yard touchdown run.
Second Quarter
TCU took a 10-7 lead on a field goal.
Jenkins responded by leading a scoring drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Caden Piening, giving UCF a 14-10 halftime lead.
Third Quarter
TCU narrowed the score to 14-13 with a 45-yard field goal but could not find the end zone.
Fourth Quarter
UCF delivered the decisive blow with an 11-play, 75-yard drive finished by Landen Chambers’ 1-yard rushing touchdown, extending the lead to 21-13.
The Knights’ defense shut down TCU the rest of the way to secure the win.
UCF won with a classic complementary-football formula: efficient quarterback play, a strong rushing attack near the goal line, and a defense that consistently took the ball away. The victory gave the Knights an important conference-opening win and continued their recent success against TCU in Big 12 play.
Next Up
UCF takes on 4-0 #20 Houston at Noon Saturday. The game will be televised live from Houston’s TDCU Stadium on ESPN2.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 01:54
Story and Photo Courtesy UCF Athletics
The 20th season of the Bounce House began with a bang as the UCF football team tied its program record for points scored in a game and set the record for largest margin of victory, beating Bethune-Cookman 73-6 to start the 2026 campaign.
Under the lights of a brand-new Roth Tower, UCF’s running game shone bright, as six different Knights accounted for seven rushing touchdowns, chalking up 360 yards in the process. The team-effort showed through the air as well, as nine different Knights caught a pass.
The 25th victory of Scott Frost’s UCF career resulted in UCF’s largest margin of victory, posting a 67-point gap over the Wildcats Thursday night, edging the previous best of 64 points against Grand Valley State in 1987. The win also tied the most points scored in a game in program history, equaling the 73 points scored against Austin Peay in 2017.
UCF’s first drive took just two plays, as junior running back Duke Watson took his first carry as a Knight 64 yards to the house for the first touchdown of 2026. Just 20 seconds later, Jayden Williams snagged his third career interception and returned it 47 yards for a pick-six, giving UCF a 14-0 lead with just over four minutes gone by in the game.
Alonza Barnett III scampered for a five-yard touchdown run, his first as a Knight, extending the lead to 21 with 3:11 to play in the opening frame. The first play of the second quarter saw Barnett spin his first pass as a member of the Black and Gold, finding Jonathan Bibbs for his fifth career touchdown snag. The strike through the air was the 50th career passing touchdown.
Will Stone nailed his first career field goal, a 34-yard kick to make it 31-0. Stone wound up finishing the night with 10 extra points, tying a single game UCF record. The Black and Gold added a Landen Chambersbefore halftime, a two-yard run to send UCF into the locker room up 38-0.
The third quarter was more of the same and saw the Knights tally a trio of rushing touchdowns and a strike through the air. Redshirt freshman and local Osceola High product Taevion Swint earned his first rushing touchdown, a 27-yard dash two minutes into the second half. Chambers followed suit with a 27-yard run of his own four minutes later, his second rushing touchdown of the night. Caleb Rollerson snagged a nine-yard touchdown pass from Keyone Jenkins. Agyeman Addae added the first rushing touchdown of his career to make it 66-0 UCF at the end of the third quarter.
The Knights added one more score in the fourth, this time a one-yard rush from Rocco Marriot after he nearly had a diving touchdown after a 17-yard scamper.
Bethune-Cookman added its lone score of the game as the clock expired, an eight-yard touchdown pass.
The Knights improve their season-opening win streak to 11 games with Thursday’s victory over Bethune-Cookman. UCF moves to 30-1 against FCS opponents since turning FBS in 1996.
Additionally, the Black and Gold have won 12 straight games on Thursdays, a mark that sits just three behind the longest winning streak on that particular day in FBS history. Miami owns 15 straight wins on Thursday, a mark posted from 1998-2008. UCF boasts the third-longest active Thursday winning streak, trailing fellow Big 12 Conference members Utah and Oklahoma State who each sit at 13.
Speaking of the Big 12, UCF sits tied for 12th for most points scored by a Big 12 team in the conference’s history; Oklahoma State holds that record of 84.
UP NEXT The Knights hit the road for a non-conference showdown, visiting Pittsburgh in Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:54
Photo/Story appears courtesy of UCF Athletics. Video courtesy Big XII Conference.
For 36 minutes and six seconds, the UCF Citronauts controlled the game on Saturday afternoon. And by the final buzzer inside Addition Financial Arena, there was no mistaking where they belong, as UCF knocked off No. 11 Texas Tech in a decisive 88-80 victory.
The victory lifts the Citronauts to 17-4 overall, the most wins through the month of January in program history, and 6-3 in Big 12 play, while Texas Tech slips to 16-5 and 6-2. UCF asserted itself on the glass with a double-digit rebounding advantage (35-23) and matched that presence with tight ball security, forcing 13 turnovers while surrendering only six, an effort that underscored their control throughout.
The Citronauts’ defense wasted no time making its presence felt, clamping down on Texas Tech in the opening stretch to force a three-minute scoring drought and race out to a 7-2 lead by the 16:51 mark. Despite giving up four early turnovers and the slow offensive start, the Red Raiders eventually found their footing on the defensive end of the hardwood, forcing back-to-back stops on the Citronauts. That, coupled with a trio of jumpers from JT Toppin, knotted the game at 20 with 10:05 left in the opening frame.
Space U found its answer to the surge behind John Bol, who dominated the early minutes with eight points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting effort while hauling in five rebounds in the opening nine minutes. Bol, who tallied a career-high 14 points on the day, was a major force for the ‘Nauts throughout the game, spearheading the team’s efforts on the glass to record his second double-double of the season with 10 boards.
Even with Texas Tech’s best effort to push itself out in front of the ‘Nauts, it soon found itself suffocated once more by UCF’s defensive pressure, falling into yet another three-minute scoring dry spell. Using the offensive lull to their advantage, the Citronauts built their lead back out to seven, 34-27, sparked by back-to-back three-pointers from Carmelo Pacheco and Riley Kugel with just over five minutes to play before halftime. A steal in the final minute from Kugel, followed by two free throws from Jamichael Stillwell, gave the Citronauts a four-point edge, 44-40, headed into the break.
Stillwell made his presence in the paint equally as known, bringing in 10 rebounds and 10 points for the ‘Nauts. Marking the third time this season, two players have had a double-double in a single game (Fulks/Stillwell vs Oakland, Fulks/Bol vs FAU).
Momentum stayed firmly on UCF’s side to open the second half, as Bol scored five quick points to stretch the lead to seven, 57-50, just five minutes in. Texas Tech responded with urgency, however, forcing a brief Citronauts scoring drought while knocking down six consecutive field goals to pull within four, 66-62, with 11:29 left. But the ‘Nauts refused to relinquish control, as free throws from Kugel and a timely layup by Themus Fulks restored a six-point advantage, 75-69, with just under seven minutes remaining.
Fulks, remained at the heart of the ‘Nauts offense pouring in a team-high 21 points, while dishing out seven assists. Jordan Burks also added in double-digits of his own, contributing 17 points on an efficient five-of-seven mark from the floor.
The Red Raiders made one final push late, trimming the deficit to two with 1:55 to go, but the Citronauts delivered the decisive blow, as Chris Johnson threw down a dunk in the final moments, putting an exclamation point on the final score and sealing the 88-80 victory as UCF knocked off No. 11 Texas Tech in Orlando.
UCF has now won three consecutive Big 12 games for the first time since joining the conference ahead of the 2023-24 season. The victory also marks the program’s first win over a No. 11-ranked opponent, snapping an 0-6 mark in such matchups before Saturday afternoon. Video highlights linked below:
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 23:17
The UCF Knights (12-1; 1-0 Big XII) opened their conference play with a HUGE win against the #17 Jayhawks of Kansas. As reported by UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – “J-Mike [Jamichael Stillwell] and I were telling him during the game, ‘Bro, your time is gonna come. You’re going to get a big shot for us,’” said UCF point guard Themus Fulks about Jordan Burks in the minutes following Saturday evening’s matchup against No. 17 Kansas.
And he was right. With the game tied at 72 and under a minute remaining, Burks delivered when it mattered most. UCF and Kansas had battled every second, each team vying to start the Big 12 season 1-0. But Kansas’ hopes were dashed as Burks pulled up from the long range in the final moments, sinking a clutch three-pointer to lift the Knights to an 81-75 upset at Addition Financial Arena.
Although the Knights led for nearly 27 minutes, the game was a back-and-forth battle from the opening tip. Kansas held a narrow 10-9 edge at the 16-minute media timeout, with both teams trading baskets in quick succession. Midway through the first half, though, the pace stalled as the Jayhawks went scoreless for 3:15. UCF forced three turnovers but couldn’t turn convert, hitting a two-minute dry spell of its own, and by the 9:43 mark, Kansas still clung to a razor-thin 21-20 lead.
That changed when Riley Kugel took over. His layup at the 7:21 mark gave the Knights their first lead, and a pull-up three on the next possession pushed UCF in front 27-23. Building on that momentum, Jamichael Stillwell drained a three-pointer to push Knight’s lead to seven, 36-29, their largest lead of the opening frame, with just over four minutes to go.
Kugel led the way for the Knights, finishing atop the stat sheet with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Fulks and Burks also scored in double figures, contributing 16 and 14 points respectively, and each added four rebounds on the day, while Fulks piloted the offense with three assists.
Kansas made several attempts to reclaim the lead in the closing minutes of the half, but a last-second pull-up jumper from Fulks sent the Knights into the locker room with a 44-41 edge. The Black and Gold’s 44 first-half points marked the most the Jayhawks have allowed this season, after previously holding then-No. 5 Duke and then-No. 17 Tennessee to 41 points apiece.
The Knights opened the second half as strong as they ended the first, quickly extending their lead back to seven, 48-41, just 1:30 into the period. Refusing to let the game slip away, Kansas responded by clawing back to tie the game at 56 with 13:09 remaining. A three-pointer from Darryn Peterson, who ended the evening with 26 of Kansas’s total points, gave the Jayhawks their first lead since 7:21 of the opening frame, 59-58, with just over 11 minutes to play.
UCF had an answer, though – four quick free throws from Devan Cambridge gave the Knights their lead back, 62-59, with a three-pointer from Burks to follow, pushing the Knights’ advantage to six, 65-59, with 9:53 to play.
Capitalizing on that momentum, and a four-minute Jayhawk scoring drought, the Knights forced four turnovers to generate a 12-point run, taking the lead 70-61, their largest of the game, with just under five minutes remaining.
Despite continued offensive struggles, Kansas surged back with a 7-0 run in just over a minute, pulling within two, 70-68, with 3:36 left and forcing a UCF timeout. Bringing that energy out of the break, the Jayhawks tied the game at 72 with 59 seconds to play. But pressing for the Knights’ first Big 12 win, Burks delivered a pivotal three-pointer to put the Knights back on top, 75-72, with 42 seconds remaining.
Although Kansas attempted to rally with a trio of free throws in the final moments, Burks’ basket proved decisive, as UCF held on to upset No. 17 Kansas, 81-75, in its Big 12 home opener.
This is the second consecutive season the Knights have won their conference opener, and the first time they’ve beaten a ranked opponent since last year’s season home opener against then No. 13/15 Texas A&M. Dawkins, as a player and coach, is now a combined 7-3 in meetings against either Kansas or Bill Self, or a combination of both.
The Knights committed just six turnovers all evening while forcing 12 from the Jayhawks, who normally average 10.8 turnovers per game and force 9.46 themselves.
UP NEXT Dawkins and his squad will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for their first Big 12 road contest of the season, facing the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Jan. 6 for an 8 PM tipoff.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:02
The UCF Knights (10-2; 1-0 Big XII) marched into Lubbock on Tuesday and handed the Red Raiders of Texas Tech (9-3; 0-1 Big XII) an 87-83 loss. Per UCF Athletics:
The UCF men’s basketball team started celebrating the new year early by launching fireworks of its own before the stroke of midnight in its Big 12 Conference opener, topping Texas Tech 87-83 thanks to a second-consecutive game shooting greater than 50% from the field. Keyshawn Hall was a perfect seven-for-seven from the floor in the first half, dropping 17 points while Darius Johnson had 17 of his own in the second to power the Knights to a New Year’s Eve victory on the road.
“It was a hard-fought win. They’re all well earned in the Big 12. I thought our guys did a good job of understanding what we had to do to give ourselves a chance to win. Really proud of our guys, they really came ready to play tonight. They were well prepared, as was Texas Tech; we beat a good team tonight.”JOHNNY DAWKINSUCF MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
UCF’s offense was on display for the entirety of the first half, shooting 57.1% with 47 points, tied for the most in a game this season. The offensive eruption was a continuation of the Knights’ last contest 10 days ago, thumping Jacksonville 86-66 while shooting 58.7%, the highest mark since shooting 60.4% against Temple on Jan. 2, 2019. Hall led the charge on Tuesday afternoon, starting the contest a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor including a trio of three pointers, chalking up 17 points in the first half.
“I was just staying aggressive outside because I didn’t want to make my game one dimensional. I know I can get downhill so I was just trying to stay confident in my jump shot through the whole like I’ve done this whole season. The coaches and everybody have been giving me confidence in practice to shoot it, so I’ve been getting in the gym extra and just shooting it, so when guys back up, I let it rip.”KEYSHAWN HALLUCF JUNIOR GUARD/FORWARD
Texas Tech opened the scoring with two buckets in its first two trips down the floor. The pair of quick scores wound up being the Red Raiders’ largest lead of the game just 68 seconds into the contest. UCF’s first points game on a couple of Johnson free throws at the 17:45 mark. Hall got going with a defensive rebound and a jumper and also scored on the Knights next trip down the floor, locking the score at 6-6. Dallan ‘Deebo’ Coleman earned a steal and got his first points of the tilt 4:30 into it, putting UCF in front. Another Hall layup followed by a Coleman three-pointer gave the Knights an early seven-point edge at 13-6 with 14:17 remaining.
The Red Raiders jumped in front briefly with an 8-0 run over the next 90 seconds or so, but proved to be their final lead of the contest at 14-13. Moustapha Thiam banged home a three-pointer to get the Black and Gold back in front, his first of two made triples on three total attempts from deep on the afternoon, doubling his season total of made threes.
The first half lead didn’t move north of six points until there were six minutes left in the opening frame as UCF pulled out to a 36-29 lead. Texas Tech continued to make shots in its own offensive end to the tune of a 44.4% clip to keep the game close as the Knights carried a 47-41 lead into the break.
UCF surrendered the first basket of the second half, but from there, it was nearly all Knights for the next five minutes. Thiam fought his way to the rim for a tip-in prior to a Hall three-pointer to put the Black and Gold up nine at 54-45. After a Texas Tech make to draw back within seven, Jordan Ivy-Curry nailed a step back jumper followed by a layup and three pointer from Thiam. Johnson drove the lane for a tough layup and put the Knights in front by 16 at 61-45.
The Knights continued to hold a double-digit lead, eventually reaching a game-best 18-point edge with 10:06 remaining with a trio of Ivy-Curry free throws, making it 71-53. Texas Tech responded with its best run of the game, putting up 11 straight points to whittle the lead to seven with 7:30 to play. The Red Raiders refused to go away, trimming the lead to six at 79-73 heading into the final media timeout.
“We were trying to find ways to manufacture points, especially when they were making their runs, we tried to find ways to put guys in position to be successful. Ultimately, players have to make plays, and I thought whether it was Keyshawn or Darius, I thought those guys made the plays that were in front of them at the time, and that’s all you can ask. First half, I thought Keyshawn really set the tone for us and helped us get going and in the second half, Darius really started putting his foot on the pedal a little bit more.”JOHNNY DAWKINS UCF MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
Johnson was clutch down the stretch, burying a three-pointer from way downtown out of the media timeout to extend the lead back to nine. Texas Tech answered with two makes, but again Johnson had an answer, earning a pair of points in the paint to make it 84-78 with 2:30 on the clock. After missing the front end of a pair of free throws, Tech’s JT Toppin, who finished the contest with a game-high 26 points, earned another pair for his team to cut UCF’s lead to a single possession at 84-81 with 75 seconds to play.
Toppin again tried to carry his team back to a lead, scoring off a UCF turnover to make it a one-point game with 37 ticks of the clock left. Johnson was fouled bringing the ball up the floor on the ensuing possession with 19 seconds left and cashed in on his two free throws. The Red Raiders came up empty on their next possession as a missed three pointer to tie the contest went wide and eventually out of play, giving the Knights possession with eight seconds remaining. Johnson again was fouled and made one-of-two from the charity stripe to give UCF the 87-83 edge. Texas Tech’s final heave was off as the Black and Gold secured the road victory and a 1-0 start to league play.
“I thought our guys did a really good job of understanding those big moments, guys were stepping up and making plays. We have some experienced guys on our roster and they played composed, so when the lead was getting cut or it was a one possession game, that’s when their poise showed.”JOHNNY DAWKINSUCF MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
Johnson missed just twice in the second half, going five-of-six from the field, a perfect two-of-two from three-point range and five-of-six to compile 17 points. He led UCF on the stat sheet with 24 points, his fifth 20+ point outing this season and 13th of his career. Hall’s 22-point performance was his second-straight game with 20 or more points after scoring 21 against Jacksonville. It was his fifth 20+ point showing on the campaign and 15th of his career. Only Ivy-Curry boasts more career 20+ point performances on UCF’s roster with 18. Ivy-Curry had his double-digit point streak snapped on Tuesday, scoring nine points after earning 10 or more points in his first 11 games as a Knight.
UCF’s 87-point performance in its Big 12 opener was more points than it had scored in any Big 12 regular season win during the 2023-24 campaign and one shy of tying the most they had scored in any conference game last season. UCF’s 87 points represent the 44th time that UCF has scored 80 points or more under Dawkins, improving to 39-5 in those games. Dating back to last season, the Knights have won their last three Big 12 road games, beating Oklahoma State 77-71 on Feb. 28 and TCU 79-77 on March 9.
The Black and Gold’s besting of Texas Tech snapped its perfect 8-0 record and dropped the Red Raiders to 12-17 all-time in Big 12 openers. UCF now leads the all-time series against Texas Tech 2-1 with a pair of consecutive wins, including a Big 12-play best 14 points in Orlando to the tune of a 75-61 win on Feb. 24 last season.
The Knights have won six straight with Tuesday’s victory and is UCF’s first six-game winning streak since the 2019-20 season. A win in its next contest would be the first seven-game winning streak since the Knights’ magical 2018-19 season that ended in an NCAA Tournament berth and first win in March Madness in program history. UCF is out to a 10-2 start for the third time in the last four campaigns and fifth total time under Dawkins.
UCF sunk 10 three-pointers on Tuesday afternoon, its second consecutive game doing so and fifth total occurrence through 12 contests thus far. The Knights accomplished that feat just twice last season. Additionally, UCF already has three games where they’ve shot 50% or better from the floor after doing that just four times in the previous campaign.
Texas Tech’s defense entered the game ranking 26th in the nation in scoring defense, averaging 63.3 points scored by opponents. UCF bested that mark by over 20 points, and also shot 51.8% on Tuesday, 12.3% better than the Red Raiders’ 45th-ranked field goal percentage defense. The win was the 55th time a Dawkins-led UCF team has shot 50% or better, improving to 51-4 in those games.
Dawkins continues to have his squad dialed during the month of December, now 43-12 during the month in his tenure, including a perfect 4-0 this season.
UP NEXT The Knights return home to Addition Financial Arena for their first home game of the Big 12 slate for a contest against No. 7 Kansas at 4 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN+. UCF opens its home league schedule against Kansas for the second straight campaign, besting the No. 3 Jayhawks 65-60 on Jan. 10 for the highest ranked win in program history. The Black and Gold return to Orlando boasting an 8-0 home record after going perfect through its non-conference schedule for the first time since 2011-12.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS Follow UCF men’s basketball on X (@UCF_MBB), Instagram (@UCF.MBB) and Facebook (/UCFMensBasketball).
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Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:22
After Gus Malzahn’s departure, UCF has decided to hire the football Coach that gave its program its most notoriety and success, Scott Frost. Per UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – After an unforgettable two-year run that saw the UCF football program rise to national prominence, Scott Frost is coming back home. Known for sparking the “Charge On” spirit and guiding UCF to its first perfect season, Frost has been named the next head football coach at UCF by Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir. Frost and UCF agreed on a five-year contract through the 2029 season.
“Today marks an exciting reunion for UCF Football as we welcome back Scott Frost, a coach who ignites the spirit and passion of Knight Nation,” Mohajir said. “Scott’s love for his players, along with his leadership, enthusiasm and vision were pivotal in making the decision to bring him back to UCF. Throughout this national search, his passion for UCF was clear. I believe no one wanted to lead our program more than Scott.”
Frost originally served as UCF’s head coach from 2016 to 2017, culminating in a historic 13-0 season, an AAC championship and a national championship that captured the nation’s attention. In his final game, Frost guided UCF to a victory over No. 7 Auburn in the 2018 Peach Bowl, securing the program’s first undefeated season in school history.
Frost posted the greatest two-year turnaround in college football history at UCF, inheriting a 0-12 team in 2015 and taking the Knights to a perfect season in his second and final year, when he was named the national coach of the year.
Frost began his coaching career at Northern Iowa in 2007 as a linebackers coach and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2008. That season, his defense excelled, tying for third in the FCS with 40 takeaways and ranking ninth in scoring defense, allowing just 17.7 points per game. The 12-3 Panthers also led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in both rushing defense (107.1 yards per game) and scoring defense.
In 2009, Frost joined the Oregon coaching staff as the wide receivers coach under head coach Chip Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. Over his four seasons in this role, Oregon appeared in four consecutive BCS bowls, and three of Frost’s wide receivers earned invitations to NFL camps.
After Kelly left for the Philadelphia Eagles, Oregon promoted Mark Helfrich to head coach and named Frost offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2013. In this role, Frost guided Marcus Mariota to a Heisman Trophy win and a berth in the national championship game. During Frost’s tenure as offensive coordinator, Oregon recorded a 33–8 record and consistently ranked among the nation’s top teams in scoring and total offense. His standout performance in 2014 earned him a finalist spot for the prestigious Broyles Award, recognizing the nation’s top assistant coach.
Following his two years at UCF, Scott Frost served as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska for four-plus seasons. This season, Frost has been serving as a coaching consultant for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 01:52
Story Courtesy UCF Athletics:
In the midst of the euphoric chaos unfolding on the floor around him, senior guard Darius Johnson reflected on the job he and his team accomplished.
“It’s a great experience, but we’re supposed to get that win. We went into the game expecting to win, and nothing less.”
Johnson, in the first game of his fourth season donning the Black and Gold, took up his mantle as their leader, dropping a game-high 24 points to lead the UCF men’s basketball team to a statement 64-61 opening night upset victory over the No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies at Addition Financial Arena Monday evening.
The winning effort represented the 11th over a ranked opponent in program history, the fourth in the last two years, and the first in three tries in a season-opener.
In the current calendar year alone, the Knights have now toppled four top 25 opponents on their home floor, also besting then-No. 3 Kansas Jan. 10, then-No. 23 Oklahoma Feb. 3, and then-No. 23 Texas Tech Feb. 24. The contest also marked the ninth of UCF’s 11 all-time ranked wins to have been achieved under Dawkins.
A testament to head coach Johnny Dawkins, Monday evening’s feat, the first win by UCF in the first meeting between the two programs, was accomplished with just two returning players who played tonight from the 2023-24 campaign, Johnson and sophomore guard Nils Machowski.
“What an opening game, to play against a team with that type of experience and talent. I thought it was great for our team,” Dawkins said. “You bring in 11 new guys, you don’t know what to expect, and they showed me something today. They can play with composure and the moment wasn’t too big for them. They beat a really good, well-coached team.”
The Knights gained momentum early with a hot hand from beyond the arc and later iced the game from the free throw line.
Staring up at a 10-point deficit for the fourth time, UCF, having made just five field goals through the first 10:58 of the second half, made the adjustment against a staunch Aggies defense that led the SEC in rebounding and ranked fifth in scoring defense last season.
The Black and Gold forced 17 free throw attempts through the game’s final six minutes and 51 seconds, converting 13 to help erase a 54-44 Aggies advantage and end the contest with eight unanswered points. Two key blocks by sophomore JJ Taylor on the defensive end, both coming in the final two minutes, were not lost on Johnson as crucial moments in halting any late Texas A&M momentum.
“JJ, he made a lot of great plays down the stretch, defensively and offensively,” Johnson continued. “He had a great offensive rebound to put us up one, which was a huge play down the stretch. As leaders and older guys on the team, we’ve been pushing JJ to get more out of him, and he’s been doing a great job with that. He came out and showcased his abilities tonight.”
A shaky start that saw the Knights fail on each of their first eight tries from the field was quickly shoved aside with an emphatic dunk by junior transfer Keyshawn Hall, giving UCF its first two points of the season while trimming the Aggies’ lead to 6-2 just under five minutes in.
Taylor opened the floodgates moments later, drilling his team’s first 3-point shot of the night to ignite a stretch that saw him score seven on the strength of four consecutive made tries from the line.
Johnson, on the heels of his single-season career best 15.2 points per game a year ago, connected on his first two tries from beyond the arc around a converted Jordan Ivy-Curry 3-point try, slimming Texas A&M’s lead to 23-18 with 8:03 on the first-half clock.
Ivy-Curry then followed an Aggies dunk with four more points of his own to keep his team close, then joined Johnson in making consecutive triples to help the Knights to a 29-29 tie at halftime.
“They have a lot of character,” Dawkins said. “We worked out this summer and fall, and what I saw are guys who love to compete and love to win. We’re playing against each other in practice, it’s very competitive, and that’s how you get better. They did a good job understanding what they need to do to work their way back in the game.”
Johnson added two more 3-point shots in the early stages of the second half before the Aggies built their lead back up to double figures, coming one triple shy of tying his single-game career high of six he set against the BYU Cougars March 13, 2024.
Having entered the season just 58 points shy of 1,000 in his career, the veteran guard also now needs just 34 more to become the 21st Knight in program history to reach the plateau, and join Ivy-Curry and Jaylin Sellers as the third Knight on the active roster with a 1,000-point resume.
In their respective UCF debuts, Ivy-Curry (16), Taylor (10) and Hall (10) joined Johnson in double-digit scoring, while freshman Moustapha Thiam, the first five-star recruit and the highest-ranked recruit in program history, made his seven-foot, two-inch frame felt with six blocks, finishing two shy of the program’s single-game record.
“This is a statement game,” Johnson continued. “Moving forward we want to make people respect us.”
UP NEXT UCF will look to continue the momentum accrued from its prolific victory, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne in its next contest Friday, Nov. 8. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. from Addition Financial Arena and will be streamed on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS Follow UCF men’s basketball on X (@UCF_MBB), Instagram (@UCF.MBB) and Facebook (/UCFMensBasketball).
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 01:16
The UCF Knights (2-0; 0-0 Big XII) dominated both sides of the ball Saturday with a sold-out, rain soaked-filled FBS Mortgage Stadium. Per UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – Saturday’s game was delayed 30 minutes due to lightning in the area, but that didn’t have any impact on a hot start for UCF, as the Knights scored on six of their first seven drives to earn a 45-14 victory against Sam Houston at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
For the second consecutive game, the Black and Gold compiled more than 550 yards of total offense, including 384 rushing yards. Defensively, UCF forced two turnovers and held Sam Houston to just 67 rushing yards.
UCF has now opened the season with a 2-0 record in three of Malzahn’s four seasons in Orlando. Saturday’s game also marked the 200th FBS win for the Knights as a program since making the transition from FCS in 1996.
Knights running back RJ Harvey tied the program record and set a career high with four rushing touchdowns, while surpassing 100 yards rushing for the 10th time in his career. The Orlando native finished with 126 rushing yards on 19 carries, finding the end zone four times – the first player to do so since Isaiah Bowser in 2021.
The preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List honoree recorded the first two touchdowns of the game, scoring from 19 yards out and on a two-yard rush to cap 80-yard and 76-yard drives, respectively.
For the third time in his career, UCF kicker Colton Boomer booted a 50-yard field goal as he split the uprights to extend the Knights’ early advantage to 17-0 in the second quarter. The Lake Mary native had a pair of 50-yarders in the Boise State game last season, including the game-winner.
KJ Jefferson led the offense from his quarterback position, going 12-for-15 passing for 169 yards. He also rushed for 50 yards on nine attempts. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson reeled in 104 of those, eclipsing the 100-yard receiving mark for the sixth time in his career.
Defensively, the Black and Gold were dominant throughout the game, limiting the Bearkats to 118 yards and just 16 rushing at halftime. In comparison, UCF had already rushed for 243 yards and Harvey accounted for 115 yards on 16 carries with three rushing touchdowns in the first 30 minutes.
The Knights tallied two interceptions for the second straight game, as Mac McWilliams and Sheldon Arnoldeach came down with their first interceptions in a UCF uniform.
Quadric Bullard, Nyjalik Kelly and Xe’ree Alexander led the defensive effort each with six tackles. Kelly notched the Knights’ first sack of the season, forced a fumble and had a pass breakup.
UCF returns to action next weekend when the Knights travel to TCU to open Big 12 Conference play. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX from Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:46
The UCF Knights (1-0; 0-0 Big XII) knocked off New Hampshire 57-3 (0-1; 0-0 CAA) in front of a sold-out crowd at FBS Mortgage Stadium Thursday night. As reported by UCF Athletics:
After ranking among the nation’s top 10 in rushing offense the past two seasons, the UCF football program is poised to have another strong year on the ground in 2024. The Knights rushed for 454 yards, the second most in program history, Thursday night en route to a 57-3 victory against New Hampshire in the season opener at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
Additionally, UCF’s 8.4 rushing yards per carry are the second most in a single game in program history. The Black and Gold had eight different players carry the football in the contest with five Knights rushing for at least 40 yards. UCF had 14 rushes of 10 yards or more, headlined by a 60-yard rush from running back RJ Harvey.
“I’m proud of our team. Taking care of business with a convincing win. Looking at the game, I just told the players the thing that stood out to me is only three penalties. We’ve been really focused on not beating ourselves.”GUS MALZAHN UCF FOOTBALL HEAD COACH
In addition to the offense, the Knights’ defense was stellar throughout the contest limiting the Wildcats to just nine first downs. UCF’s aggressive defense forced two interceptions, as linebacker Deshawn Paceswung the momentum in the Knights’ favor early in the second quarter when he jumped in front of Seth Morgan’s pass for his sixth career pick.
Following a pair of Colton Boomer field goals in the first half, Pace nearly recorded a pick six as he was knocked out of bounds at the three-yard line after a 37-yard return. One play later, quarterback KJ Jefferson found the end zone for the Knights’ first touchdown of the season to give UCF a 13-0 lead.
Tabbed as one of the top special teams players in the country by College Football Network last season, Ladarius Tennison raced through the middle of the UNH punt unit to block the attempt and it was recovered by the Wildcats in the endzone for a safety.
From there, the Black and Gold scored 23 points in the second quarter to own a 29-3 lead at halftime behind a pair of rushing TDs from Harvey. The 2024 Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List selection surpassed 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive game dating back to last season and the ninth time in his career. The Orlando native finished with 11 carries for 142 yards, averaging 12.9 yards per rush – second most by an individual in program history.
Following the intermission, UCF forced four consecutive punts to pull away from the Wildcats with 28 points in the third quarter. Making his debut in the Black and Gold, Myles Montgomery notched his first career receiving touchdown on a 49-yard catch from KJ Jefferson. His backfield mate, Peny Boone found the endzone a few minutes with a 59-yard scamper to push the Knights’ advantage to 43-3.
“Defensively, we played a big-time game,” said Malzahn. “I think [Deshawn] Pace’s Interception, that was the one that really turned the game into being able to breathe a little bit. [Ladarius] Tennison had the block punt right there. I mean, he was one of the better special teams players in college football last year, and it showed. Xavier Townsend was big time in the return game.”
Boone had seven rushes for 81 yards and Montgomery logged 77 yards on eight rushes. Johnny Richardsonpitched in with 40 rushing yards and a 22-yard touchdown reception.
Sophomore Antione Jackson came up with the Knights’ second interception of the day and Montgomery quickly turned it into six points for UCF, scoring from 25 yards out. It marked the first time he’s scored a touchdown on the ground and receiving in the same game in his career.
Pace led the defense with five tackles, including three solo, while Braeden Marshall had a great game with four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Mac McWilliams notched four tackles with a TFL.
UCF returns to action at home next weekend when the Sam Houston Bearkats visit Orlando. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. from FBC Mortgage Stadium on ESPN+.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:46
Story and Photo Courtesy UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – “The message for us is simple: We belong.”
UCF men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins made his declaration Jan. 4 prior to the Knights’ Big 12 Conference opener at Kansas State, and in front of a raucous, sellout home crowd Wednesday night, they proved it.
Built upon a second-half surge and stifling efforts on the defensive end, UCF put its new conference on notice, toppling the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks by a 65-60 final score before 9,469 fans at Addition Financial Arena, marking the third largest crowd in program history and the second highest in a regular season game.
The victory ranks among the most prolific in program history, representing the first against a top three nationally-ranked opponent, the second against a top five foe, and the ninth against a squad ranked within the top 25. En route to the team’s upset, the Knights (10-4, 1-1 Big 12), erased a Jayhawks (13-2, 1-1 Big 12) lead that grew to as many as 16 points with 3:45 remaining in the first half.
“It was a great night for UCF. Our guys kept fighting in a game in which they got down early in the first half to a very good Kansas basketball team,” Dawkins said. “I’m proud of the way we fought back with great courage, effort and energy throughout the entire night.”
In the first meeting between the two programs in either’s history, the Knights also notched their first win within Big 12 Conference play and extended a few notable win streaks Dawkins himself owns against Kansas and its head coach, Bill Self.
UCF’s Wednesday effort represented his second win against the Jayhawks as a head coach, joining his triumph over Kansas as the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal March 23, 2014 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Overall, Dawkins improved to 4-0 against the Jayhawks in his career, after he also bested Kansas twice as a player with Duke in the 1985-86 season.
Against Self, Dawkins also improved to 4-0, having previously beaten his now-fellow head coach as an assistant coach with Duke in the tournament’s second round in 1999 when Self was at Tulsa, and in 2000 Dawkins bested Self when the latter was with Illinois as well.
With the two squads trading blows throughout much of the second half, the Knights finally claimed a lead they would not relinquish with 2:57 to play in the final half.
Fifth year forward Ibrahima Diallo grabbed a pass from junior guard Jaylin Sellers just outside the paint and finished a turnaround jumper just moments later, giving his team a 59-57 advantage.
Fellow fifth year CJ Walker, who made his first start for the Knights since March 11, 2022, gave UCF a bit of breathing room with a pair of free throws, and a Sellers layup coupled with two more converted free throw tries from junior guard Darius Johnson iced the Knights’ first win against a top five-ranked opponent since the team prevailed against then-No. 4 UConn by a 68-63 final score Nov. 25, 2011.
The timely shot by Diallo punctuated one of the better all-around games authored by the Saly, Senegal, native, finishing with a season-high 13 points and five total rebounds. The contest marked his highest-scoring effort since he recorded 16 points against California Baptist Nov. 18, 2021 with San Jose State.
“He was great,” Dawkins said of Diallo. “He’s going against arguably the best ‘big’ in college basketball, Hunter Dickinson is a terrific player. For Ibrahima to go toe-to-toe with him and have to battle him in the low post, he did a great job, and I’m proud of the way he stepped up and gave us a huge effort tonight.”
The final sequence, one that saw the Knights outscore the Jayhawks 8-3 and limit Kansas to one field goal in the game’s final 3:23 of play, represented a microcosm of the team’s dominant second half in the face of a daunting opponent.
After entering the final 20 minutes staring up at an eight-point deficit, Sellers, Diallo, Walker and fifth year guard Shemarri Allen combined for UCF’s first 16 points of the half while the team held Kansas to just seven in the first 6:47 of gametime to claim a 45-44 lead.
“We knew we had zone (defense) in our bag,” Dawkins added. “It’s something that we work on and we felt it was timely to play some today. That’s why you saw our guys play it so well, because they’re accustomed to playing it in practice. We were able to stay with it longer because it was effective at times in the second half.”
Johnson followed a Sellers turnaround jumpshot with his second triple of the game, and Omar Payne followed with a dunk on the fastbreak that capitalized on a Johnson steal that built the Knights’ lead to 50-44 with 11:01 to play before the Jayhawks made their final push to narrow the affairs.
UCF began its evening as dominant as it finished, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on the strength of five Sellers points. On the heels of a 12-0 Kansas run, the Knights hung with the visitors thanks to a 7-4 spurt down the stretch and a 10-2 UCF run to conclude the opening 20 minutes that pared the Jayhawks’ 35-19 lead down to 37-29 at the halftime buzzer.
“When they get that type of lead, you start to get knocked back a little bit,” Dawkins continued. “In our timeouts, I was trying to settle them down and stress that we have to take it possession by possession. We talked about working our way back in it in that last four-minute segment, and we were able to do that.”
Sellers paced the team with a game-high 18 points, marking his 11th game with at least 15 points and his 13th game in double figures. Johnson, meanwhile, recorded his third-highest scoring game this season with 17 points, and his sixth with at least 10 points.
UP NEXT
The Knights have a quick turnaround to their next Big 12 test, when the Black and Gold will welcome the No. 18/17 BYU Cougars to Addition Financial Arena Saturday afternoon. Tipoff for the contest is slated for 4 p.m. Jan. 13 and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Watch the video below (courtesy ESPN) to see the UCF students storm the court after beating Kansas on Wednesday night:
