As UCF prepares to face Baylor on Saturday, there are plenty of analytics the Knights can study to defeat the Bears. But perhaps the most glaring number is the program’s record on the road since joining the Big 12.
UCF is 3-10 away from the friendly confines of the Acrisure Bounce House Stadium since 2023 and the Knights are currently mired in a six-game road losing streak.
The last road win was a 35-34 win at TCU on Sept. 14.
“We just need to take a step back and relax, take a deep breath and just be us,” said quarterback Tayven Jackson. “We need to execute better on the road. Pre-snap penalties kill us on the road. That’s one thing that we’re working on this week.”
The Knights have been flagged 16 times in their two road games; six of those penalties were of the pre-snap variety.
“We made a couple of adjustments at Cincinnati and I thought we played well to start the game,” said coach Scott Frost. “The energy was there and the focus of the players was good. We just had our chances with explosive plays on offense, didn’t make them, and gave up a couple of plays on defense. You win or lose the game based on how your preparation is early in the week.”
This is the program’s first-ever visit to McLane Stadium, a 45,000-seat venue in Waco, Texas.
“We’ve all got to stay together as a team, because it’s going to be loud over there,” added defensive tackle John Walker. “We just need to stay together as a team and believe in what our coaches are telling us and execute those calls.”
How has recruiting gone for the Knights?
While most of the Knights spent the open week resting up, the downtime afforded coaches the chance to hit the recruiting trail.
UCF’s 2026 recruiting class ranks 79th nationally according to 247Sports’ composite rankings with 13 commitments.
UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson rested, ready to lead Knights against Baylor
“We’re kind of finding our way through this new environment and how we want to approach high school recruiting,” said Frost. “We’re recruiting kids from a lot of places, but there are a lot of kids right here, near us, in Florida and Central Florida, who are good enough to help us win. Those are the kind of kids we need in the program.”
While high school recruiting remains a crucial part of the program-building for the Knights, there is also a delicate balance that must be maintained with the transfer portal.
“You can’t go all transfer portal, or you don’t have much loyalty or people you’re developing in the program,” added Frost. “If you go all-in on high school, you’re going to be really young and probably not ready to compete. So there’s got to be a balance there. We’re navigating it the best we can.”
The early signing period runs from Dec. 3-5.
Has the receiving unit shown improvement?
Receiver was a position of concern for the Knights entering this season, with the group returning zero yards from last season. So far, the unit has made significant strides on the field with five players recording at least 10 catches, led by Duane Thomas Jr. (30 catches) and DJ Black (17).
A dozen players had at least one catch in UCF’s 45-13 win against West Virginia on Oct. 18. It was the second consecutive game where at least 10 players made a catch.
“The last game we really took a step in making explosive plays and buying into who we are and into our identity,” Jackson said. “We have a lot of guys on the outside who can make plays, young guys that are showing great promise for the future. We’ve just got to keep rolling. We’ve got to execute better, play faster and play more physical.”
UCF’s revamped roster showcases size with defensive focus in ‘physical’ Big 12
How has the defensive front survived a rash of injuries?
The loss of defensive tackle Horace Lockett and defensive end Sincere Edwards to season-ending injuries has tested UCF’s front line. So far, the Knights have responded well, with the unit recording six of the team’s eight sacks against West Virginia two weeks ago.
“We’ve had some other guys step up and do some pretty good things,” said Frost. “We had to pretty much completely rebuild this roster and one of the things we did pretty well at was giving ourselves some depth, and that depth has paid off at a few different positions, with the D-line being one of them.”
Derrick LeBlanc, R.J. Jackson Jr., Isaiah Nixon, Jamal Johnson and Rodney Lora have stepped in to help provide a lift. At the same time, starters Malachi Lawrence, Nyjalik Kelly and John Walker have taken on more snaps.
“Luckily, we have depth,” said Walker. “We’ve got Derrick LeBlanc to step up in the D-tackle position when Horace went down. Derek is making a big impact for us right now, and I’m happy for him.”
How is the overall health of the team?
The open week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Knights, who were banged up coming out of the West Virginia win.
While Frost was optimistic that players such as fifth-year senior offensive tackle Paul Rubelt (ankle) and redshirt senior receiver Marcus Burke would be ready to go against Baylor on Saturday, that doesn’t appear to be the case for redshirt freshman running back Stacy Gage.
“Stacy had surgery and we’re going to be without him for a while,” said Frost. “I don’t know the timetable on that yet.”
With true freshman Taevion Swint already out for the season with an injury, the 5-foot-11, 211-pound Gage has picked up some carries as part of a rotation with Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon.
Freshman Agyeman Addae and walk-on Tyler Wren have been used sparingly.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
