UCF hits the road for the second time this season as the Knights travel to Cincinnati for the first time since 2023.

The Orlando Sentinel spoke with Scott Springer of the Cincinnati Enquirer to gain a deeper understanding of the Bearcats. Here is an edited version of that conversation:

What’s stood out about Cincinnati’s season so far?

Scott Springer: “The biggest thing is that they’re winning games that in past years they would have lost because if you go back to the first year, they started 2-0 and then finished 3-9. That was a disappointment after a 2-0 start. Last year, they got off to a 5-2 start, beating Arizona State, which turned out to be a pretty good team, but then lost five straight and finished 5-7, failing to make a bowl game.

“This year, many people were hesitant, and then the tough game at Nebraska was really a pass away from winning. The last two games have shown that this team may be different, as evidenced by their trip to Kansas and the fact that there’s 1:45 left. They’re down by four. They need a touchdown, not a field goal, and score the touchdown and go on to win — the following week, Iowa State’s very good. There’s a reason they were ranked, and they remain ranked, but Cincinnati was beating them 31-7. Iowa State closes in, as you would expect them to do, but 38-30, you win the game instead of finding a way to lose it.

“That’s the big difference. The guys are playing with a lot of confidence.”

How impressive was the Bearcats’ win over Iowa State last week?

Springer: “It’s very impressive because the good teams find ways to win those games. They don’t drop games like that. So they got out quickly, punched them in the mouth, and held on to the lead, adding a touchdown late when they needed it. Iowa State had not been scored on in the fourth quarter since its opening game in Dublin and Iowa State had only trailed for like 28 seconds of the season, where in this game, they trailed the entire game.”

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What has been the difference for quarterback Brendan Sorsby?

Springer: “The extra experience and the confidence that you have and they brought in some new receivers who are a little bit faster. A guy like Caleb Goodie, who can run underneath the ball and bring it down. Jeff Caldwell has a tall target out there at his disposal. He’s 6-5 and has some crazy broad jump that the NFL Combine would have gone crazy over. Someone said 11-feet, 9-inches. That’s pretty nuts. Cyrus Allen’s been a very reliable guy. He was at Texas A&M. So they’ve got guys that can run and catch.”

Who else should UCF pay special attention to?

Springer: “On the defensive end, you’re going to look at Dante Corleone, who’s back and played last week. He did miss the Kansas game. He wasn’t quite 100% last year, but he had a blood clot issue during the summer and was held back. He missed all of the summer training camp, so he wasn’t quite 100% at the start of the season, but this year he’s been 100%. However, he then tweaked an ankle in the second game, and they got him back on the field. He’s just a special player. If you look at the stats, you’re saying, I don’t see what he does, but what he does is push offensive linemen back into the backfield. He’s disruptive, which allows the other guys to come in and do some things. So he may not get a ton of sacks or tackles, but there are usually two guys on him, if not more.”

What do you see as a challenge for Cincinnati against UCF?

Springer: “It’s kind of like last year, where you don’t really know who the quarterback is. Maybe UCF doesn’t know either. Last year, they were planning for [KJ] Jefferson, and then they started [EJ] Colson, followed by Jacurri Brown, who came in and actually played a pretty good game. Tayven Jackson is a former teammate of Brendan Sorsby at Indiana, so they are familiar with each other, and I’m unsure if he’ll play or not. Cam Fancher is right up the road in Dayton at Huber Heights and Wayne High School. They have differences, similarities. I think they expect all of them to be on the run because UCF has run the ball pretty well. Myles Montgomery returns to Cincinnati, where he had a couple of 100-yard games. I know he’s had back-to-back 100-yard games for the Knights and he’s a tough runner.”

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.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/10/09/ucf-knights-five-questions-about-cincinnati-bearcats/