There are two games left in the regular season, and although several of UCF’s season goals may be off the table, that doesn’t mean the Knights are any closer to throwing in the towel.
It’s quite the opposite, in fact, with Saturday’s home finale against Oklahoma State taking on extra meaning.
Not only is it Senior Day, but UCF (4-6, 1-6 Big 12) remains in the hunt for a possible bowl bid if the Knights can defeat the Cowboys and upset No. 12 BYU in Provo, Utah, on Nov. 29.
Coach Scott Frost believes his team has plenty of fight in them to finish on a strong note.
“Hell yeah, we can,” Frost said on winning out. “But it’s this week. This week we’ve got to put our heads down and really prep well and come out and play fast and hard.”
Following UCF’s disappointing 48-9 loss at No. 6 Texas Tech on Saturday, Frost called this week’s game one of the biggest of the season.
“There are a lot of seniors that I’ve only spent about 10 months with, but are great kids and they’re doing things the right way. This can be the last chance to play,” Frost said of Senior Day. “It’s our whole team’s last chance to play a home game together. We need to turn the momentum back in the right direction. It’s a chance to go out and perform better than we did last week, so it’s a big game for us.”
UCF is expected to honor 25 seniors before Saturday’s game, and beating Oklahoma State in the home finale would send those players out with one more home win.
It’s the perfect way to cap off the careers of several veterans, such as offensive linemen Paul Rubelt, Cam Kinnie, Jabari Brooks and Keegan Smith, as well as defensive ends Nyjalik Kelly and Malachi Lawrence and running back Myles Montgomery.
“UCF has changed my life forever for the good,” Montgomery said. “I wasn’t in a really good spot, just mentally and all that. It’s probably the best decision ever made in my life. It changed me for the better and I’m so grateful. I owe UCF my life.”
“It’s definitely going to be emotional,” added Lawrence. “It’s my last game in the Bounce House and in front of all the fans and stuff.”
It was a humbling weekend, one in which UCF was outmatched in just about every category against Texas Tech. The Knights allowed the most points (48) and the most yards (499) to an opponent this season, while struggling to get anything going with a patchwork offense.
While the coaching staff prefers not to blame injuries, the Knights’ roster has been nothing short of the walking wounded over the past month.
There were 15 players listed on last week’s player availability report — the most this season — with 10 of those listed as out for Saturday’s game against Texas Tech. That included quarterbacks Cam Fancher and Jacurri Brown, starting safety Braeden Marshall and starting offensive linemen Carter Miller and Keegan Smith.
Montgomery was a game-time decision, but he didn’t step on the field, still recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in the loss to Houston on Nov. 7.
“I wanted to be out there playing,” said Montgomery, who leads the team with 595 rushing yards. “I didn’t get into this to be a fan. But what I did was lead the best I could and be a good teammate off the field.”
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, has been in freefall throughout most of the season.
5 things learned from UCF’s blowout loss at Texas Tech
The OSU administration fired longtime coach Mike Gundy on Sept. 23 after a disappointing 1-2 start to the season. The Cowboys (1-9, 0-7 Big 12) have since lost six more games under interim coach Doug Meacham.
Their current nine-game losing streak is tied with Purdue for the third-longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision and their 16-game losing streak in the Big 12 is fifth-longest in conference history.
OSU’s struggles don’t diminish the importance of this game.
“It’s the most important [game], more so for the players within the facility,” said linebacker Keli Lawson. “I’ve built great bonds with these guys and they want it. So it falls on me and the other older guys to really get into that mindset in practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.”
For Frost, this will be the third time he’s overseen Senior Day at UCF.
Although things have been a bit different this time around, he has been pleased with the program’s overall direction thus far.
“I really do love my job, and I love being in Orlando,” he said. “I know our players aren’t satisfied with the results so far, but they’re been putting in the work. We’ve got to keep improving here at the end of the season. We need to play better this week than we played last week.”
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.
