Coach Scott Frost’s much-anticipated return to UCF ran into a hiccup after showers and thunderstorms in the area sent the game into a weather delay against Jacksonville State.
Rain pelted Acrisure Bounce House Stadium two hours before the scheduled 7 p.m. kickoff. The impending weather forced the team to move up Knight Walk by 15 minutes as players and coaches hustled into the stadium amid a smattering of fans.
The game kicked off on time, but with 10:45 left in the second quarter, officials paused the game after lightning was spotted within 8 miles of the stadium. The game was scoreless at the time with UCF holding the ball.
UCF officials say the game will resume after it has been 30 minutes with no lightning within 8 miles of the stadium and both teams have been provided an opportunity to warm up.
Last season’s opener against New Hampshire was impacted by weather, too.
This is Frost’s first game back at UCF since leaving to take the Nebraska job at the end of the 2017 season. He coached the Knights to a 34-27 win over No. 7 Auburn in the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, capping off a perfect 13-0 season.
This was Frost’s first game as a head coach since Nebraska fired him on Sept. 11, 2022.
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.orlandosentinel.com/2025/08/28/ucf-knights-jacksonville-state-football-scott-frost/

