UCF is eager to rebound following a disappointing 34-20 defeat against Kansas State last Saturday. This marked the first loss of the season for the Knights, who have suffered four consecutive setbacks against Big 12 opponents, dating back to last year.
But there is no time to dwell on the past. UCF is gearing up for Kansas’ (2-2, 1-1 Big 12) inaugural visit to Acrisure Bounce House Stadium on Saturday, which will serve as UCF’s Big 12 home opener.
What’s the status of the quarterbacks?
The Knights left Manhattan battered and bruised, particularly at quarterback.
Starter Tayven Jackson sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder after landing awkwardly on his side when pressured by Kansas State defensive end Cody Stufflebean in the second quarter. He briefly exited the game, even changing into street clothes and a sling, but eventually donned his uniform again and returned to play in the second half.
Backup Jacurri Brown also suffered a sprained AC joint after taking a late hit in the first half. He managed to come back for a short stretch in the second half before being replaced by Jackson.
Coach Scott Frost said the status of both players heading into this week’s showdown with the Jayhawks remains undetermined.
“That’s kind of TBD,” Frost said on Monday. “I’ve got to see how they operate this week. It’s great that we have Cam [Fancher] ready to go again, too. So, we’ll figure that out as we go along.”
Fancher began the season as UCF’s starting quarterback against Jacksonville State, but left the game in the second quarter with a lower-body injury. He was replaced by Jackson, who led the Knights to a 17-10 win and started the next three games against North Carolina A&T, North Carolina and Kansas State.
Fancher returned to practice two weeks ago, but hasn’t seen any action.
UCF aims to bounce back after first loss, avoid repeat of past struggles
“I know he can play and he can play well,” said Frost. “Just like a lot of positions, we play the guy that gives us the best chance to win.”
Transfer Davi Belfort and Brock Hansel are also available to provide depth at the position.
Did anyone choose to opt out?
The NCAA’s redshirt rule allows any Division I player to opt out after participating in four games, thus preserving an additional year of eligibility.
UCF completed its fourth game on Saturday, and fortunately for the Knights, no player has expressed a desire to sit out the remainder of the season, as noted by Frost.
“I love the culture of this team and the attitude of this team,” he said.
Following the team’s defeat to Colorado last season, six players from UCF decided to redshirt, planning to transfer afterward. Among those players are several key starters, including wide receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer.
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Frost indicated that there may be a few players that the coaching staff would redshirt to save a year.
“We’re going to be smart with some guys,” Frost explained. “If they’re not playing a major role, we may try to save their year for them, but I don’t think we have too many of those.”
How has kicker Noe Ruelas fared?
Noe Ruelas connected on a season-long 53-yard field goal late in the third quarter during Saturday’s game against the Wildcats. It was the first of two kicks by the redshirt senior in the game.
Ruelas has connected on 7 of 8 (87.5%) field goal attempts and 15 of 16 (93.8%) extra points this season.
“It’s always a comfort when you have a kicker that you believe in,” said Frost. “It’s good to have a guy that can hit those kinds of kicks.”
Frost said the offense needs to be better and avoid negative plays and sacks, especially when the Knights are in field goal range.
Will Knights pick up the pace on offense?
UCF chose to play at a slower tempo in an effort not to wear down the Knights’ defense against a run-oriented team like Kansas State.
“Our plan going in was to try to keep the defense off the field and it completely went the other way on us,” said Frost. “The defense played well for a long stretch of that game. We just left them on the field too long and gave them opportunities that we didn’t have.”
The Wildcats had two 10-play drives in the first half that consumed more than 10 minutes off the clock. Meanwhile, UCF punted on its first three possessions, including a 3-and-out that took less than 1:38 off the clock.
“It all comes down to little better execution on offense. We’ve got to keep some drives going and give ourselves chances to call more plays that eventually hit.”
How do the Knights plan to keep receivers fresh?
Frost was obviously concerned about the fatigue that seemed to be affecting UCF’s receivers during the second half against Kansas State.
On Monday, he suggested that the Knights could benefit from expanding their rotation.
“We need to probably keep bringing some young guys along, give them more opportunities to play and keep guys fresher toward the end of the game,” he said. “We’ve got some young guys with a lot of talent, so we need them to step up, but we’ve also got to give them that opportunity.”
Five receivers have at least one catch this season, led by Duane Thomas Jr. (16 catches, 203 yards) and DJ Black (10 catches, 187 yards).
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.
