UCF (3-3) vs. West Virginia (2-4), Saturday, 1 p.m., TNT/HBO Max/TruTV
Latest line: UCF is favored by 7 1/2 points
Matt Murschel, UCF Knights writer: UCF 24, West Virginia 20
UCF couldn’t overcome an early double-digit deficit midway through the second quarter at Cincinnati as the Knights lost their third straight game, 20-11, on Saturday. It was the ninth consecutive loss in October, dating back to 2022, and the sixth straight loss to a Big 12 opponent. The Knights continue to deal with injuries at quarterback as Cam Fancher started his second game of the season, the first since the season opener, while Tayven Jackson and Jacurri Brown continued to recover from AC strains. All three are expected to be available this weekend against visiting West Virginia, which is coming off a bye week.
Mike Bianchi, Sports Columnist: UCF 34, West Virginia 17
On the surface this is a game between two struggling teams in the midst of three-game losing streaks, but this is actually a measuring stick matchup for both programs. First-year coaches Scott Frost and Rich Rodriguez are both returning to programs where they enjoyed their greatest coaching success. West Virginia is coming off a bye-week and UCF has home-field advantage, so call that a push. However, UCF’s quarterbacks appear to finally be healthy, the Knights are better offensively and their defense is ranked No. 24 in the country. This should be a relatively easy victory for UCF.
Adam Lichtenstein, College Football writer: UCF 31, West Virginia 17
Aside from a dramatic comeback win against rival Pittsburgh, the Rich Rodriguez sequel at West Virginia looks less like “Empire Strikes Back” and more like it was sent direct-to-video. The Mountaineers are 2-4 and took a shellacking from Utah last weekend, and they are near the bottom of the Big 12 in points per game and points allowed per game. Scott Frost’s second take at UCF hasn’t been perfect so far, but it’s gone better than Rich Rod Part 2 in Morgantown. The Knights, 7 1/2-point favorites, should end their three-game losing streak in front of the home crowd.
