CINCINNATI — From UCFast to UCFrustrating.
Any hopes of UCF discovering its offensive groove towards Cincinnati rapidly went out the window as penalties and missed alternatives despatched the Knights to their third straight defeat, a 20-11 loss to the Bearcats on Saturday.
It was the sixth straight Huge 12 loss for UCF (3-3, 0-3 Huge 12) and the ninth consecutive loss in October for this system. The final win got here towards then-No. 20 Cincinnati, 25-20 on Oct. 29, 2022.
The Knights tied a season-high with 10 penalties, didn’t convert on a pair of 4th downs and had been 4 of 12 on third downs, spelling an ideal recipe for catastrophe.
Cam Fancher began the sport at quarterback rather than Tayven Jackson, who was knocked out of final week’s recreation towards Kansas. It was Fancher’s second begin of the season after he began the season opener towards Jacksonville State.
Jackson changed him because the second quarterback after he was knocked out of the sport with an obvious again damage.
On the opening possession, Fancher guided the Knights into Cincinnati territory, however on a 4th-and-2 on the Bearcats’ 41, the redshirt senior was stopped in need of the marker, turning the ball over to UC.
4 performs later, Brendan Sorsby linked with a wide-open Jeff Caldwell, who was streaking down the left facet for a 40-yard landing. This marked the primary factors surrendered by the Knights within the first quarter this season.
UCF getting one thing occurring its subsequent possession, however a 35-yard completion from Fancher to Duane Thomas Jr. was nullified by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty. That was adopted by a false begin penalty that backed the Knights up 20 yards.
Fancher discovered DJ Black down the center of the sphere for 19 yards, however Black fumbled the soccer and Cincinnati’s Jiquan Sanks recovered it. The Bearcats weren’t capable of convert on the takeaway.
UCF’s protection held robust for probably the most half within the first half, however on a vital Third-and-16 deep in Cincinnati territory, cornerback DJ Bell was known as for cross interference, giving the Bearcats a contemporary set of downs.
UC took benefit, marching down the sphere earlier than Sorsby discovered Caldwell within the endzone once more for a 9-yard landing and a 14-0 lead with 12:12 left within the first half.
Cincinnati put collectively one other spectacular drive and appeared to cap issues off with an obvious landing, however a holding penalty resulted in a Stephen Rusnak 32-yard discipline purpose as a substitute.
In the meantime, the Knights struggled to get something going offensively within the second quarter, totaling simply 48 yards. The lone spotlight was a 45-yard discipline purpose by Noe Ruelas late within the first half to chop the UC benefit to 17-3.
UCF put collectively what had all of the makings of being its finest offensive possession of the sport, marching down the sphere on a 17-play drive that took greater than 9 minutes off the clock, however didn’t convert on a Third-and-27 and had been compelled to punt.
Rusnak added a 24-yard discipline purpose initially of the fourth quarter for Cincinnati (5-1, 3-0 Huge 12).
UCF saved the most effective for final, driving 90 yards on a season-high 19 performs as Fancher dove in for a 3-yard landing — his first as a Knight. His 2-point conversion cross to Chris Domercant reduce the result in 20-11.
Fancher completed with greater than 300 yards of complete offense, together with a season-high 102 speeding yards. It was his first 100-yard speeding efficiency since main Marshall to a 35-21 win over Arkansas State on Nov. 25, 2023.
Please discover me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Electronic mail: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Join the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly publication for a roundup of all our UCF protection.
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