TULSA, Okla. – The UCF football team lost its third road game of the season on Friday night, falling to Tulsa by a score of 34-31 in an American Athletic Conference contest at Chapman Stadium. The Knights dropped to 7-3 on the season and 4-2 in league play with the defeat.
Leading 28-17 at halftime, UCF was unable to find the end zone in the final 30 minutes of action, allowing the Golden Hurricane to come back for the three-point win, just their third of the 2019 season.
Tulsa took advantage of three UCF turnovers, all coming in the second half, to score touchdowns on drives of 50 yards in the third quarter and 63 in the fourth, before kicking what ended up as the game-winning 23-yard field goal with 5:09 to play in the game.
The 34 points were the second most the Knights have given up this season, trailing only the 35 given up on the road to Pittsburgh, and it marked the first time this season that UCF failed to score a touchdown in a half of football.
UCF outgained Tulsa 457-353, but the Knights committed 120 yards o penalties to just 55 for the Golden Hurricane.
Both Zach Smith and back-up quarterback Seth Boomer threw touchdown passes in the win for Tulsa and neither turned the ball over.
Dillon Gabriel went 23-of-38 for 290 yards and a touchdown, but threw two interceptions, his third time throwing multiple picks in a game. All three have been road losses for the Knights.
Gabriel Davis had six catches for 98 yards and eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season in the game, while Adrian Killins Jr. rushed for 97 yards on 10 carries, scoring once. Bentavious Thompson also scored on the ground, and Otis Anderson rushed for one score and caught a touchdown in the defeat.
UCF has a bye next week before returning to action at Tulane on Nov. 23. The Knights finish off the regular season at home against South Florida.
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