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Boomer’s Late Field Goal Lifts UCF Past Boise State, 18-16

by Justin Wilson
Box Score

BOISE, Idaho – Just when sophomore kicker Colton Boomer may have thought that his day couldn’t get any better, after he set a career best with a 50-yard field goal only to surpass it a few minutes later with a 55-yard field goal to tie the program record, it got even better. With three seconds remaining in the game, Boomer and the field goal unit took the field in hopes of sending the Knights home victorious and they did just that.

After a perfect snap from Gage King and a perfect hold from Mitch McCarthy, Boomer split the uprights for the fourth time on the day with a 40-yard field goal to lift UCF to an 18-16 road victory against Boise State Saturday afternoon at Albertsons Stadium. The Knights accomplished something no other team had accomplished since 2001, as it was the first time in 22 years that the Broncos lost their home opener.

One of the toughest venues in college football, the loss was only Boise State’s 16 at home since 2000, which is the second-best winning percentage in the nation.

“What a big-time, quality win for our program on the road. It was hard-earned. Looking back, we have a lot of things that we need to correct. Hats off to Boise State, Coach [Andy] Avalos’ team played with unbelievable effort and the crowd was unbelievable.”

Gus MalzahnUCF Football Head Coach

Determined to leave Idaho with a win, UCF was unphased after Boise State scored with 1:49 on the clock in the fourth quarter to take a 16-15 lead and the Knights marched down the field to set up the game-winner. The Black and Gold ran nine plays and moved the ball 58 yards before turning it over to their stellar kicker. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee opened the drive with a 10-yard run before connecting with tight end Alec Holler and wide receiver Kobe Hudson on a pair of big passing plays.

Four consecutive runs put the Knights right where they wanted to be and Malzahn watched next to the official as the clock ran down to three seconds before taking a timeout. UCF players and fans anxiously awaited the snap and to their delight, Boomer remained perfect on the night and logged the first game-winner of his collegiate career.

For the second consecutive game, the Knights scored first as UCF moved to 15-2 under Malzahn when accomplishing the feat. The Knights had no problem moving the ball offensively, as the squad surpassed 500 yards of total offense in consecutive games for the first time since the Boise State and Bethune-Cookman games in 2021.

Defensively, UCF had eight tackles for loss and two sacks to limit the Broncos to just 16 points without a trip to the red zone.

Hudson and Plumlee connected early and often in the game, as Hudson reeled in a 49-yard pass on the first play of the game. The Pine Mountain, Georgia, native logged a career-high with 134 yards on five catches to lead the receiving core.

Plumlee finished the game 16-for-24 with 272 passing yards and a pair of unfortunate interceptions, as his passes bounced off the receivers’ hands before they were intercepted. He also led the rushing attack with 11 carries for 73 yards, while RJ Harvey added 15 for 70 yards with a touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jason Johnson tallied eight tackles and Tre’Mon Morris-Brash logged four stops, including three tackles for loss with a sack.

The Knights return to action at home next weekend when they host Villanova at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.