GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
TV Talents: Mike Couzens, Brock Osweiler, Stormy Buonantony
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Radio Talents: Marc Daniels, Gary Parris, Scott Adams
Spanish Radio: UCFKnights.com, YouTube.com/UCFKnights
Live Stats: click here
FIRST AND 10
• UCF and BYU will meet for the first time as conference opponents and the fourth time in the history of the programs Saturday afternoon at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Kickoff is set for a 3:30 p.m. on ESPN with Mike Couzens (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline reporter) on the call.
• The Knights take on a top-15 team in the Associated Press Poll for the second consecutive week, the first time the program has done so during the regular season since 2009 when the Black and Gold played No. 2 Texas and hosted 13th-ranked Houston.
• Saturday’s matchup will feature two of the Big 12 Conference’s best offenses, as UCF leads the league and ranks 14th nationally with 465.6 yards per game while the Cougars are second in the conference and No. 23 in the nation averaging 34.9 points per game.
• The Knights are looking to record a top-15 win for the second consecutive season, after defeating then-No. 15 Oklahoma State 45-3 in the last matchup against a ranked opponent at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
• The Knights have now rushed for 1,962 yards with 19 touchdowns on the ground through the first seven games of the season. The Knights are third in the nation with 280.3 rushing yards per game, which is nearly 40 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Tennessee 241.6).
• UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in 19 of its last 20 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 13 times and 250 plus seven times.
• UCF is tied for the national lead in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 63 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold pace the league and rank seventh nationally in most offensive plays of 20 or more yards with 45.
• Running back RJ Harvey leads the Big 12 and ranks second nationally with 27 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. His 11 rushing touchdowns are the most in the conference and eighth nationally.
• Harvey rushed for 196 yards on 25 carries in last week’s game at ninth-ranked Iowa State to become just the fourth player in UCF history to surpass 3,000 career rushing yards. He now owns 3,105 career yards on the ground to rank sixth among active FBS running backs.
• Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 68 wins, the 13th-most nationally by an FBS program and the most by a team from the state of Florida. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, 9-4 in 2021, 9-5 in 2022 and 6-7 last season. The Knights join Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Michigan, Appalachian State, LSU, Oregon, Penn State and Boise State as the only programs to win at least 68 games since 2017.
A WIN WOULD...
- Give UCF a top-15 win for the second consecutive season after defeating No. 15 Oklahoma State in the last game against a ranked opponent at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
- Give the Black and Gold a ranked win for the third consecutive season.
- Give the Knights their second Big 12 win of the season and first at home.
- Give UCF its 299th all-time win as a program.
- Give UCF head coach Gus Malzahn his first win against BYU in his first meeting against the program.
- Be better than a loss.
SERIES VERSUS BYU
UCF and BYU have met three times in the history of the programs with the most recent matchup on December 22, 2020, in the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. The Cougars jumped out to an early lead in the game behind the play of quarterback Zach Wilson, who was selected second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, en route to a 49-23 victory.
The Knights earned a 31-24 overtime win against BYU in its first trip to FBC Mortgage Stadium on Oct. 9, 2014. UCF rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit behind a pair of Justin Holman touchdown passes and a rushing TD from William Stanback.
BYU leads the all-time series 2-1 with first matchup coming in 2011, a 24-17 loss for the Knights.
MR. 3,000
Running back RJ Harvey became just the fourth Knights running back to surpass 3,000 career rushing yards in Saturday’s game, as the Orlando native now owns 3,105 rushing yards - the fourth most in program history.
Harvey eclipsed the milestone in a big way, as he raced down the field for an 80-yard touchdown run, which is the longest rush by a player in the Big 12 this season.
30 IN A ROW
Wide receiver Kobe Hudson has recorded at least one catch in 30 consecutive games, dating back to the SMU game in 2022, which is tied with Ted Wilson for seventh all-time in UCF history for most consecutive games with a reception.
Hudson recorded his third 100+ yard receiving game against Cincinnati, hauling in seven catches for 114 yards and one touchdown. He had three catches versus Iowa State Saturday.
The Pine Mountain, Georgia, native’s 503 receiving yards this season lead the Knights and rank among the conference’s top 10. Hudson’s 19.4 yards per catch average is the second best in the league and 23rd nationally.
PICK SIX
After recording his first career interception in the Cincinnati game, senior cornerback BJ Adams said following the game that it wouldn’t be his last. He backed up that statement against ninth-ranked Iowa State, as he picked off a pass and raced 63 yards down the field for a pick six.
It marked the Knights’ first interception returned for a touchdown since the 2019 Gasparilla Bowl when Richie Grant tallied a pick six.
WELCOME HOME
UCF has been tough to beat on Homecoming, as the Knights own a 28-13 all-time record in such games. The Black and Gold have won six of their last seven Homecoming Games dating back to the 2017 season. Last season, the Knights came up short against West Virginia 41-28 after defeating No. 20/19 Cincinnati 25-21 in 2022.
UCF owns one of the most unique homecoming traditions in the nation in its Spirit Splash, every year the student body rushes into the reflection pond on campus, reaching to the sky for flying rubber ducks that are thrown out into the crowd by football players, coaches, and other important guests. The national champion UCF cheerleading team, KnightMoves, Knightro, and plenty of other student-athletes are in attendance to get the crowd going year after year on Homecoming Weekend.
FIRST START AT UCF FOR BROWN
Quarterback Jacurri Brown made his first start in a UCF uniform against ninth-ranked Iowa State and nearly led the Knights to the upset. He rushed for a career-high 154 yards, the second most by a UCF quarterback in a single game. His night was highlighted by a 67-yard dash to the end zone in the third quarter to push the Knights’ lead to 28-14 at the time.
In his first extended action at quarterback, Brown completed 13-of-20 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown and rushed 16 times for 84 yards against Cincinnati.
MALZAHN VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
Gus Malzahn-coached teams have been at their best against the toughest competition, as Malzahn has recorded 23 wins against ranked opponents in his 13-year tenure as a head coach. Saturday’s game marks the first ranked opponent that the Knights will play this season.
At UCF, Malzahn is 3-4 versus ranked opponents as the Knights dominated their last home matchup against a ranked foe, taking down then-No. 15 Oklahoma State, 45-3, in the program’s annual space game last season.
2012: 0-2
2013: 5-2
2014: 3-4
2015: 1-3
2016: 2-4
2017: 3-3
2018: 2-3
2019: 3-4
2020: 1-4
2021: 0-1
2022: 2-1
2023: 1-1
2024: 0-1
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
UCF leads the Big 12 Conference and is tied for the nation’s lead in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 63 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold pace the league and rank fourth nationally in most offensive plays of 20 or more yards with 41.
Running back RJ Harvey leads the Big 12 and is tied for second nationally with 27 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. His 11 rushing touchdowns are the most in the conference and eighth nationally.
In addition, the Black and Gold own 24 explosive passing plays of at least 20 yards this season. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson’s 11 receiving plays of at least 20 yards are tied for the second most among league players.
UCF has run 45 plays that have amassed 20+ yards, the most in the Big 12 and tied for the seventh most in the NCAA.
In contrast, UCF’s defense has been strong against the run, allowing just 114.7 rushing yards per game. That mark is second in the Big 12. The Knights have yielded just 21 rushing plays of 10 yards or more - the fewest in the league and 11th-best among FBS programs.