UCF Set to Host West Virginia for HomecomingUCF Set to Host West Virginia for Homecoming

UCF Set to Host West Virginia for Homecoming

by Ken Landis
UCF Game Notes Opens in a new window West Virginia Game Notes Opens in a new window Big 12 Conference Notes Opens in a new window Listen on FM 96.9 The Game Opens in a new window

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: TNT, simulcast on truTV and HBO Max
TV Talent: JB Long (PxP), Mike Golic Jr. (Analyst), Lauren Jbara
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Radio Talent: Marc Daniels (PxP), Gary Parris (Analyst), Scott Adams (Sideline)
Spanish Radio: UCFKnights.com, YouTube.com/UCFKnights
Live Stats: click here

Week 8
Orlando, Fla. | Acrisure Bounce House

Week 8

UCF Knights
UCF Knights

3-3 (0-3 Big 12)

VS
West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers

2-4 (0-3 Big 12)

A WIN WOULD...

  • Be better than a loss
  • Be the first win over West Virginia in program history
  • Snap a two-game losing skid on Homecoming; would result in wins in eight of last 10 and 13 of last 18 Homecoming games
  • Avoid three straight seasons with a four-game losing streak

FIRST AND 10

OUTGAINED CINCINNATI IN TOUGH ROAD LOSS
  • The Knights' offense outgained Cincinnati 413-306 in a 20-11 defeat in Ohio.
  • The Bearcats entered the contest with the 15th ranked offense in the nation when it comes total yards, averaging 478.4 yards per game, including an average of 39.2 points per game, a clip that was No. 17 in the nation
  • UCF's defense limited UC to three points in the second half, which tied the fewest Cincy had scored in a half this season since the first half of the 2025 opener vs. Nebraska
  • In his first start since opening night, Cam Fancher earned his fourth career rushing game of 100+ yards, scampering for 108 yards and a touchdown while throwing for 222 yards
  • The UCF defense was on the field for just 7:06 of the second half, limiting Cincinnati to just 109 yards and three first downs over the final two quarters
  • UCF has outgained its opponents in five of the first six games this season; Scott Frost at the helm of UCF was 12-2 entering 2025 and is 3-2 this season
NO FLY ZONE
  • The Knights have the 14th-ranked passing defense in the country, surrendering just 157.5 passing yards per game thus far
  • UCF is tied for third in the Big 12 in fewest passing plays allowed of 20+ yards or more, surrendering just 12; Utah leads the league allowing eight, BYU second with 11, and UCF tied with Arizona, each with 12
  • The Knights rank fifth in the Big 12 in fewest offensive plays allowed of 20+ yards at 17, trailing BYU and Utah (15) and Arizona and Texas Tech (16)
  • The UCF defense held Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels to no passing touchdowns for the first time this season (as of Oct. 4), he entered the contest vs. the Knights as the nation's fifth-most efficient passer
HUNGRY, NOT ANGRY
  • LB Cole Kozlowski following the loss to Cincinnati: "I wouldn’t say anger, more of a hunger. We know how close we are...It’s just the small things, maybe changing the math on one play with more physicality."
  • UCF's defense is hungry to generate turnovers, losing the battle the last three weeks. The Knights are 2-0 this season when committing fewer turnovers and 17-1 under Frost at UCF when doing so, but 2-8 when losing the battle.
  • The Knights defense has been solid even while not winning the turnover battle, ranking third in the Big 12 in passing defense (157.5), fifth in the conference in total defense (305.8) and scoring defense (17.8)
FIRST QUARTER LOCKDOWN
  • UCF and Pitt were the only two FBS programs to hold its opponents scoreless in the first quarter through the first six weeks of 2025. Both teams saw that streak snapped in week seven, each giving up a TD in the first quarter.
  • UCF didn't allow a first-quarter score through the first five games of 2025 and didn't allow a touchdown in the first half of the first three games of the season
  • UCF is still towards the top of the FBS in first quarter defense; Texas Tech, Ohio State and Oklahoma have only allowed three first quarter points while UCF, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati and Pitt have only allowed seven.
  • The Knights have shut out their opponents in 11 of 24 quarters this season
  • Additionally, UCF ranks fourth in the nation in fourth-quarter scoring defense
FLAWLESS START ON FOURTH DOWN
  • UCF started the season a perfect 8-for-8 on fourth downs through the first three games and now sit at 13-for-20 on the season, an impressive 71%
  • Currently, UCF's 13 conversions on fourth down rank third most in FBS
  • The Knights were one of 11 FBS teams that were perfect on fourth down leading up to week five, and had converted the most fourth downs of the perfect teams
NEW VS. NEW
  • The Knights are one of 30 FBS programs that have a new head coach; 28 of which are completely new while the other two were elevated from interim.
  • The Knights have gone unbeaten thus far against teams with new coaches in 2025, beating Jacksonville St. with Charles Kelly, N.C. A&T (FCS) with Shawn Gibbs and North Carolina with Bill Belichick. All games were at home.
  • UCF began the season with four scheduled games vs. teams with new head coaches, but now will have five after Oklahoma State's leadership change.
  • UCF will face West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez (Oct. 18) and Oklahoma State and interm head coach Doug Meacham (Nov. 22), both at home as well.
  • Of the new crop this year, Frost and Rodriguez are the only pair of FBS head coaches to have coached at a school, leave, and return as head coach again.
POINTS SINCE 2017
  • UCF sits seventh in FBS in most points scored since 2017, putting up 3,992
  • UCF's points are the most by a current Big 12 program over that time, the next closest is Texas Tech who sit 19th with 3,520. Other opponents on UCF's schedule this season in the top 25 in points since 2017 include Oklahoma St. (3,510) and North Carolina (3,428), sitting 20th and 24th, respectively.
  • The Black and Gold sit behind Alabama (4,703), Ohio State (4,511), Oklahoma (4,336), Georgia (4,206), Clemson (4,150) and Memphis (4,139)
  • UCF is tied for sixth in points from TDs with Georgia, registering 524
BIG GAIN RUNNING GAME
  • UCF is the only Big 12 team to boast four different players to have 100-yard rushing performances. Jaden Nixon, Myles Montgomery, Jacurri Brown and Cam Fancher have all earned 100+ rushing yards in a game this season.
  • Nixon has three runs of 50+ yards this season. Two of his long runs came in UCF's 68-7 victory over N.C. A&T, ripping off 87- and 66-yard touchdown runs, his third came at Kansas State, a 54-yard TD.
  • Nixon nearly added another, rushing for a 46-yard gain against Kansas
  • Additionally, Montgomery earned two long runs at Kansas State, scampering for 45 yards, his longest rush as a Knight, and later running for 44 yards for his highest career rushing total of 119 yards on 10 carries
CAN'T HOLD OFF KANSAS, UNFAMILIAR OUTCOME
  • UCF jumped out to a 14-0 lead over Kansas in the Knights' 2025 Big 12 home opener, including a 20-14 halftime advantage. A second-half Jayhawks surge resulted in the 27-20 loss. It was just the program's third loss when holding a halftime lead under Frost in his three seasons, now sitting 19-3. After KU and UC losses, UCF is 18-3 when a Frost-led squad surrendered 29 points or less.
  • The Knights' highly rated pass defense was able to hold one of the nation's best passers without a touchdown through the air for the first time this season. Jalon Daniels entered the contest as the nation's fifth most efficient passer.
  • The Knights continued their first quarter dominance on defense, not allowing a score in the first quarter to the Jayhawks who came in with 63 points scored in the first quarter this season, which was tied for third-most in FBS
SPOOKY SEASON
  • UCF is in search of its first win in the month of October since 2022 when the team won three of its four October matchups. The last October victory was Oct. 29, 2022 as UCF beat No. 20/19 Cincinnati 25-21 in Orlando.
  • The October losses of 2023 and 2024 contributed to five-game losing streaks in each of the past two seasons
  • Scott Frost has found success in October and looks to exercise the recent demons in the month; the Knights are 6-4 while Frost is at the helm in Oct.

 ADDITIONAL NOTES

SPIRIT SPLASH/HOMECOMING

  • Spirit Splash is one of the most popular events on campus — and has been voted one of the best college traditions in the nation. Part of Homecoming Week, this wet and wild pep rally invites Knights to charge into the Reflecting Pond and catch collectible rubber ducks and commemorative T-shirts. Other events during the weeklong celebration include Movie Knight, Comedy Knight, Knights Got Talent, Concert Knight, Culture Knight and so much more.
  • Spirt Splash started in 1995 when the SGA president was pushed into the pond by some students at a pep rally at the Reflecting Pond. The rest of the student body followed and a couple of years later, the tradition earned the name “Spirit Splash” and has been going strong ever since.
  • The Homecoming Committee threw out pennants, Frisbees, cups, golf towels and a Knightro doll at the 1997 Spirit Splash. Apparently, one year things weren’t ordered in time and were looking for a substitute to give out that was small enough, not too hard to throw into a crowd, quick to arrive, and cost effective. Cue the rubber ducks. The first duck in the Archives is from 2002.

WINS SINCE 2017

  • The Knights have compiled the most wins since 2017 than anyone in the Big 12 Conference, posting 72 victories from 2017-present. Fellow league mates Cincinnati (70), BYU (69), Utah (68) and Iowa State (66) join the top 25 in wins since 2017.
  • UCF is 16th nationally in wins since the start of the 2017 season. UCF got the streak going by posting 13 wins in 2017, 12 victories in 2018 and 10 in 2019.
  • The Knights slot in among the nation's elite, as Georgia leads the way with 102, followed by Alabama (101), Ohio State (98), Clemson (94), Notre Dame (91), Oklahoma (83), Oregon (82), Michigan (81), Boise State, LSU and Penn State (79), Memphis (78), Appalachian State (76), Texas (74) and Iowa (73). The Knights are ahead of Washington and Army (71), Cincinnati, Louisiana and SMU (70), BYU and Fresno State (69), Utah (68) and Marshall (67) to round out the top 25. UCF also has more wins than Texas A&M, NC State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Miami (FL), Ole Miss and TCU during that time.

About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.