2025 Football Season Recap

Those were the words of UCF football head coach Scott Frost at the conclusion of his opening statement at his introductory press conference in December 2024. The press conference, which reintroduced the head coach who was responsible for UCF’s lone perfect season in program history, was packed to the brim. Fans, former players, media, staff members and more were in attendance, drawn in by memories of what once was and hope for what could be again.

That perfect season, a 13-0 run in 2017 concluding with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Auburn, is what powered UCF onto the national stage. The magical 2017 run didn’t just happen out of nowhere though, as it took a great deal of work to build back from the 0-12 season in 2015. Frost’s first season at UCF was a 6-7 finish in 2016, hardly the stuff of banners and trophies, but was the necessary step before the leap that followed. Before UCF rose, it had to rebuild.

Fast forward a handful of years and Frost is once again the head coach of UCF. That is about the only thing that remained the same, as the 2025 season was set to be the team’s third campaign in the Big 12 Conference in an ever-changing landscape of college football.

The first step in taking that next step Frost mentioned in his introductory presser was year one of his second stint at the helm of the Knights. The 2025 season was not the destination, but an opportunity to gather information. It was the beginning of the next ascent, the first mile of a longer journey.

The Knights welcomed 63 new players to a roster of 112, that’s over half a team of new players, as UCF looked to improve upon a 4-8 campaign in 2024. Rebuilding is not the same as standing still. Even in a season defined by transition, flashes of what UCF could become began to reappear. They surfaced in the growth of new players making strides and a locker room learning how to compete together. The groundwork for what’s next was poured in 2025 and resulted in an additional win compared to the 2024 slate. The 2025 season won’t be remembered for the final record at season’s end, but rather the moments that gave us a glimpse of what lies ahead and the players that performed at a high level in doing so.

Below are a collection of 12 moments, players and milestones to remember from UCF's third season as members of the Big 12. To jump to a particular moment, select it from the menu below.

1. Topping the Tar Heels

A highly anticipated game for many reasons, UCF and UNC finally met on the gridiron after the two previous scheduled meetings were cancelled. As Frost's first run as UCF's head football coach was set to get started, UCF and UNC agreed to a home-and-home which was announced Aug. 10, 2016. The first scheduled meeting was set to be in Chapel Hill in 2018, but with Hurricane Florence bearing down on the Carolinas, the game was canceled. UCF was set to host UNC in 2020, but the ACC implemented a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, canceling the contest.

In 2025, Frost was back as the head coach, and lined up opposite his former mentor, Bill Belichick. Frost was a defensive back in the NFL for the New York Jets during the 1998 and 1999 seasons while Belichick was the defensive coordinator.

UCF jumped out to a quick 7-0 start with a 13-play, 75-yard march. UNC’s opening drive saw Horace Lockett swat a pass at the line of scrimmage which was snagged out of the air by Nyjalik Kelly. His first career interception led to another three points for the Black and Gold, taking a 10-0 lead on the first two drives. Minutes later, Noe Ruelas added another field goal, going up 13-0. The defense was dominant in the opening half, keeping the Tar Heels out of UCF territory until just 7:30 remained in the second quarter. When UNC finally threatened, advancing to the Knights’ 12-yard line, the secondary held firm. Defensive back Braeden Marshall intercepted a tipped pass by Jayden Bellamy to deny the Tar Heels again. A touchdown drive in the final minute of the first half put UCF up 20-3, allowing UCF to coast to a 34-9 victory.

UCF will visit Chapel Hill in 2027 for the return game in the home-and-home agreement.

2. Malachi Lawrence

A Knight from the beginning of his career to its conclusion, Lawrence left his mark in Orlando. He finished his career at No. 10 on UCF’s all-time sack leaderboard, compiling 20. He passed Keenan Wimbley who compiled 19 from 1984-87 and was 0.5 away from tying Emil Ekiyor (1992-95) for ninth place.

Lawrence earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Conference First Team, giving UCF four First Team honorees in its three seasons in the league. Additionally, he earned consideration for the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year for his efforts on the campaign. The Louisville, Ky. native was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2023.

Lawrence is one of four players who recorded five or more sacks in each of the last three seasons, joining CJ Nunnally IV (Akron, Purdue), David Bailey (Stanford, Texas Tech) and Isaiah Smith (SMU). Lawrence finished the campaign with career-high marks of 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles, all while adding a team-high seven sacks to the resume.

3. Closed the Country Roads

UCF’s homecoming victory was one to remember as the Knights posted an impressive 45-13 victory over West Virginia. The Black and Gold jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first and led 14-7 at halftime. The contest quickly changed into a blowout as UCF posted three third quarter touchdowns. The Knights dominated both sides of the ball in the second half, earning the program’s first victory over the Mountaineers in five tries.

The Black and Gold posted 578 yards of offense in the win, the 11th 500+ yard performance by a Frost-led UCF team and the sixth highest over his combined three years at the helm. The Knights’ two first half touchdowns saw Tayven Jackson link up on 40-and-34-yard passes, both to Chris Domercant. Jaden Nixon reached paydirt, capping a nine-play, 92-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown to open the second half scoring. The ensuing West Virginia possession saw Nyjalik Kelly force a fumble that was scooped up by Keli Lawson for a touchdown. The onslaught continued as Nixon ripped off an 83-yard rushing touchdown, earning a tie for the sixth-longest rush from scrimmage in program history. A 51-yard field goal from Noe Ruelas and a rushing touchdown from Davi Belfort concluded the Knights’ high-scoring affair.

UCF’s defense tallied up eight sacks against West Virginia, the most since recording nine against Eastern Kentucky Oct. 14, 2000. The Knights have recorded seven or more sacks just four times since becoming FBS members in 1996.

4. Remarkable Ruelas

Noe Ruelas orchestrated one of the best seasons for a UCF kicker in the program’s history. A trio of 50+ yard field goals marked the first time in the Knights’ FBS tenure a kicker has done so in a single season. UCF Hall of Famer Scott Ryerson is the only one to make more in a single campaign, hitting four from 50+ in 1981. Ruelas banged home a 54-yarder against Houston, tying his career long. He also had makes from 53 at Kansas State and 51 against West Virginia.

Ruelas made 11 straight field goals at one point during the campaign, earning a tie for the fourth-longest streak in program history. His string of consecutive makes started against N.C. A&T Sep. 6 and lasted until Nov. 1 at Baylor.

The West Hartford, Conn. native earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Third Team and was named Honorable Mention for the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year. Ruelas earned a Lou Groza semifinalist nod, securing one of 20 slots distributed by the award. He finished the season going 15-for-17 on field goals, earning the best field goal percentage in the Big 12 at 88.2%.

5. Comeback Victories

The Knights earned a pair of comeback wins this season, bookending the home slate with some thrilling finishes.

In a game that stretched across more than five hours, two quarterbacks, and a two-hour, seven-minute weather delay, the Knights defeated a determined Jacksonville State squad to open the second Scott Frost era with a gutsy 17-10 victory. After the rain delay occurred in the middle of the second quarter, the two sides went into the halftime locker rooms scoreless thanks to Keli Lawson blocking a field goal before the break. The first touchdown wasn’t scored until there were 12 minutes left on the clock, giving Jacksonville State a 10-3 lead. A 40-yard touchdown to Dylan Wade tied the scoring with 9:30 to play before the game-winning drive saw Tayven Jackson link up with DJ Black over the middle with a minute remaining.

UCF found itself down 14-0 at halftime in the home regular season finale against Oklahoma State. The second half was an entirely different story though as UCF posted 17 unanswered points to earn the 17-14 victory. The Black and Gold held the Cowboys to just 27 yards in the final half, paving the way for the offense to get into a rhythm. The Knights came out of halftime with a bang as Jackson found Wade for an 83-yard touchdown on the first play of the third quarter. UCF evened the score with another strike to Wade with 9:12 remaining. Wade, who was having a career night, caught a 50-yard pass on what ended up being the game-winning drive. Ruelas punched through a 34-yard field goal with 57 seconds for the first game-winning kick of his career.

6. Dylan the Difference Maker

Tight end Dylan Wade had a record-setting season when it came to performing at his position. He hauled in 43 catches for 523 yards and five touchdowns on the campaign, all career highs. Those numbers also stand as the most for a UCF tight end in a single season in the program’s history. His five receiving touchdowns led the Knights’ receiving core while hauling in the second most yards on the team.

Wade posted the most impressive stat line of his career in UCF's 17-14 comeback win over Oklahoma State, hauling in a pair of touchdowns on four catches for 145 yards. One catch was an 83-yard touchdown reception on the first play after halftime, the longest reception of his career and tied for the sixth-longest reception in UCF's history.

He earned an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention nod at season’s end, finishing the year strong by posting four of his five touchdowns over the final three contests.

7. No Fly Zone

Statistically, UCF had one of its best passing defenses in its FBS history in 2025. The Knights defense allowed just 185.1 yards per game through the air in 2025, the third lowest clip since the Black and Gold became an FBS program in 1996 and the lowest since the 2001 season. UCF allowed just 13 passing touchdowns, eight less than the 2024 campaign. Following the slate of conference championship games, UCF sat third in the Big 12 and 25th in the nation in passing yards allowed, as well as fourth in the conference in total defense.

8. Dunnam Dazzles in Space Game

Speaking of no-fly zones, Phillip Dunnam grounded the Houston aerial attack single handedly, snagging three interceptions on Nov. 7 in the Space Game. It was the first time in program history that a Knight had hauled in three picks in a single game.

Entering the contest, Houston quarterback Connor Weigman had only thrown four interceptions all season. Dunnam nearly doubled the opposing quarterback’s tally, snagging a trio of picks in UCF’s Space Game. It earned Dunnam a nod as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.

Dunnam’s first interception of the evening put an end to a Houston drive that reached the UCF 28-yard line, keeping the Cougars off the board in the first quarter. His second pick resulted in points for the Knights, returning the interception for 43 yards and a touchdown, putting UCF up 24-14 near the end of the first half.

At halftime, Dunnam had become the first player to earn multiple interceptions in a single game since Demari Henderson did so in the 2023 Space Game against Oklahoma State. Dunnam wasn’t done just yet though. After Houston tied the game at 24-24 and got the ball back, the senior defensive back etched his name in the record books by snaring his third interception towards the end of the third quarter. His third pick resulted in three points for the Knights, putting them back up 27-24.

Dunnam is one of 13 instances that a Big 12 player has tallied three interceptions in a single game since 1996.

9. Nixon Posts Video Game Numbers vs. N.C. A&T

Jaden Nixon posted an unreal stat line in UCF’s second game of the season against North Carolina A&T, chewing up 156 yards on the ground while earning pair of touchdowns on just four carries in the 68-7 victory. The performance earned him a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week nod.

His evening started with a bang. Before even getting a carry, Nixon returned the opening kickoff 96 yards to the house for UCF’s first kickoff return since Mike Hughes’ famous 2017 return against South Florida.

His two runs that went the distance were 87- and 66-yard touchdowns. The 87-yard score tied the third longest rush from scrimmage in program history. When the dust settled, Nixon accounted for 252 all-purpose yards and 18 points. The performance was one of 19 in which a Knight has scored 18 points or more in a game since the start of the 2016 season. The last UCF player to tally over 250 all-purpose yards was wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe, who tallied 251 in the Gasparilla Bowl against Florida on Dec. 23, 2021, chalking up 56 kick return yards, 110 rushing yards and 85 receiving yards.

Nixon’s 252 all-purpose yards tied him for ninth in a single game in UCF history.

10. 300th Victory in First Frost 2

UCF earned its 300th victory in program history in the season opening 17-10 win over Jacksonville State. It took the Knights 542 games to reach the mark, making them the second-fastest of the Power 4 teams in Florida (Florida State, 479; UCF, 542; Miami, 552; Florida, 560). Additionally, it made UCF the seventh-fastest to reach that mark out of members in the Big 12 Conference (Arizona, 463; Utah, 466; Colorado, 483; Arizona State, 494; West Virginia, 501; TCU, 526; UCF, 542; Kansas and Texas Tech, 547; Baylor, 560; Houston, 574; BYU, 598; Cincinnati, 604; Iowa State, 661; Oklahoma State, 673; Kansas State, 815).

After posting the best two-year turnaround in the recent history of college football back in 2016 and 2017, the second first game of Scott Frost's UCF career resulted in a victory, beating Jacksonville State 17-10. The Knights' Tayven Jackson tossed a 33-yard strike to DJ Black near the endzone on 3rd and 9 with 1:03 left to play for the game-winning touchdown. In three season openers under Frost, UCF has shut out its opponent in seven of 12 possible quarters. Frost improved to 3-0 in openers as a Knight.

11. 5-0 in New vs. New Games

The Knights finished 2025 a perfect 5-0 against teams with new or interim coaches. Frost, a head coach in his first year in his new stint with UCF, topped other coaches in their first year at Jacksonville St./Charles Kelly, N.C. A&T (FCS)/Shawn Gibbs, North Carolina/Bill Belichick and West Virginia/Rich Rodriguez and interim Doug Meacham/Oklahoma State. All games were at home and decided by a margin of 181-53. UCF was one of 30 FBS teams that started 2025 with a new head coach; 28 of which are completely new while the other two were elevated from interim. Of the new crop in 2025, Frost and Rodriguez were the only pair of FBS head coaches to have coached at a school, leave, and return as head coach again.

At the time of publishing this season recap, the Knights are slated to play two programs with new head coaches in 2025, hosting Iowa State and visiting Oklahoma State. Jimmy Rogers will pilot the Cyclones after arriving from Washington State, and Eric Morris will be at the helm of the Cowboys after coaching at North Texas in 2025.

12. Space Game

The basic law of gravity states what goes up must eventually come back down. The Knights entered the 2025 Space Game soaring high with an 8-0 start, but just like all things, the Space Game streak had to return to Earth at some point.

UCF fought until the final whistle, having a chance to win the game on the final drive but were unable to do so, falling 30-27 to a hot Houston team who was in-and-out of the top 25 all season long.

Still, the Space Game provided some magical moments and an atmosphere unlike anything else in college football. Fans packed into a sold-out Acrisure Bounce House for the second time on the season. Phillip Dunnam recorded the first three interception game in program history, one of which was a pick six. Lewis Carter recorded a career-best 13 tackles in the contest. Noe Ruelas hit one of the longest field goals in UCF history, tying his personal career long and missing setting the UCF record by two yards. Despite taking a 24-17 lead into halftime, the Knights fell even with the defense allowing just one touchdown in the second half.

Sitting at a still remarkable 8-1 in Space Games, the Citronauts look to rebound for Mission X in 2026.

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.