PITTSBURGH – The UCF football team found itself in a defensive showdown Saturday afternoon in rain-soaked Acrisure Stadium, ultimately falling to Pittsburgh 12-7.
After a sunny start to the day, storms in the area pelted the field about a half an hour prior to kickoff, pushing back the start of the contest by an hour and five minutes. It was a sign of things to come, as the entire second half was played in the rain.
With rain falling steadily, yards were at a premium, especially for the Panthers offense down the stretch. UCF’s defense locked down the Pitt attack in the final two frames, surrendering just 69 total yards in the second half while keeping them off the scoreboard.
Following a 12-0 halftime deficit, UCF’s stout defense kept the Knights in the ballgame, and a 19-yard strike to Waden Charles from Alonza Barnett III with 2:51 left brought the Black and Gold to within a score. The Knights’ defense forced a three-and-out to get possession back with 2:24 to play, but the offense couldn’t mount the game-winning drive, sealing the first loss of 2026.
Two teams that severely limited their opponents in first quarters in 2025 did the same again to start the contest. Both UCF and Pitt held opponents scoreless until Week 7 of last season as they were the final two teams standing at that point that hadn’t surrendered a first quarter score. The lone score of Saturday afternoon’s opening frame was a Pitt field goal with four seconds left on the clock, a 28-yard boot through the uprights at the end of an 18-play, 83-yard drive.
Pitt registered a safety with 7:24 to go in the first half as intentional grounding was called in the endzone, giving Pitt a 5-0 lead. It was the first time UCF had been nabbed for safety since Oct. 3, 2020 against Tulsa and was the first time the Panthers had recorded a safety since Nov. 23, 2024 vs. Louisville.
Pitt earned the game’s first touchdown with 28 seconds left in the first half, a 13-yard rush that saw the offensive line push its running back across, putting the Panthers in front 12-0.
In the pouring rain of the second half, the third quarter saw less than 100 yards of combined offense, with UCF accounting for 57 yards and Pitt with 29. The beginning of the fourth quarter saw more of the defenses dominating the day. UCF forced a three-and-out on Pitt’s first possession of the fourth quarter, getting the ball back with 6:45 in the contest, setting up their march to the end zone.
The Knights’ scoring drive started with a 10-yard scramble from Barnett before finding Caleb Rollerson for 12 yards on the following play. A pass interference call later kept the ball moving to the Pittsburgh 26-yard line, setting up another chunk play which came via Barnett’s feet, a 14-yard scramble to get down to the six-yard line. On the ensuing play, the ball slipped from Barnett’s grasp, all the way back to the 24-yard line. At third and goal from the 19-yard line, Charles beat the press, streaking toward the endzone on a go-route where he caught his first career touchdown. The strike was Barnett’s 75th career touchdown, with 51 through the air and 24 on the ground.
The UCF defense stood tall again, just as they had all afternoon, and forced a three-and-out in 27 seconds, getting possession back with 2:24 to play. Unfortunately, the Knights were unable to advance past the first down marker, giving the ball over on downs with 1:28 to play.
UCF falls to 12-10 all-time in games played in stadiums that also serve as an NFL venue; the Knights had won seven of their last eight in those stadiums entering Saturday.
Lewis Carter led the Knights defense with 10 tackles, which sent him north of the century mark in tackles with the Black and Gold through his 13 games, now with 108 total stops. Fellow linebacker Tackett Curtis came close to Carter’s total in the game and recorded a career-high nine tackles Saturday afternoon.
UP NEXT
The Knights return home for the first of a two-game homestand, hosting Georgia State for the inaugural meeting of the two sides on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2026 campaign are on sale and can be purchased here! Be sure to be a part of all the action as the Knights play their 20th season in Acrisure Bounce House.
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.