The 4-6 UCF Knights snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with a 35-31 loss to the 7-2 Arizona State Sun Devils. The Knights’ bowl chances are on life support with two games to go. It’s knee-jerk reaction time.
Knee-Jerk Reactions: UCF Gets Burned by Arizona State 35-31
Three Keys Recap
I present three keys to the game each week on the Friday Locked on UCF show Friday Locked on UCF show. Let’s see how those keys were or were not met.
Key One: Run Blocking
The first key is run blocking. UCF’s bread-and-butter is the run game and while RJ Harvey does not need a lot of space to operate, the offensive line has to do something. The first half did not go well and Harvey was not able to do what he does best. In the first half, Harvey ran it 12 times for only 34 yards and a touchdown. Myles Montgomery had more success as a change-of-pace back, running it three times for 26 yards. With the running game largely ineffective, the offense relied on Dylan Rizk’s arm. Rizk had a very strong half until the very end. After a special teams blunder left UCF at their own one, Rizk threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Despite the interception, Rizk finished the first half 18/24 for 161 yards. These numbers sound like final stats from earlier in the year.
The second half had a flip in the offense. UCF’s run blocking started working and Harvey got to work with 13 carries for 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Rizk struggled, going six of ten for 68 yards, and was sacked a couple of times. Many will question offensive coordinator Tim Harris’ play call that led to the pick-six in the first half, but he adapted well to what the defense gave him as the Knights put up 31 points.
Second Key: Make Arizona State a Running Team
The second key is to make Arizona State a running team without Cam Skattebo. Skattebo is Arizona State’s leading rusher and second-leading receiver. He hurt his shoulder last week and it was questionable if he was going to play. He ended up not playing and Kyson Brown stepped in. This worked in UCF’s favor as Arizona State’s offense finished well below its average output, but the Sun Devils passing game came alive in the second half as Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson connected for a pair of touchdowns.
Third Key: Take the Crowd Out
The third key is taking the crowd out of the game. UCF failed badly in this category. UCF’s defense has been solid against Arizona State, and its offense is skattebo-less. The Sun Devils got on the scoreboard with a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. After an offensive touchdown late in the first half, UCF’s kick return blunder mentioned above happened and Arizona State scored their second touchdown in nine seconds of game time. The crowd was electric at this point. The second half was a back-and-forth affair that kept the crowd engaged. By the end of the game, it was a fever pitch.
Costly Mistakes
The first half was nothing short of baffling. UCF outgained Arizona State 227-103, but the scoreboard favored the Sun Devils 21-17. How did we get here?
The Knights struck first after a long, sustained drive. The Sun Devils drove into UCF territory, but could not convert on a fourth and four at the UCF 40. On the subsequent drive, the Knights go three-and-out. Jesiah Pierre missed a key block in the backfield and punter Mitch McCarthy’s kick was blocked by Martell Hughes. Montana Warren recovered it and returned it 46 yards for the touchdown.
Special Teams Wasn’t Very Special
Against TCU earlier in the season, former UCF kicker Colton Boomer had three kicks blocked. This was due to blocking issues and foreshadowed today’s blocked punt. Special teams coach Brian Blackmon had the Knights only have two players in the punt shield and Pierre missed his block. As a result, McCarthy was a sitting duck and it became a Sun Devils touchdown.
Then, you have the kickoff return that Christian Peterson dropped in the endzone. The freshman was either confused or panicked because he hesitated and then tried to run the ball out. He barely escaped being tackled for a safety. In hindsight, a safety would have been better than the pick-six Rizk threw on the very next play.
Kicker Grant Reddick had a rough day too. He hit only one of his three field goal attempts. The two misses were not missed by much, with some upright doinkage going on, but football is a game of inches.
Now What?
This is a tough loss for the Knights. UCF falls to 4-6 and has no margin of error to become bowl-eligible. UCF has a bye week coming up before their final two games. They start with a road game at West Virginia and then finish with a Black Friday home game against Utah. Both games are winnable, but UCF has been known to play up or down to the competition and usually finishes on the short end of the stick. Head coach Gus Malzahn should be beginning to plan for 2025. He’s already made some coaching changes, but this game highlights the need for a dedicated special teams coordinator, which the Knights do not have. They have Blackmon, but he also coaches the tight ends.
Uniform Review
UCF wore gold helmets, white tops, and white bottoms. The helmet logo was the white inverse block UCF. It’s a good road uniform. This is the same uniform combination UCF wore at the Peach Bowl to cap their perfect 2017 season. At least the term “big game gold” wasn’t used much. It’s the kiss of death.
The predicted score was 34-24 UCF. I did not anticipate a defensive and special teams touchdown. The offense scored 31 points and the defense gave up 21. This is encouraging as the Knights make their final approach.
Stat Leaders:
Passing:
UCF: Dylan Rizk: 24/34 for 229 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
ASU: Sam Leavitt: 16/25 for 161 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Rushing:
UCF: R.J. Harvey: 25 carries for 127 yards, 3 TD
ASU: Kyson Brown: 18 carries for 73 yards, 0 TD
Receiving:
UCF: Kobe Hudson: 7 catches for 56 yards, 0 TD
ASU: Jordyn Tyson: 7 catches for 99 yards, 2 TD
Game Notes:
- Arizona State leads the series 2-0.
- RJ Harvey had his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season. That ties him in fourth with Gerod Davis and Harvey in 2023 for the highest single-season mark at UCF.
- RJ Harvey now has 15 100-yard rushing games. He ties Willie English and Alex Haynes for second all-time at UCF.
- RJ Harvey now has 19 rushing touchdowns on the season. He passes Isaiah Bowser and himself in 2023 for the second-highest single-season mark at UCF.
- RJ Harvey now has 40 career rushing touchdowns. He passes Willie English for second all-time at UCF.
- RJ Harvey had his fourth three-touchdown game. Only Kevin Smith has done it more.
- Kobe Hudson has caught a pass in 33 consecutive games. He ties Charles Lee and Jimmy Fryzel for third all-time at UCF.
- Sorry, it’s not my best. I panicked after dropping the kickoff in the endzone.
