UCF drops its second-straight Space Game

Photo courtesy of Aryah Britt

UCF could not find any rhythm on Friday against the Baylor Bears in its 10th annual Space Game, losing 41-9 in a Halloween weekend nightmare at the Acrisure Bounce House.

The defeat marks back-to-back losses in the annual contest for the first time since its introduction in 2017.

Just six days after fans stormed the field following a 39-31 double-overtime thriller against No. 2 BYU, the Knights (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) fell well short of expectations.

Head coach Scott Frost said he takes full responsibility for the team’s lack of preparation.

“I failed them, I guess,” Frost said after the game. “The messaging all week was how many teams have been in this situation and the results of those teams.”

The Knights failed to find the end zone in the contest, the first time since their devastating 30-3 road loss at Baylor last season.

The Bears (5-3, 3-2 Big 12), meanwhile, claim their first win under interim head coach Joe Klanderman, who took over after the program parted ways with Dave Aranda on Sunday.

Friday’s matchup opened with punts from both teams.

The UCF defense made an early presence after Baylor marched its way to the UCF 24-yard line, stuffing quarterback DJ Lagway on fourth-and-1 and forcing a turnover on downs.

However, senior quarterback Keyone Jenkins threw an interception on a pass intended for sophomore wide receiver Waden Charles, giving Baylor the ball at the UCF 46-yard line.

The Bears capitalized on the mistake with an 8-play drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Lagway to tight end Tony Livingston.

The Knights’ offense stalled throughout the first quarter, accumulating only six yards on eight plays.

The next points came with 8:58 left in the first half when running back Caden Knighten extended Baylor’s lead to two possessions on a 2-yard run up the middle.

In 11 plays, the Knights were on the board after redshirt senior kicker Will Stone made a 39-yard field goal following a methodical drive by Jenkins with 3:24 left on the clock.

Lagway then found wide receiver Jadon Porter for a 53-yard power punch to the Knights’ defense, setting Baylor up at the UCF 32-yard line.

Baylor settled for three on a 45-yard field goal from kicker Rhett Armstrong, extending its lead to 17-3.

After another three-and-out by the Knights’ offense, Baylor moved downfield and called upon Armstrong again for a 29-yard try; the attempt was successful.

As the clock wound down before halftime, the Knights settled for three more points from Stone on a 57-yard field goal, bringing the score to 20-6. The kick set a program record as the longest field goal.

“It felt great,” Stone said about breaking a school record. “I was more thankful and happy when I got to see my teammates after and how excited they were for me.”

UCF amassed only 77 total yards of offense on 27 total plays in the first half, passing for 65 and rushing for 12. Baylor put up 272 total yards, including 202 passing yards for Lagway.

As things could not get worse for the Knights, Jenkins went down with a lower-leg injury as the Knights failed to convert on third-and-21 early in the second half.

Jenkins was tended to by medical staff and brought to the medical tent. He did not return, and Frost said his status is unknown.

“Keyone was playing with a bit of an ankle injury for a few weeks, and I think he re-aggravated that,” Frost said. “I don’t know how serious it is.”

Before his exit, Jenkins completed 14 passes on 21 attempts for 82 yards.

Baylor answered in four plays as Lagway hit Livingstone for a 21-yard touchdown pass, pulling even further away from the Knights.

Redshirt senior quarterback Alonza Barnett III entered the game with 10:07 left in the third quarter, taking his first snap after missing the past five games with a hamstring injury.

Barnett’s first drive resulted in a three-and-out after a five-yard completion to Charles and a 5-yard sack left the Knights in a third-and-long situation.

The Bears did not step off the gas as Lagway fired a deep shot over the middle to wide receiver Gavin Freeman for a 77-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Following Armstrong’s PAT, the lead stood 34-6.

On their ensuing possession, the Knights tallied their longest play of the night with a 67-yard pass from Barnett to senior wide receiver Josh Derry that landed them at the Baylor 8-yard line.

The Knights could not capitalize in the red zone and settled for their last points of the game with a 35-yard field goal by Stone with 6:24 left in the third.

Lagway later found tight end Matthew Klopfenstein wide open in the end zone for his fourth touchdown pass of the game with 12:33 left, solidifying the 41-9 lead.

Barnett finished the night 8-for-16 with 133 yards. Lagway finished 16-for-25, 319 yards, and a career-high four touchdowns.

Pressure played a major factor in the loss as both quarterbacks combined for seven sacks.

“I thought [Barnett] did some good things, made some good throws,” Frost said in relation to Barnett’s first snaps back from injury. “Whoever was playing quarterback, it’s going to be hard if we don’t block better and create a running game.”

The Knights finished with 66 total rushing yards on 30 attempts, averaging 2.2 yards per rush.

UCF now hits the road to Lawrence, Kansas, as it prepares to take on the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 3:45 p.m.