UCF drops third straight in penalty-plagued 20-11 loss at Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — Whatever hopes UCF had of jumpstarting its season were quickly dashed on Saturday afternoon at Nippert Stadium, where a flurry of penalties and missed chances doomed the Knights to their third straight defeat — a frustrating 20-11 loss to Cincinnati.

The Knights (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) ran 90 plays and possessed the ball for nearly 40 minutes, but it was the same story: self-inflicted mistakes, stalled drives and another opportunity squandered. UCF tied a season-high with 10 penalties — including five false starts — and failed to convert three fourth downs, including two in Bearcats territory.

It was the ninth consecutive October loss for UCF dating back to 2022 and the sixth straight conference defeat overall.

Fancher flashes — but it’s not enough

With starter Tayven Jackson sidelined and ruled the emergency No. 3 option on game day, redshirt senior Cam Fancher returned to the lineup for his second start of the season, and first since Week 1.

Fancher gave the Knights a spark at times, especially with his legs. He rushed for a game-high 108 yards on 20 attempts, the most by a UCF quarterback this season, and capped a 19-play, 90-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown in the final minutes. He also hit Chris Domercant on the ensuing two-point try.

But outside of that final possession, it was a grind.

Fancher finished 28-of-49 for 222 yards passing with no turnovers. He was sacked three times and hit several others. UCF went just 7-of-18 on third down and 3-of-6 on fourth-down attempts, including one on the opening drive at Cincinnati’s 41-yard line.

Mistakes mount in costly spots

UCF’s opening possession set the tone for the afternoon. After crossing midfield, the Knights faced a 4th-and-2 at the UC 41. Fancher kept it on a designed run but was swallowed short of the line.

Cincinnati quickly capitalized. Just four plays later, Brendan Sorsby found Jeff Caldwell wide open on a busted coverage down the left sideline for a 40-yard touchdown — the first first-quarter points allowed by UCF all season.

It got worse from there.

A long strike to Duane Thomas Jr. was wiped out by an ineligible receiver penalty. A fumble by DJ Black on the next play gave the ball right back to the Bearcats, though the UCF defense forced a punt.

Later, a third-and-16 pass interference call against DJ Bell gave Cincinnati a free first down. Sorsby made it count, finding Caldwell again — this time on a back-shoulder fade — for a 9-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 12:12 left in the half.

Cincinnati tacked on a field goal to go up 17-0 before UCF finally got on the board with a 45-yard field goal by Noe Ruelas late in the second quarter.

The most deflating sequence came in the third quarter. After a promising 17-play, 40-yard drive that spanned more than nine minutes, UCF stalled near the red zone after a chop block and two false start penalties. The Knights were forced to punt on 4th-and-27 from the UC 46, coming away with nothing.

Defense keeps it close — but no takeaways again

Despite the loss, UCF’s defense continues to show growth under Alex Grinch.

The Knights held the Bearcats to just 306 total yards — their second-lowest output of the season — and kept Cincinnati’s vaunted rushing attack in check. UC entered the game averaging 205.2 yards on the ground, but was limited to just 115.

Phillip Dunnam led the way with seven tackles, followed by Nyjalik Kelly and Lewis Carter with six apiece. However, for the second straight week, UCF failed to generate a turnover, a problem in tight, field-position driven contests like this one.

Sorsby finished 12-of-21 for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Caldwell caught five passes for 58 yards and both scores, while tight end Joe Royer hauled in a 67-yard catch-and-run that set up a short field goal in the fourth quarter to make it 20-3.

Running backs stifled again

While Fancher’s scrambling kept the offense afloat, UCF’s running back rotation once again failed to make a significant impact.

Myles Montgomery, returning to Nippert Stadium for the first time since transferring from Cincinnati, carried 13 times for 56 yards, 22 of which came on the game’s final play. Stacy Gage (6 carries, 24 yards) showed some juice in the second half. Jaden Nixon had just two touches for 3 yards.

Nine straight October losses

UCF’s October slide continues.

The Knights haven’t won a game in the month since beating Cincinnati on Oct. 29, 2022. They’ll get one more chance to stop the bleeding next week.

UCF returns home to face West Virginia (2-4, 0-3), who will come to Orlando off a bye. Like UCF, the Mountaineers are in year one of a reboot under returning head coach Rich Rodriguez. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on TNT, UCF’s debut on the network.