Jaden Nixon’s fireworks spark UCF blowout of NC A&T, 68-7
ORLANDO — It didn’t take long for UCF to send a message.
Jaden Nixon needed just 13 seconds and 96 yards to spark an electric night at Acrisure Bounce House, racing untouched on the opening kickoff for a touchdown that lit the fuse on a dominant 68-7 win over visiting North Carolina A&T.
By the end of the night, Nixon had authored one of the most efficient stat lines in UCF history: Three touchdowns on five total touches, including two long touchdown runs, as the Knights cruised to a 2-0 start heading into their first bye week.
It was UCF’s highest scoring output since a 70-point outing against Temple in 2022 and just five points shy of the program record set in 1992 against Austin Peay.
Nixon channels history in explosive performance
Nixon’s 96-yard return was the first UCF kickoff return touchdown in nearly eight years, dating back to Mike Hughes’ game-winner in the 2017 War on I-4, and marked the first time the Knights had taken back an opening kick since Quincy McDuffie did it in 2010 against Tulane.
That wasn’t all.
Nixon made his next touch count too, taking a handoff around the right edge and bolting 87 yards to the end zone early in the second quarter. It was the third-longest rushing touchdown in UCF history, tying the marks previously set by Kevin Smith (2007) and Adrian Killins (2016). He later added a 66-yard touchdown run on the first play of a third-quarter drive.
The redshirt senior transfer from Oklahoma State and Western Michigan finished with 156 rushing yards on just four carries, an eye-popping 39.0 yards per carry, and now owns two career kickoff return touchdowns, having previously housed a 98-yarder at Baylor in 2022.
Tayven Jackson solid in first start, Jacurri Brown and Stacy Gage flash in relief
With Cam Fancher still sidelined due to the back injury he suffered in the opener, Tayven Jackson earned the start and handled the reins effectively. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 189 yards and added two rushing touchdowns — 1-yard and 4-yard keepers — on designed red zone runs in the first quarter.
Jackson connected with six different receivers, highlighted by a 41-yard strike on 4th-and-4 to Duane Thomas Jr. to set up his first score. He engineered a two-minute drive at the end of the first half, hitting Chris Domercant, DJ Black and Kylan Fox to move into range for a Noe Ruelas 36-yard field goal as time expired, sending UCF into the break up 40-0.
Jacurri Brown took over in the second half and added his own fireworks on the ground, totaling 106 rushing yards on five carries, including touchdown runs of 60 and 15 yards. Freshman Stacy Gage joined the scoring parade in the fourth quarter with a 23-yard run of his own to cap UCF’s night at 68 points.
Defense swarms, scores, dominates
UCF’s defense was just as explosive.
Linebacker Jayden McDonald set the tone with an early interception off A&T quarterback Champ Long, setting up Jackson’s second score, and then the defensive line got in on the act. With the Aggies backed up at their own 8-yard line, defensive end Nyjalik Kelly came untouched off the edge, drilled Long for a strip sack in the end zone, and fellow lineman Rodney Lora fell on it for a touchdown.
It was UCF’s first fumble return for a touchdown since Demari Henderson’s 87-yard scoop-and-score against Baylor last season.
The Knights totaled 11 tackles for loss, including 3.5 from freshman edge rusher Sincere Edwards. Lora added three TFLs himself and six total stops.
UCF didn’t allow a single red zone possession until late in the fourth quarter when Shimique Blizzard broke free for a 17-yard touchdown with 3:00 to play, spoiling the Knights’ bid for their first shutout since the 2019 opener against Florida A&M.
The Aggies (0-2), who rotated through three quarterbacks due to injury and ineffectiveness, mustered just 200 total yards on 62 plays (3.2 yards per play). Their longest pass play went for only 20 yards and they finished 5-of-17 on third downs.
Game notes
- UCF outgained NC A&T 560-200 and had 356 yards rushing on just 32 attempts (11.1 avg).
- Nixon became the first UCF player in the FBS era to score both a kickoff return touchdown and a rushing touchdown in the same game.
- The Knights were a perfect 5-of-5 in the red zone and converted both of their fourth down tries.
- Ruelas hit field goals of 34 and 36 yards and had six touchbacks on 10 kickoffs.
- Backup kicker Noah McGough, a walk-on freshman, booted the final extra point.
- True freshman Davi Belfort took his first snaps late in the fourth quarter.
Up next
After consecutive home games delayed by weather, UCF gets a full week to regroup before a showdown with North Carolina on Sept. 20, which will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Tar Heels are now led by legendary coach Bill Belichick, who notched his first college win Saturday with a 20-3 victory at Charlotte.
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