Tayven Jackson, Jaden Nixon lead UCF past West Virginia 45-13 to snap skid
ORLANDO — For a UCF team stuck in a frustrating rut, the message from the coaching staff this week was refreshingly simple: play fast, play free, and stop worrying about mistakes.
The Knights responded in emphatic fashion, delivering their most complete performance of the season in a 45-13 rout of West Virginia on Saturday at the Bounce House. The win snapped a string of frustrating streaks, including a three-game losing skid, a six-game Big 12 drought, and a nine-game losing streak in the month of October.
Tayven Jackson, back in the starting role after missing last week’s game at Cincinnati, looked sharp and confident, completing 23-of-34 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns — both on fourth down strikes to redshirt senior Chris Domercant, who had a breakout game with five receptions for 89 yards.
Domercant comes alive on fourth down
UCF (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) set the tone from the start with a methodical, 97-yard opening drive — its longest of the season — capped off by a 40-yard touchdown from Jackson to Domercant on 4th-and-4.
After forcing a turnover on downs near midfield, UCF struck again with another Jackson-to-Domercant connection, this time from 34 yards out on 4th-and-5 to give the Knights a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter.
It marked the first time a UCF receiver caught two touchdowns in the same quarter since Ryan O’Keefe did so in 2022 against Temple.
Defense rattles WVU freshman QB
Injuries forced West Virginia (2-5, 0-4) to start redshirt freshman Scotty Fox Jr. at quarterback, the first time a Mountaineer freshman started since 1952. The UCF defense feasted on the opportunity, sacking WVU quarterbacks seven times and allowing just 210 yards of total offense, including a season-low 79 yards through the air.
Edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly, who forced a fumble that led to a scoop-and-score touchdown by linebacker Keli Lawson, was a consistent disruptor. The play gave UCF a 28-7 lead midway through the third quarter and effectively put the game out of reach.
It was the first defensive touchdown since Week 2 against NC A&T and the second time Kelly has forced a turnover that turned into six points.
Nixon breaks loose — again
The offense didn’t stop there. Jaden Nixon, who hadn’t scored since late September, broke through for two third-quarter touchdowns — a 12-yard run to cap a 92-yard drive, and then an explosive 83-yard sprint to the house, tying for the sixth-longest run in school history.
The redshirt senior finished with 116 yards on just seven carries, averaging a staggering 16.6 yards per rush.
Nixon also added 30 kickoff return yards to finish with a game-high 148 all-purpose yards
Ruelas adds long field goal, Belfort scores first TD
Kicker Noe Ruelas drilled a 51-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, his second make from 50-plus yards this season. He’s now 3-for-3 on kicks of 45+ this year and 5-for-5 on career attempts of 50 or more.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Davi Belfort saw extended action in the fourth quarter and made the most of it, scoring his first career touchdown on a 10-yard keeper with 4:17 left to cap a 10-play, 72-yard drive.
Defense sets the tone
Linebacker Cole Kozlowski led the team with 11 tackles, including a sack, continuing his streak of strong performances since stepping into a larger role. UCF also got sack contributions from Malachi Lawrence (2.0), John Walker, Derrick LeBlanc, and RJ Jackson Jr. The unit finished with eight tackles for loss.
UCF’s defense held West Virginia to just seven total yards in the fourth quarter and only 63 across the final 24 plays of the game. Through seven games, the Knights have allowed just seven first-quarter points all season.
Up Next
UCF enters its bye week at 4-3 overall, 1-3 in the Big 12. The Knights return to action on Saturday, Nov. 1, with a road trip to Baylor.
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