Houston Cougars Trail UCF at Halftime After Wild Second Quarter

The Houston Cougars need a big bounce-back win after the loss to West Virginia.

Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman warms up before the game against the UCF Knights at Acrisure Bounce House. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Coming off of a home loss to West Virginia that potentially put an end to their College Football Playoff hopes, the Houston Cougars needed a major response Friday night in Orlando.

Despite a slow start in the first half, the Cougars managed to recapture the lead but UCF end the second quarter with a bang.

Houston trailed UCF 24-17 at halftime after a wild second quarter that saw both teams combine for 35 points and two defensive touchdowns.

Chaos in Second Quarter

Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz ton the sidelines coaching against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the second half at TDECU Stadium. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Both teams had a lid on the scoreboard early, as UCF led 3-0 after the first quarter. Houston turned it over on downs on the game's first possession before an interception from Conner Weigman halted the Cougars' third drive of the game as they approached the red zone near the end of the opening quarter.

The two teams then traded punts to begin the second quarter, but that's when some chaos started to enusre.

Houston wide receiver Mekhi Mews muffed a punt at the Cougars' 25-line yard line, which allowed UCF to put together a short four-play drive that ended with a one-yard rushing touchdown from running back Myles Montgomery.

The Knights found themselves with a 10-0 lead, forcing the Cougars to respond. Houston did just that, as Weigman connected with Amare Thomas for a 64-yard touchdown to cut into the lead at 10-7.

Then four plays later, UCF quarterback Taven Jackson threw a pick to Houston linebacker Latreveon McCutchin, who returned it 45 yards to the house. Suddenly, the Cougars led 14-10 after trailing 10-0 only minutes before.

Momentum seemed to be completely in Houston's favor, but the Knights responded well with a defensive touchdown of their own. After UCF put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown from running back Jaden Nixon, Weigman threw a 43-yard interception for a touchdown to cornerback Phillip Dunnam, who snagged his second pick of the game.

The Cougars got a 40-yard field goal from Ethan Sanchez on the final play of the half to make it a one-possession game.

UCF will receive the second-half kickoff looking to build on its lead. As for the Cougars, they will need a big response on both sides of the ball in order to avoid a second-straight loss.