Clutch Defense Helps Lift UCF Knights Over Jacksonville State
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A 33-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tayven Jackson to wide receiver DJ Black might have been the final score of the UCF Knights' 17-10 season-opening win over Jacksonville State, but it was their defense that preserved that win.
Linebacker Lewis Carter led the way with nine tackles, four of them solo, with defensive back Phillip Dunnam not far behind with eight tackles, five of them solo, and a tackle for a loss. Defensive tackles Horace Lockett and Rodney Lora even came away with one sack each.
"I don't want them to do anything more than they did, like they did everything they were supposed to," linebacker Keli Lawson said after the game. "Them boys got at the ball, but that's something I already knew, like we've been together for a little bit of time now, you know what them boys get into."
However, there were three plays in particular where Knights defenders had a direct hand in preserving the victory:
1. Keli Lawson Keeps it Scoreless at Halftime
Clear for Takeoff 🚀 pic.twitter.com/CZ5sSYlJCt
— Keli lawson(CEO) (@LawsonKeli) August 29, 2025
Lawson recorded the first blocked field goal by a UCF player since Sept. 17, 2022, to keep the game scoreless going into the (shortened) halftime break. The Virginia Tech transfer credited special teams coordinator Pete Alamar for preparing the defenders for the Gamecocks' attempted bluff on the play with a gate formation.
"We already knew they was going to come back after the bluff to come kick it, we had already scouted that," Lawson said. "The ball was low, and then as soon as I put myself in the flat, I already knew it was coming down."
With the Gamecocks receiving the second-half kick, the block denied them the opportunity to build momentum going into it. The Knights proceeded to stop them on their first drive back out and get on the board first on the ensuing drive with a 24-yard field goal from kicker Noe Ruelas.
2. Jayden Williams Gives Offense a Chance
“Go be the aggressor and take the fight to them.”
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) August 29, 2025
That @jay_will6 4th-down stop 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/nJbCpoBsrZ
A week before taking the field in the Acrisure Bounce House last night, defensive back Jayden Williams said he was "fearless."
"I don't really hesitate and think too much on the field," Williams said.
That lack of hesitation came in handy on fourth and one at the UCF 36-yard line, as no one was there to stop the Florida Atlantic transfer from making a beeline to Jacksonville State running back Cam Cook to force the turnover on downs.
"When they handed it off, it looked like they dented our line a little bit, and I thought it was a first down, and I was getting ready to figure out where to use my timeouts, and [Williams] just shot in there and knifed him," coach Scott Frost said after the game. "That was probably the biggest play of the game."
Instead of the Gamecocks flirting with field goal range to take the lead with 96 seconds left in the game, the Knights got the ball back and orchestrated the game-winning score on the ensuing drive.
3. Jayden Bellamy Halts Gamecocks' Final Push
.@jaydenknows_ put the game on ice 🧊 pic.twitter.com/iXYNKhjPVA
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) August 29, 2025
However, even with the score, Jacksonville State had 63 more seconds to reach the endzone and make things interesting. In one of the defense's several miscues of the night, Carter drew a targeting penalty that put the Gamecocks at their own 46-yard line with 33 seconds left.
Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt took his chances with some deep passes, but defensive back Jayden Bellamy was there to meet the two of them. He first broke up a second-down pass intended for wide receiver Deondre Johnson near the UCF 30-yard line, then sealed the game a couple of plays later with the Knights' first interception of the season.
"Those are first game mistakes and undisciplined mistakes and or selfish in some cases," Frost said. "So those things will definitely be addressed, but, you know, the perseverance part of continuing to fight, that was outstanding."
The Knights will have a few extra days to address those mistakes, since North Carolina A&T comes to town in over a week on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.
Check out more UCF News below:
Three Key Takeaways from UCF's Win Against Jacksonville State
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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