Three Key Takeaways From UCF's First Space Game Loss
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The UCF Citronauts came crashing down to earth on Friday night in the Acrisure Bounce House, falling to Houston, 30-27.
It marks their first loss in the nine-year history of the Space Game.
Here are three key takeaways from the game:
1. Turnovers Kept UCF in the Ballgame
Despite struggles on offense, the Citronauts managed to stay in the game thanks to the efforts of their defense and special teams, particularly in creating turnovers.
After entering the game with no interceptions on the season, defensive back Phillip Dunnam achieved a UCF first with three picks against the Cougars, with two of them resulting in points: a 43-yard pick six and a 54-yard field goal from kicker Noe Ruelas on the ensuing drive.
As for the special teams unit, it helped by recovering a muffed punt by Houston return man Mekhi Mews in the second quarter, setting up a 25-yard touchdown drive for the offense.
2. The Offense Had Issues Moving The Ball
Despite the help provided to them through turnovers, the Citronauts' nagging issue throughout the night was their ability to string together long drives. Of 13 total drives, six of them were three-and-outs, and only four lasted longer than two minutes.
Quarterback Tayven Jackson had his second-lowest completion percentage of the season, completing just 15 of his 29 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown. Even when passes were completed, however, they did not go far with Houston averaging 11.2 yards per completion, just over two yards more than UCF's 9.1 yards per completion.
The 'Nauts did get some momentum on their last drive of the game when freshman Davi Belfort got under center. He ran five times for 36 yards on the night, helping the offense get to the Houston 27-yard line. Following a timeout, he attempted his first and only throw of the night, a shot to the end zone. However, it was intercepted by Houston safety Kentrell Webb.
Despite the spark the freshman provided, it came at the cost of a game-deciding turnover.
3. The Injury Bug Left its Mark
The Citronauts suffered several injuries to key players in the backfield and on defense.
UCF kept up with the Cougars on the ground, outrunning them on a per carry basis with their 4.9 average yard per carry, eclipsing Houston's 4.3 yards per carry despite an injury to one of their lead backs.
Myles Montgomery ran for 23 yards and a touchdown on six carries before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the rest of the game. That left Jaden Nixon, who had not totalled more than seven carries in a game all season entering Friday night, to take most of UCF's rushing plays. He ended up rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, plus three receptions for 32 yards.
Meanwhile, on defense, who were on the field nearly 10 minutes longer than the offense, the 'Nauts were left hobbled after four starters exited the game due to injury. Of those four, three of them were injured second half, including defensive end Malachi Lawrence, who got a sack, and linebacker Jayden McDonald, who recovered the aforementioned muffed punt.
Coach Scott Frost declined to comment on the status of all the injured players right after the game.
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With this loss, UCF must win two of its remaining three games in order to become bowl eligible. The first of those three games comes next week at 3:30 p.m. in Lubbock, Texas, against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
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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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