UCF Quarterback Reflects On The End Of The 2025 Season
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UCF Knights quarterback Tayven Jackson said there was "a lot of emotion" after the Knights' loss to BYU, 41-21, that spelled the end of their season.
Jackson was called on quite often in Provo, throwing more times than he's ever had in a single game this season. Of those 37 pass attempts, 21 of them were caught for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also caught a four-yard touchdown pass from running back Agyeman Addae.
"We were just executing at a high level, like, that's just...that's our offense," Jackson said. "That's the pudding for offense. That's what it should look like, and it will look like that, but we just, we were executing really well, and the momentum changed, and we just... we found ourselves fighting back, and we did a good job of fighting."
Unfortunately for Jackson, that fight was not enough for the Knights to reach a bowl game as the loss dropped them to 5-7 (2-7 Big 12).
"It's a lot to learn from, you know, everything that happened this season," Jackson said. "So I couldn't be more proud than other guys on this team."
Despite this season being one marred by injuries, Jackson still completed 63.5% of his passes, which is not too far off from his years at Indiana, for 2,151 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Most of those passes connected with wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr. and tight end Dylan Wade, who were the only UCF receivers to tally more than 500 yards this season. However, freshman Waden Charles did factor in as the season went on and as he developed. He actually ended up getting the most looks from Jackson in Provo.
"We got to get them back," Jackson said of the trio. "Everyone knows how the transfer portal works."
Despite the winds of change the portal might bring, Jackson said he had the guys in the locker room that the team needs and wants there for the game against the Cougars and that coach Scott Frost "is going to do a great job" in retaining the players he wants and acquiring new ones from the transfer portal.
"This team means everything to me," Jackson said. "We have a brotherhood that's forming. We have a culture that's forming, that's very exciting for the fans for next year, and we'll be ready to go next year."
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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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