The University of Central Florida football team fell once again in the second half after building a dominant lead, this time to the University of Houston.
The Knights began with possession for the first quarter and managed to advance the ball, although didn’t turn the drive into points on the board. Houston neither had a chance after D.J. Killings set the tone with an interception at the Houston 46-yard line.
Shortly after Milton advanced the ball 16 yards on a carry to the 30-yard line, the freshman quarterback pitched the ball to Adrian Killins from the Red Zone where Killins rushed for a touchdown.
A 7-0 start would only grow, and penalties against a seemingly, mentally fatigued Cougars fueled the UCF offense. A 42-yard completion stalled the home team’s drive after an offensive pass interference set the team to soon punt away possession.
The first half performance was dominated by the UCF defense – notably Shaquem Griffin – and their turnovers forced in the air and on the ground.
As Houston struggled to fight for a spot in the end zone, UCF slowly built its lead.
A combination of yards earned by QB McKenzie Milton, receiver Tre’Quan Smith, and penalties once again moved the Knights down the field. Milton would again see an opportunity to rush the ball for a first down, this time to the Houston 1-yard line, with an easy handoff to Dontravious Wilson to bring the score to 14-3, UCF, with 3:06 left in the half.
Another success for the defense held Houston to 3 points while the Knights continued on.
Jawon Hamilton rushed for 28 yards on a short UCF drive into the end zone after powering through a defender.
The score now widened to 21-3 by halftime, leading fans on both sides to believe that a Houston team that lost 38-16 in the previous week might once again see defeat at the hands of Scott Frost and team.
A question was raised as to whether the Knights would keep the lead and bog down their opponents in the same fashion as in the first half.
Suspicions briefly disappeared once a forced fumble gave the UCF offense another shot to put the game in. A sack to Milton and four-play drive for -10 yards provided only a field goal, and the team’s final scoring play.
A fumble, then interception, brought the previously No. 5 ranked team in the nation on its feet along with the competition Frost expected earlier in the week.
Touchdown after touchdown, followed by turnover after turnover, the UCF football team crumbled to their opponent in the second half, conceding 28 unanswered points.
The final score for Saturday’s game closed at 31-24, Houston.
The Knights return to Orlando to play Tulane in a rescheduled matchup on Saturday, November 5, at 4 p.m.
