This loss will sting.

In a matchup that UCF could not afford to lose, they were shutout in the second half against the Missouri Tigers in route to a 38-10 loss.

Justin Holman passed for 209 yards and a touchdown – but threw two costly interceptions before losing two fumbles in the waning moments of the game; one that the Tigers took back 60 yards for a touchdown. The defensive score closed the book on the Knights and finalized the 28 point deficit, Missouri outgaining the Knights 322 yards to 299.

It was an especially tough day for the offensive line, who again continued to hamper the offense with a sub-par push off the line and key mental mistakes. As a team, the Knights averaged a mere 2.1 yards per carry and were sacked six times.

UCF was only able to manage one sack of their own over the four quarters, effectively losing the battle along both trenches. This has been a theme early on, as both units struggled to establish dominance in the Croke Park Classic as well.

Jacoby Glenn was a bright spot at times for the Knights, and intercepted his second pass in as many games late in the first quarter. He had secured four tackles to bring his season total to 15.

The first half offered a glimmer of hope for UCF, closing out the second quarter down only 14-10. The defense had already forced a turnover and the offense seemed to be clicking around Holman. If only the success continued into the second half.

Missouri took over in the third quarter, and scored 24 unanswered points in what seemed like an entirely different ballgame. Tigers’ quarterback Maty Mauk threw four touchdowns on the day to take an FBS lead with 12 on the season.

The game was a shot at redemption for the winless Knights, a chance to prove they still belonged as a top ten program in the nation. Saturday’s loss, however, puts the team in a deep 0-2 hole without any elite matchups to vault them back into the standings.

A conference championship is still well within reach, and will continue to be the focus for UCF as they continue the 2014 campaign at home against Bethune-Cookman next Saturday at 6 p.m.