In a quest for bowl eligibility, UCF football fell short against Texas Tech with a score of 24-23 on Saturday night at Jones AT&T Stadium, despite amassing more offensive yards and limiting the Red Raiders to just three successful third-down conversions out of nine attempts.
In this clash, the Red Raiders (6-5 overall, 5-3 Big 12) secured their sixth season win, leaving the Knights (5-6, 2-6) with another opportunity to prove themselves next weekend at home against Houston.
UCF’s offensive juggernaut racked up 487 yards, surpassing Texas Tech’s 446 yards, marking the eighth instance this season that the Black and Gold eclipsed the 400-yard mark. On the defensive front, the Knights held firm against one of the conference’s top offenses, keeping Texas Tech scoreless in the first quarter and limiting them to 10 points in the second half.
Expressing his disappointment, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn remarked, “There are a couple of things that stand out, obviously not scoring before halftime, which was a tough deal. We missed a field goal and had a blocked extra point when we had the momentum, which we haven’t had all year, so that was tough.”
“Defensively, we battled all day. Overall, it’s a disappointing loss, and now we have to go back home and try to find a way to win against Houston to become bowl eligible.”
With 6:13 remaining in the game and trailing 24-17, UCF needed a score, and the offense delivered. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee connected with wide receiver Javon Baker for a spectacular 71-yard touchdown. Attempting to even the score at 24, Texas Tech’s defensive front blocked Colton Boomer’s PAT attempt, maintaining the Red Raiders’ slim lead at 24-23.
From there, Texas Tech relied on running back Tahj Brooks, ranked fifth nationally in rushing yards, to secure crucial first downs and run out the clock, clinching the one-point victory.
Statistically, UCF rushed for 238 yards and passed for 241 yards, while Texas Tech logged 190 rushing yards and 256 passing yards. Despite holding a time of possession advantage (31:57 to 28:03) and converting 9 of 15 third-down attempts, the Knights fell short of converting these stats into a victory.
In a unique occurrence this season, UCF scored a touchdown on its opening possession for the fifth time, this being the first on the road. RJ Harvey found the end zone with a four-yard rushing touchdown.
On a critical fourth down and three on the Texas Tech 28-yard line, UCF executed a successful fake field goal, extending the drive. Harvey scored from the one-yard line, pushing the Knights’ lead to 14-0.
Texas Tech responded with a touchdown-scoring drive, narrowing the margin to 14-7. After a UCF punt, Tech evened the score at 14-14.
Despite a strong drive, UCF couldn’t score before halftime, and the teams entered the break tied at 14.
In the third quarter, the teams traded punts before a Nikai Martinez interception halted Texas Tech’s drive. The Knights sought to convert the turnover into points but missed a 32-yard field goal attempt.
Brooks broke free for a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, giving Tech a 21-14 lead. UCF responded with a field goal, cutting the margin to 21-17.
Plumlee passed for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Morton passed for 246 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Harvey’s streak of five straight games with at least 100 yards rushing came to an end as Texas Tech held him to 78 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns.
Baker had four catches for 118 yards with a touchdown, while Townsend had four receptions for 38 yards, and Hudson recorded two catches for 52 yards.
Defensively, Walter Yates led the Knights with nine tackles, all solo, while Jason Johnson added eight. Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was the leading tackler in the game with 12 stops, including seven solo.
UCF will return to action next weekend for its Senior Knight against Houston, with kickoff set for noon at FBC Mortgage Stadium on FS1.
