What should have been a weekend of celebration and magic in the “Magic Kingdom” quickly soured as UCF football players walked off the field in an empty stadium as they had a heartbreaking loss to Baylor.
Everyone already knows what happened on the field but the debacle that followed plunged UCF fans into civil war.
If you scrolled on Twitter (or X) after the game, you would have seen one thing and one thing only. Knights fans unhinged over the fact the student section was empty in the first Power 5 home game. Yes, it’s sad to see, period. Yes, the students should be put on blast. And yes, UCF will get made fun of until they win a conference game but what shouldn’t happen is players blaming the loss on students leaving early and that’s exactly what star WR Javon Baker did.
After the game, in a tweet now deleted, Baker said the following:
“Been trying to keep my silence but it’s bad when the whole football team recognizes everybody leaving at every home game at the second quarter but then y’all want us to play our hearts out when y’all can’t even come support us, y’all doing the wrong bouncing”
This then lit the match as UCF fans turned on each other starting a civil war.
It didn’t end there. QB Timmy McClain’s father went after USF fans, who were minding their own business in celebrating the birth of their new star QB Byrum Brown. The father yelled about how USF will never be good again and even if they did win, they’re not in a power conference so it doesn’t matter all that much. It was another sad display from disgruntled fans.
Sadly, the implosion from UCF football doesn’t stop there. When the OC Darin Hinshaw was asked about the offense “slowing” down, he blamed head coach Gus Malzahn, saying he decides what we do. Hinshaw is not wrong but to throw your head coach under the bus like that isn’t the best look and has people wondering about the Knights locker room.
What was destined to be an amazing weekend quickly soured for a fan base demanding respect as a top football school.
UCF fans might have to eat some humble pie this week and realize that they are not in the American conference anymore.
To rub salt in the wound, USF’s rebuild is starting to see some light.
The hatred the Florida schools have for each other is palpable and even if they’re in different conferences, they need to play each other every year.
My message to UCF fans is: don’t turn on McClain. He’s been great. I even believe he’s better than JRP.
Even though this was one of the worst weekends in UCF history, the season is still young.