The UCF Knights entered this game 1-0 after an up-and-down performance against New Hampshire. Now back at home, they faced Sam Houston. The Knights dominated the Cougars 45-14 in Orlando—let’s break down what happened.
In the first half, the Knights poured it on offensively, racking up 315 total yards and 24 points, including three rushing touchdowns from RJ Harvey. Harvey finished the game with 126 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. KJ Jefferson had a consistent outing with 170 passing yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. Defensively, the Knights came out strong, allowing just 1.5 yards per carry, limiting Sam Houston to only one successful third-down conversion, and dominating time of possession—UCF held the ball for 21 minutes and 58 seconds, compared to Sam Houston’s 8 minutes and 2 seconds.
When asked about the team, Coach Gus Malzahn said, “We are getting better every day. Just building on what we have and being more physical is the key.”
Starting the second half with a 24-7 lead, the Knights maintained their momentum, gradually incorporating backups. KJ was perfect in the second half, going 6-for-6, while the team amassed another 141 yards on the ground, averaging 8.2 yards per play. Although the defense gave up one more score, they held Sam Houston to just 4.4 yards per play in the second half.
With two dominant wins under their belt, the Knights now head to TCU for their first Big 12 test of the year. Between their high-flying offense and smothering defense, this is just the beginning for the 2024 UCF Knights.