Arizona Wildcats Clobbered by UCF Knights, Lose Fifth Straight Game
Mental note for all Big 12 teams — don’t draw UCF’s “Space Game.”
The Knights annually celebrate the state’s connection to NASA and nearby Cape Canaveral. UCF hadn’t lost it since it started the theme game in 2017.
That didn’t change on Saturday, as the Knights blew out the Arizona Wildcats, 56-12, at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
It was the most points UCF had scored in a Big 12 game. The Knights joined the league last year. Arizona joined this season. It was the first meeting between the two programs and the Wildcats’ first game in the eastern time zone since losing to Penn State in Happy Valley in 1999.
The Knights (4-5, 2-4 in Big 12) snapped a five-game losing streak that dated back to winning its conference opener against TCU in September. The Wildcats (3-6, 1-5) now have a five-game losing streak as it goes into its second bye week.
Arizona must win its final three games to clinch a bowl berth under first-year coach Brent Brennan.
UCF made the game almost non-competitive in the first half. After failing to make a field goal on their opening drive, the Knights scored on each of their next five drives to take a 35-6 lead at halftime. That included a Hail Mary from UCF quarterback Dylan Rizk to wide receiver Randy Pittman Jr. to end the half. Pittman finished with five receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
That streak stretched into the second half, as the Knights kept scoring and had a streak of seven straight drives with a touchdown before they finally had to punt in the fourth quarter.
Rizk finished 20-of-25 with 293 yards passing, along with three touchdowns. Running back R.J. Harvey had another big game, finishing with 184 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Jacoby Jones had five receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita finished 24-of-33 with 256 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan finished with seven receptions and 102 yards, along with a touchdown. That score gave him his 24th touchdown, tying him for third place all-time in program history.
The Wildcats’ run game was awful. Arizona finished with five rushing yards. Kedrick Reescano had 20 yards on seven carries, while Quali Conley had minus-2 yards on seven attempts. Admittedly, as the game got away from Arizona, it stopped running the football.
The Knights outgained the Wildcats 602-261, capitalized on Arizona’s one turnover with a touchdown and UCF produced after a dramatic week that saw a massive amount of change in Orlando.
Head coach Gus Malzahn fired defensive coordinator Ted Roof, made last year’s defensive coordinator, Addison Williams, the new coordinator, and also handed offensive play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr.
Plus, the Knights went with Rizk as their starting quarterback, the fourth different starting quarterback they’ve used this season. He seemed to steady the offense in his first career start.
Arizona’s only first-half score was a 23-yard touchdown pass from Fifita to tight end Sam Olson.
