The Bulls (1-11, 0-8) turned the ball over on three of their first five possessions and fell behind 28-0. UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee needed only 19 minutes to top 100 rushing yards, and UCF scored on five of its first six possessions (twice on Plumlee rushes). Through three quarters, the Knights’ only incompletion was a spike to stop the clock.
USF, by its metrics, had a 99.8% chance of defeat in the third quarter.
“We took our 0.2 opportunity,” Da Prato said, “and made the most of it.”
USF linebacker Dwayne Boyles recovered a pair of fumbles (on consecutive UCF snaps, no less) to help the Bulls explode for three touchdowns in a span of 3 minutes, 44 seconds.
Da Prato said there were no major schematic adjustments, no new wrinkles. The Bulls simply executed better and found one missing ingredient — one that could have easily disappeared as this lame-duck staff played out a lost season.
“Belief,” Da Prato said.
USF finally took the lead with 7:02 left with a 42-yard breakaway touchdown by quarterback Byrum Brown, who rushed for 109 yards in his second career start. USF got the ball back when East Lake High alumnus Joshua Green knocked the ball loose for the Knights’ third fumble of the half. The Bulls took over near midfield with 5:13 left and a chance to seal it. They couldn’t.
USF went three-and-out on three consecutive stuffed runs Da Prato refused to second-guess. Either way, the failure set up a defining sequence that will be remembered on both sides of I-4 for a long time.
“That last drive,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said, “was a classic drive.”
UCF quarterback Mikey Keene — back in the lineup after Plumlee left with a hamstring injury — hit a diving Javon Baker for 41 yards. Keene ran for 9 and, finally, hit redshirt senior tight end Alec Holler, who made a sensational one-handed catch and dragged his right foot just inbounds for a 14-yard touchdown.
USF had one final gasp, but Brown’s Hail Mary bounced to the Raymond James Stadium turf, leaving the Bulls with a sixth consecutive defeat in the series. It will sting for years. “Rivalry games,” Malzahn said, “there’s nothing like them.”
