UCF is one more game away from a winless season. Mistakes piled up in the second quarter as East Carolina avenged last year’s last-second defeat.
UCF had the new athletic director in the building. The team had the national television audience. It had the last team it had actually defeated in its building. Even the rain seemed to give UCF some sort of chance to level the playing field.
The Knights though had to do their part. They had to avoid mistakes and take advantage of the opportunities when they came. East Carolina was not going to roll over. Especially considering the way the Pirates lost last year to the Knights on a Thursday-night Hail Mary.
UCF took the 7-0 lead on the opening drive and gave up the game-tying drive. Then the mistakes came.
Tristan Payton fumbled the ensuing kickoff. East Carolina scored on the next drive.
Justin Holman drove the Knights to the Pirates’ 25-yard line before throwing an interception. UCF punted on every other drive for the rest of the game. Holman got hurt and the revolving door of quarterbacks began.
UCF never had a chance as East Carolina ran away with a 44-7 win at Bright House Networks Stadium.
Pirates quarterback Blake Kemp threw for 465 yards and four touchdowns as the Knights defense was torched again. The offense did not help much gaining only 232 total yards.
The whole thing collapsed as UCF gave up 17 points in the second quarter to fall behind 31-7 at the half. Mistake after mistake and missed opportunity came and went and UCF was out of the game.
The problems are not anything new for UCF. Nothing really has changed.
Holman threw for only 110 yards, completing just 9 of 17 passes. He missed several throws too as he continued to lack the touch. Holman has struggled all year to find a rhythm after showing so much promise last year. He left the game with a high ankle sprain in the second quarter.
His best throw came when he threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Payton called back for holding. It was points off the board and a momentum killer with UCF trailing 14-7.
Again missed opportunities. East Carolina scored on the next drive and UCF was too deep in the hole.
The backup quarterbacks could not get much traction either. About the only positive play UCF made in the second half was an onside kick on the opening kickoff. It was perfectly executed, but a three and out made it irrelevant in the end.
The lost offense — no run game and no pass game to speak of — gave no support to the overmatched defense. This game was over by halftime as the Knights just have no firepower and no momentum at all.
This is a team looking forward to Thanksgiving. Because after that, the season will be over. And there will be very little positive to take from these 11 disastrous games.
