High-octane transfers Alonza Barnett III and Josh Derry debut as the heavily favored Knights seek a disciplined, turnover-free start to rectify last season’s costly penalty struggles.
Game time: 7 p.m.
Where: Orlando, Fla.; Acrisure Bounce House
Streaming/Radio: ESPN+/ 96.9 The Game
Vitals: Thursday's season opener against Bethune-Cookman is the first test for a senior-laden UCF roster with new transfers. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III and wide receiver Josh Derry, also entering their final seasons, headline the offense as the impactful additions from January's transfer portal. Barnett's strong arm and Derry's speed could be the perfect tandem to complete multiple 40-plus-yard passes, which the team aims to do every game.
Betting odds, courtesy of USA TODAY
Spread: UCF -42.5, Wildcats +42.5
Total points: Over/Under 57.5 points
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KEY UCF PLAYERS:
QB Alonza Barnett III: 2,806 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions; 127 carries, 589 yards and 15 touchdowns (2025 stats, JMU)
WR Josh Derry: 73 receptions, 1,101 yards, 13 touchdowns (2025 stats, Monmouth)
RB Landen Chambers: 242 carries, 1,273 yards and 10 touchdowns; 28 receptions and 238 yards (2025 stats, Central Arkansas)
LB Lewis Carter: 92 tackles (53 solo, 39 assisted), one pass defended, two sacks and two forced fumbles (2025 stats)
DB Jayden Bellamy: 27 tackles (20 solo, seven assisted), eight passes defended and one interception (2025 stats)
QUOTEABLE: "I think the biggest thing in my message for the team is that the teams that are beating themselves are the ones not winning these early games that we've already been able to watch," coach Scott Frost told local media on Monday. "And we need to try to be as clean as we can from a penalty perspective, from an efficiency perspective and from a turnover perspective."
UCF FOCUSED ON PLAYING ITS BEST FOOTBALL
Frost emphasized playing a clean game, and his players echoed that message during Monday's weekly media availability.
Penalties were the Knights' Achilles heel last season. They led the Big 12 with 91 at the end of the regular season. Their self-inflicted mistakes contributed to the offense's struggles and cost them crucial conference games.
UCF finished with a 2-7 conference record, spoiling a 3-0 start to the year.
The defense faced its fair share of struggles, too. While defensive coordinator Alex Grinch helped turn the secondary into a top-3 pass defense, they could not force turnovers.
The Knights failed to force turnovers in their losses against the Kansas Jayhawks, Cincinnati Bearcats, Brigham Young Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders.
UCF has focused on mitigating those mistakes, which could lead to improvement in those areas.
The program is heavily favored to win against Bethune-Cookman, and the season opener is the perfect environment for the offseason improvements to translate to in-game success.
