Conner Weigman’s dual-threat dominance erased a 17-point deficit, crumbling the Knights' early lead and pushing their dismal away-game skid into a daunting second year of frustration.
The UCF Knights allowed 27 unanswered points and three rushing touchdowns from Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman in Saturday's 27-17 loss.
Weigman carried Houston early in the second half. He scored on back-to-back third-quarter drives and gave his team a four-point lead with over 10 minutes left in the fourth.
The senior completed 18-for-33 passes for 239 yards and rushed for 50 yards on 50 carries. Saturday's performance was his second straight multi-rushing touchdown game -- after two against Georgia Southern last Saturday.
Houston extended UCF's road losing streak to 11 straight, and the program is off to a rough start, going 0-1 against ranked opponents before facing No. 19 Oklahoma State and No. 10 BYU in the next two weeks.
UCF started strong with quarterback Keyone Jenkins and wide receiver Josh Derry leading to an opening-drive score. Derry caught a 49-yard pass on the second play and ended the drive with a 13-yard touchdown.
It was his first touchdown of the season, joining fellow teammates Waden Charles, Caden Piening, Caleb Rollerson and Jonathan Bibbs.
The Knights' defense had a spectacular second quarter, holding the Cougars scoreless on multiple red zone drives.
Linebacker Tackett Curtis broke up a Weigman pass on fourth down; the senior quarterback overthrew his wide-open running back, and defensive back Demari Henderson forced Patrick Overmyer to fumble at the 14-yard line.
Kicker Will Stone nailed a 30-yard field goal to send UCF into halftime with a 10-0 lead.
Jenkins opened the third quarter with a five-yard touchdown run, pump-faking the defense before rolling into the end zone. He put the Knights up 17, a historically favorable position for the team.
Teams, historically, rarely come back from a three-possession lead, but Houston did.
Weigman answered with a 19-yard rushing touchdown. His dual-threat ability led a historic comeback that overwrote a poor first-half performance.
Houston's defense intercepted Jenkins on the next drive and almost returned it for a pick-six, but Dylan Wade, who was questionable, saved the play. The defense put Weigman into prime position to score his second touchdown in three minutes.
The senior gave his team a four-point lead in the fourth quarter. Weigman and his squad did not look back after scoring 21 unanswered points, extending their winning streak to two games.
UCF will end its two-game road trip in Oklahoma, facing Drew Mestemaker and Oklahoma State at noon next Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.
