The UCF Knights (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) play host to the Kansas Jayhawks (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) tomorrow, as the newly coined Acrisure Bounce House gears up for UCF's first Big 12 night game since entering the conference. UCF is coming off of its first loss of the season to the Jayhawks' in-state rival, Kansas State. Kansas also dropped its week five matchup, falling to Cincinnati on a late touchdown score.
Below, I will be highlighting the keys to success for UCF in its second conference game of the season.
Kickoff: 7:30 pm
Betting Info: UCF +4.5, O/U 54.5
1) A Tale of Two Losses
Both UCF and Kansas lost, but the two teams' offenses looked very different in the losing efforts. The Jayhawks offense was explosive, as the Jayhawks accumulated 597 yards of offense, 445 of which from star quarterback Jalon Daniels' arm. Daniels slung four passing touchdowns and ran for an additional 55 yards on the ground. For UCF on the other hand, the Knights struggled to string together long drives, scoring just two touchdowns on explosive plays. Starting quarterback Tayven Jackson and backup quarterback Jacurri Brown were both injured in the loss, suffering AC joint sprains in their shoulders. Knights fans were relieved to see Jackson return in the second half and finish the game out after the injury, but a lingering shoulder injury is never a good sign. Head Coach Scott Frost has made it clear that Jackson is healthy and should be good to go tomorrow.
2) Stopping #6
Kansas star quarterback Jalon Daniels has looked explosive to begin the year, throwing for over 1,200 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just two interceptions so far this season. Daniels is also a very mobile quarterback, as he's averaging over five yards per carry and has added 214 yards with his legs this season. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch spoke to the media this past week about containing him and improving on their mistakes against Kansas State. "This will be a massive challenge this week," Grinch said. "He's [Daniels] been tearing up people for a long time in this conference. The former All-Big 12 Second Teamer is second all-time in Kansas passing yards, completions, and touchdowns. Daniels even has a chain that plays his highlights!
Jalon Daniels has a chain that plays his highlights 🔥 (via @shehanjeyarajah/IG)
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3) Stepping Up to the Challenge
Outside of the injuries to UCF's quarterback room, the Knights have dealt with an injury bug. According to the player availability report released by the Big 12 this past week, the Knights will be without tight end Dylan Wade for the second straight game. But, the real hits have come to UCF's defense as they will be without standout defensive lineman Horace Lockett and defensive back Jayden Williams. Frost acknowledged the injuries and told media that he is prepared to use his team's depth to his advantage, allowing fresh legs to get more opportunity. "We need to probably keep bringing some young guys along," Frost said. "Give them more opportunities to play, and keep guys fresher toward the end of the game." Frost gave props to his freshman, calling on them to use their talent to step up and fill the gaps in UCF's depth chart.