Injuries and a vanishing ground game turned a dominant 17-0 lead into a haunting collapse, exposing critical vulnerabilities ahead of a daunting road trip to Oklahoma State.
It was a disappointing night for UCF football on Saturday, who built a 17-0 lead in the third quarter, but was unable to come away with a victory, surrendering 27 unanswered points to Houston.
It was a great start to the game for the Knights' offense, with backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins picking up where he left off from last week's historic performance.
But, with UCF's terrible quarterback luck popping up once again, Jenkins would exit the game in the third quarter with cramping, opening the door for a Cougars comeback.
Jenkins would eventually return, but Houston had already begun mounting a run, and third-string quarterback Kaleb Annett was unable to lead the offense down the field.
Here were the biggest takeaways from UCF's offensive performance as a whole.
Inconsistency in the Run Game
Once again, the Knights' run game, which had been so strong against lesser opponents, was stifled.
UCF recorded just 75 yards on the ground, with lead back Duke Watson being held in check.
Watson mustered 50 yards on nine carries, but accounted for 37 of them on UCF's biggest run of the night.
Outside of this big gain, Watson averaged under two yards per carry, with secondary backs Taevion Swint and Landen Chambers adding 28 yards combined.
Losing Jacob Maiava, UCF's breakout center, was another big blow, with the redshirt freshman going down with a hip injury.
The Knights will need to find a way to continue to be complementary on offense during this gauntlet of the schedule, and give Watson opportunities in space.
Jenkins Staying Afloat
Although the protection was not great, Jenkins was able to extend plays with his legs and stretch the field in the passing game.
Once again, the targets were spread throughout, with ten different players recording a reception.
Monmouth transfer wideout Josh Derry had his best performance as a Knight, hauling in seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.
If Duane Thomas Jr. and Dylan Wade can get healthy, they will join an already productive unit of pass-catchers on the outside.
Will Stone Stays Perfect
UCF's placekicker, Texas transfer Will Stone, continues to be lights out.
On Saturday, he made his only field goal and both extra-point attempts, moving Stone to a perfect 5/5 on FGs and 21/21 on XPs.
Stone has the leg to make from 45+, and getting him more opportunities should be a priority.
What's Next?
UCF's road doesn't get much easier, as the Knights travel to play the red-hot Oklahoma State Cowboys and quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
After losing a shocking Week 1 matchup to Tulsa, the Cowboys' offense has knocked off Oregon, Murray State, and West Virginia, while averaging over 46 points per game.
