Keyone Jenkins battles through late-game scares and center Jacob Maiava undergoes X-rays as the Knights’ depth chart thins ahead of a grueling stretch against ranked conference opponents.
Injuries continue to pile up for the UCF Knights, as several players spent time on the sidelines in a 27-point comeback loss to the Houston Cougars on Saturday.
Quarterback Keyone Jenkins went down with cramps, according to Scott Frost, after throwing a near-pick-six in the third quarter. UCF trainers tended to the senior for some time before helping him off the field.
A dark cloud hovered over the Knights, who have had horrible injury luck over the past several seasons. James Madison star transfer Alonza Barnett III sustained a significant hamstring injury in Week 2, leading to Jenkins being named the starter while he recovers.
Third-stringer Kaleb Annett entered the game for one drive, and Houston forced a quick three-and-out. Annett threw his first career collegiate pass before Jenkins returned and toughed out his cramps.
The Florida International transfer had another injury scare in UCF's final drive. A Houston defender fell on his ankle as he sailed an incomplete pass to wide receiver Waden Charles, leading to a turnover on downs.
He walked off the field with a slight limp. The Knights can't afford a long-term injury to Jenkins, as Annett and freshman Rocco Marriott are inexperienced.
Jacob Maiava went down in the third quarter, and trainers tended to him for a while. Maiava was carted to the locker room, as he couldn't put weight on his right ankle.
Frost said his center is dealing with a hip injury, and the X-rays he got came back positive. The redshirt freshman center is the second offensive lineman injured this season; Owen Spell is out with plantar fasciitis and wore a boot on the sidelines.
Michigan transfer Cooper Terpstra replaced Maiava at center. Jenkins struggled to corral some snaps in the second half and saw quick pressure from the Cougars' defense.
Wide receiver Josh Derry sat out most of the second quarter with an ankle injury. He powered through the discomfort in the second half, which could be a promising sign for his availability.
Derry opened the game, accounting for 62 of UCF's 75 yards in the opening drive score. His 13-yard touchdown catch was his first of the season and joined four other Knights in that category: Waden Charles, Caden Piening, Jonathan Bibbs and Caleb Rollerson.
UCF must navigate these injuries during its toughest stretch of the year. The team will face No. 19 Oklahoma State and No. 10 BYU over the next three weeks.
