UCF RB Taevion Swint Bounces Back From Injury in Win Over Kansas

Taevion Swint bounced back with 133 all-purpose yards in the UCF Knights' 33-32 thriller win over the Kansas Jayhawks last Saturday.

Swint missed the last two games against the then-No. 2 BYU Cougars on Oct. 24 and the Baylor Bears on Oct. 30. He finished with 19 yards and one touchdown on eight carries, and returned four kickoffs for 114 yards.

The redshirt freshman opened the second half with an explosive 43-yard return, dodging Jayhawks defenders and starting the Knights at the 50-yard line. His fellow running back, Landen Chambers, rushed for 26 yards before Swint burst through an open gap to put UCF up 19-7.

UCF sorely missed his blazing speed on kickoff returns. Wide receiver Josh Derry stepped up in his absence and tallied 64 yards over three returns.

Swint's third-quarter explosion proved crucial in giving the Knights enough cushion against a valiant Jayhawks comeback. Kansas scored 25 unanswered points to lead 33-26 with over a minute left in the fourth.

Quarterback Alonza Barnett III marched the UCF downfield and, with one bullet left in the chamber, found tight end Caden Piening for the game-tying touchdown. Kicker Will Stone converted the game-winning field goal to avoid a second-half meltdown.

Swint must shoulder heavier responsibilities in the coming weeks. Duke Watson was carted off the field with a foot injury and was seen on the sideline in street clothes and a boot on his right foot.

Coach Scott Frost did not provide an update on the Louisville transfer in his post-game press conference. He could give a status update in his Monday weekly press conference.

Watson leads the team with 94 carries for 596 yards and three touchdowns.

Swint and Watson's running styles are similar, both predicated on blazing speed to burst through open gaps. The senior's longest rush is 64 yards against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in Week 1 and 63 against the Georgia State Panthers in Week 3.

The redshirt freshman's longest rush is 27 yards against Bethune-Cookman. UCF uses his speed in spurts, trying to balance carries between its trio.

Now, the Knights will likely rely on Swint for the final three weeks. They have back-to-back home games against the Arizona State Sun Devils and Iowa State Cyclones, then end the season on the road against coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.

Arizona State is the Big 12's eighth-best run defense, while Iowa State (13th) and Colorado (10th) are in the bottom half.