Welcome to the Bounce House, everybody! Knox Brevard-Stiles here. I grew up in Orlando, and I design theme-park rides for a living, which means I spend my days making sure people scream safely. I bring a ride-safety gauge to every UCF home game to measure the crowd noise, and I swear on my engineering license that the stands really do move. Please keep your hands, arms and expectations inside the stadium at all times.
We had a bye last week, so this is a two-week ride. First, the honest replay of our last game. Then the main attraction: No. 2 BYU, coming to Orlando straight from a very famous ending.
Part 1: The Stillwater Drop, and a Week in the Maintenance Bay
Our last game was Oct. 10 at Oklahoma State, and we lost 42-28. I'll walk you through it like a ride inspection, because safety first and honesty second, and honestly they're tied.
The launch was perfect. Keyone Jenkins was nearly flawless in the first half: 15 of 18 for 118 yards and three touchdowns. Isaiah Nixon punched the ball loose from an Oklahoma State running back on the Cowboys' second play, a running back who had never fumbled in 314 college carries. Nixon fell on it, and nine plays later Jenkins hit tight end Grayson Brousseau for a 1-yard touchdown. Then he found Josh Derry from 12 yards out, and with 13 seconds left in the half he hit Tyren Hornes for a 3-yard score to tie it at 21. That's a launch coaster, folks. Zero to 21 in one half.
The middle section stalled. In the third quarter, Oklahoma State held us to 65 yards. Sam Keltner kicked two field goals, and the Cowboys led 27-21.
Then the drop. Early in the fourth quarter, we were driving for the go-ahead score when a Jenkins backward pass was knocked down, and Evan Jackson scooped it and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. That's the moment the ride went down the big hill without us. Jenkins still finished 30 of 42 for 265 yards and four touchdowns, and Derry caught 11 passes. Jahleel Culbreath made 11 tackles. We held the ball for 35:15. We just didn't finish.
Then came the bye. A week in the maintenance bay to tighten the bolts, rest the legs and get ready for the biggest guest of the year.
Part 2: Now Boarding, No. 2 BYU
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Eastern, on FOX, at the Acrisure Bounce House. No. 2 BYU (6-0) at UCF (3-3). BYU leads the series 4-1, and I won't pretend otherwise. But I'll remind everybody that the one UCF win came at home, 31-24, in 2014. This building remembers.
The Cougars' Safety Inspection
BYU is unbeaten, and I respect that. The Cougars allow 15.2 points a game, 14th in FBS, and 86.2 rushing yards a game, eighth. They convert 56.5% of their third downs, third in the country. Bear Bachmeier has 1,257 passing yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
Last Saturday they beat Notre Dame 28-24. Bachmeier ran for two touchdowns, caught one and threw the game-winner with 1:47 left. Impressive. Truly. Now let's read the full inspection report.
The day after the game, the Big 12 said its review found that time remained on the clock when Notre Dame's last pass hit the ground, and that the replay crew incorrectly cleared the play. In ride-engineering terms, the ride stopped a few seconds early and the operator admitted it the next morning. The score stands. I'm just saying the Cougars rolled into the station with one wheel still spinning.
And look at the rest of that night. BYU muffed a punt return. It ran a fake punt that failed. A penalty wiped out a 39-yard touchdown catch. The Irish turned the special teams mistakes into two field goals, and Notre Dame led 24-21 with 9:31 left. BYU's passing game ranks 88th in FBS, at 214.5 yards a game. That's a smooth ride with some loose bolts, and loose bolts are my whole profession.
Our Ride Specs
Jenkins is completing 70.3% of his passes, with 806 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Duke Watson leads our runners with 483 yards and three scores, and Derry leads the receivers with 28 catches. We score on 95.5% of our red zone trips, eighth in FBS. We're plus-4 in turnover margin, 22nd in the country. Tackett Curtis leads the defense with 39 tackles, and Nixon has 2.5 sacks.
Honest maintenance note: our passing game ranks 106th and our pass defense ranks 105th, and we've lost leads in each of our last two games. BYU's run defense is excellent, so we'll need Jenkins to keep the chains moving through the air. And yes, AP noted we've dropped 12 straight road games. Good thing this one isn't on the road. In the Bounce House, we have home-track advantage.
Welcome to the Bounce House
Our stadium earned the nickname "Bounce House" because the stands shake when the crowd jumps in unison. I'm a ride engineer. I'm not supposed to say this. But it's my most beloved structural fact in all of college football. This season the Roth Tower expansion raised capacity to 45,906, which means more people jumping. I've run the numbers. They're very bouncy numbers.
The Park Map: A Tale of Two Towns
Orlando. Orlando has more theme parks and attractions than anywhere else in the world. That's not my opinion. That's the encyclopedia. The city had 307,573 people at the 2020 census, and downtown has Lake Eola and brick streets under century-old oaks. And UCF itself was founded in 1963 to train scientists and engineers for the space program around Kennedy Space Center. We were literally built for the space age. Our rides go to the moon.
UCF also has 70,674 students, the second-largest on-campus student body of any public university in America. And in 2017, the Knights went 13-0 and beat No. 7 Auburn 34-27 to finish unbeaten. Charge On.
Provo. Provo is a lovely mountain town of about 115,000 people, with a big Y on the mountain. I'm told the view is great. But let's look at the sign at the entrance. Provo was named in 1850 for Étienne Provost, a French-Canadian trapper who arrived in the region in 1825. So the town is named after a guy who was just passing through with a trap. That's like naming a ride after the guy who tested the seat belts once.
And Provo is the fourth-largest city in Utah. Fourth! Orlando is a destination for the whole world. Provo is a destination for people who missed the exit for Salt Lake City, which is about 40 miles north.
They'll also tell you about the elevation. Their stadium sits at 4,649 feet. Our stadium sits at sea level, give or take a lake. You know what we have instead of altitude? Humidity, and a stadium that bounces. We'll see how those mountain lungs handle a Florida afternoon. I'll have cold water ready for our guests, because I'm a nice host and a licensed safety professional.
And BYU's mascot is a cougar. Fine. Ours is a Knight. Cougars climb mountains. Knights storm castles, and Orlando knows a thing or two about castles.
Final Safety Check
Here's how I see it. BYU is very good. It has a top-15 defense, a quarterback who can score three different ways, and a 6-0 record. But the Cougars made a lot of special teams mistakes last week, they don't throw it well, and they're walking into the loudest, bounciest building they'll see all season. We're rested, we finish in the red zone and we protect the football. If we hold onto our leads this time, the Knights can shake this place to its foundation.
Please remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. Then jump. Charge On!
My call: BYU Cougars 28, UCF Knights 21.