5 things learned from UCF’s season-ending loss at No. 11 BYU

UCF scored two early touchdowns but couldn’t find a way to hold on as No. 11 BYU scored 31 unanswered points before handing the Knights a 41-21 loss at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday.

The loss ends the season for UCF (5-7), keeping the Knights out of a bowl for a second consecutive year.

Here’s a look at five key takeaways from UCF’s loss.

Fast start not enough for Knights on road

UCF scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions to start the game against BYU on Saturday.

It was the first time that the Knights scored 14 points in the first quarter in any of their five road contests this season.

“We had a smaller group here today and a way higher percentage of guys that made this trip are here for the right reasons and are battling for each other,” said coach Scott Frost. “There were fewer distractions and that played a part in our start.”

“We got rid of some loose ends for lack of a better word,” added senior running back Myles Montgomery. “We were just more focused today with more people who really cared.”

UCF amassed 142 yards in the first quarter but just 16 in the second as BYU went on to score 31 straight points. It was the ninth consecutive road loss by the Knights, going back to last season.

“We played terribly in Waco. We didn’t show up well enough in Lubbock. We battled in Cincinnati, but we made too many mistakes,” said Frost. “This is the best we played on the road, particularly in the first half. We’re just not a complete enough team yet to make the plays we need to make against a really good team.”

Plenty of bright spots for future

Freshman running back Agyeman Addae wrapped up his first season with the Knights on a high note, scoring on a 20-yard catch in the first quarter and later adding a 4-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Tayven Jackson in the third.

Addae was one of several players who offered a glimpse of the program’s future.

Receiver Duane Thomas Jr. led the team with 4 catches for 74 yards while also rushing for 17 yards. Waden Charles had 4 catches for 50 yards and tight end Dylan Wade finished with 4 catches for 31 yards and a touchdown — his fourth over the last three games.

“If you go back to start the season, none of those guys have played very much football,” Frost said. “That’s where we can really improve is just having more guys that have a lot of snaps and have experience. We were so young and inexperienced this year; it’s been two steps forward and one step back with a lot of them all year.”

Wade finished with 523 yards, the most by a UCF tight end in a single season and moves him to fourth all-time in career yards. Jordan Akins previously held the record with 515 yards in 2017.

“I’m so excited to see where the young guys are going to go, like Agye,” Montgomery said. “I can’t wait to see them grow and we’ve got a good base under us now, just to build up.”

Trick plays were mixed bag

Frost wasn’t going to hold anything back this week, especially on the road against a formidable opponent. That was evident early on when the Knights tried a double-reverse that featured Thomas attempting a pass to Jackson. BYU intercepted the pass, and the Cougars missed a 40-yard field goal.

“We wanted to come in and shoot our shot. We had several little gadgets and trick plays lined up and we knew it would probably be tough sledding, running the ball consistently against them, with all the injuries we have up front and as good a unit as they have,” Frost said.

In the third quarter, Addae took a handoff and threw back to Jackson, who ran into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown.

“I played a little bit of quarterback when I was playing little league,” Addae said. “It was really fun. Took me back to my youth days.”

Penalties continue to be issue

UCF entered the weekend as one of the more penalized teams in the Big 12.

That trend continued on Saturday as the Knights were flagged six times, including a holding penalty that nullified a 38-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Thomas in the first quarter.

However, it was the penalties that weren’t called that appeared to bother Frost.

In the second quarter, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed a pass to tight end Carsen Ryan at the 1-yard line. Ryan appeared to fumble the ball and it was recovered by UCF, but officials said his momentum was stopped and the play was dead. The Cougars scored on the next play on an LJ Martin run.

“We certainly weren’t getting any favors today and I understand that,” the coach said. “What I don’t understand is no whistle and a fumble and then arbitrarily saying his momentum was stopped. To me, it should be reviewable as long as there’s no whistle and the ball is dead. But maybe I just don’t understand.”

UCF turns attention to offseason moves

Now that the season is over, UCF’s coaching staff can begin evaluating and retaining its roster while addressing areas of need through recruiting and the transfer portal.

“To be honest, they’ve started already,” Frost explained. “The game’s in a bad place and agents have been shopping kids that are playing for teams with other teams for the last six weeks. I hope we’ve created a good enough environment in our building that kids like being here and we have a lot of kids who want to stay. We certainly have some players on our team that we’re excited to build around, and I think they feel the same.”

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