UCF Outlasts Boise State, and the Weather, in Opener

Photo Credit: UCF Athletics

ORLANDO, FL– After three hours of weather advisories and constant delays, UCF and Boise State finally got things underway here at 3MG Stadium to kick off their college football season. Both teams entered the contest with first-year head coaches in search of win number one, and it wasn’t going to come easy. UCF propelled back from a 21-0 deficit to win their first game under new head coach Gus Malzahn 36-31.

UCF forced the Broncos to punt on their first possession, and they immediately got into a rhythm with their 2-minute offense to start the series. After an 8-play, 62-yard drive had them on the brink of a touchdown, UCF QB Dillon Gabriel threw a costly interception that was returned for 100 yards by Broncos’ CB Tyric LeBeauf. A huge momentum swing, the Knights punted on their next two drives while the Broncos scored two more touchdowns on a 3-yard run from RB Andrew Van Buren and a 23-yard catch by WR Khalil Shakir.

The Broncos suddenly had the Knights in a 21-0 hole early. A 4-play, 75-yard drive that consisted of two big runs allowed the Knights to get on the scoreboard to cut the lead 21-7 when Gabriel found TE Alec Holler for his first career catch. After a Broncos field goal, Gabriel led the Knights on a final drive before the half and used his legs to break free from a collapsing pocket and find Titus-Mokiao Atimalala for the 8-yard touchdown to enter the half only down 10 by a score of 24-14.

The Broncos’ wide receivers were dissecting through the Knights’ secondary, forcing missed tackles and fighting for crucial yardage to extend their drives. The miscues on defense were costing the Knights, and the Broncos were capitalizing. Broncos QB Hank Bachmeier entered the half 16-22 for 172 yards and one TD.

The Knights were a completely different team in the second half. Their defensive line began to constantly pressure Bachmeier and forced him to be uncomfortable the rest of the night. UCF scored on their first drive after the half to make the game 24-21 on an 11-yard touchdown grab by WR Brandon Johnson. Gabriel then connected with Jaylon Robinson for another score, and a whiffed punt that rolled out of bounds for the Broncos gave the Knights two more on the scoreboard to make it 30-24.

Shakir would haul in a seven-yard pass from Bachmeier to regain the lead, but the Knights would go on a 10-play, 75-yard drive that chewed up almost four minutes for the final score of the game. Bachmeier finished 25-39 for 263 yards and two touchdowns with an interception that sealed their fate. Shakir would finish with five catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Gabriel recovered from some early blunders and finished 25-37 for 318 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions. WR Jaylon Robinson finished with six catches for 140 yards and a touchdown after a couple of highlight catches. Asked about the resiliency of this team, Malzahn knows that this type of win will only continue to push them.

“That’s tough to do,” says Malzahn on their comeback victory. “You get down 21-0 at home against a really good team and just to fight back and what you got to do to fight back to keep believing and making plays and you got to answer the bell again, and they just kept doing it. You could feel it on the sideline. There wasn’t any panic. It was a quality victory that will help us moving forward.”

Knights RB Isaiah Bowser had an incredible first game with UCF, rushing for 172 yards on 33 carries. The Northwestern transfer became a fan favorite in his first game as a Knight, and rightfully so.

“I knew I was going to have a decent workload going into the game and get a majority of the reps,” says Bowser. “I didn’t know if we’re going to run the ball a lot or pass the ball a lot, but I’m happy with the win.”

UCF takes on Bethune-Cookman next week, while Boise State faces UTEP to try and recover from an early loss.

Share This Story:

Related Content

FAU Football
Garin Turner

UCF Rolls Past FAU In Boca

By Garin Turner The UCF Knights defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls 40-14 behind four rushing touchdowns and 314 rushing yards on 56 total attempts. QB

Read More »