The UCF wide receiver Tyren Hornes hopped in the Bounce House on Saturday in Orlando. The freshman rebounded after being hit by BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker.
Then he soared.
After regaining his footing, Hornes sped down the sideline for a gain of 56 yards on a third-and-17 that started with him catching a screen pass. The Knights concluded that third-quarter drive with a Keyone Jenkins quarterback sneak that clinched a go-ahead touchdown.
They indeed required one more of those in what became a mystical ending to a match that ebbed and flowed more than the unpredictable, rainy Florida weather.
However, No. 2 BYU never managed to bring UCF back down to reality. Following an end-of-regulation sequence that included a series of frustrating officiating descriptions and a blocked field goal — along with two overtime periods — the Knights recorded a remarkable 39-31 victory in their history book through a fourth-down stop close to the end zone.
This marks UCF’s first triumph over an AP top-five opponent. Previously, the Knights had lost six consecutive games in that category.
“I’m proud of our kids. I’m thrilled for UCF,” remarked head coach Scott Frost, who is in his second term guiding a program he successfully led to a 13-0 record in 2017.
Frost further commented during that on-field postgame chat: “That’s the strangest conclusion to a game I’ve ever witnessed.”
UCF (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) achieved the upset against BYU (6-1, 3-1) on a day when another top team also fell, as No. 8 Texas Tech lost to unranked Cincinnati earlier.
The Cougars’ loss follows a week after they defeated then-No. 2 Notre Dame in a game that was not without its own controversies, resulting in BYU being ranked among the top two in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1984.
BYU scored on its initial drive of Saturday’s match. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier — who caught a touchdown, ran for two others, and threw for the game-winning score a week prior against Notre Dame — delivered a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kyler Kasper over the middle.
However, the back-and-forth soon commenced.
UCF leveled the score early in the second quarter when running back Landen Chambers found the end zone from 2 yards out.
A drop from wide receiver Waden Charles cost the Knights a touchdown on their subsequent drive, but they still secured a field goal to take a 10-7 lead.
A Bachmeier run restored BYU’s advantage later on; however, eventually, a deflected pass that turned into an interception paved the way for a UCF touchdown that put Frost’s squad ahead 17-14 at halftime. Jenkins, a senior starting his fifth consecutive game in place of the injured Alonza Barnett III, found Chambers in the flat for a 6-yard touchdown, igniting a wave of excitement.
BYU emerged from the halftime break and reclaimed the lead. A 27-yard run from running back Preston Rex, which stemmed from an option pitch, powered a touchdown drive that saw Bachmeier and Kasper connect on fourth-and-4. Ultimately, running back Sione Moa pushed in for a 1-yard touchdown.
The Hornes-inspired touchdown drive swung the momentum once more.
A 47-yard field goal by BYU tied the game at 24 each. As the fourth quarter progressed, UCF almost grabbed the lead on a 12-play drive that was halted just short of the end zone by a determined Cougars goal-line stand.
What followed was total chaos.
BYU took possession from its own 1-yard line with just over a minute and a half left in regulation. Instead of playing with urgency, Kalani Sitake’s team took its time and ended up punting after three rushing attempts.
This handed UCF another chance for a game-winning drive. A 21-yard catch and run by Chambers propelled the Knights into field-goal territory. Frost chose to keep his offense on the field. As it began to look like this decision might backfire when BYU tackled Jenkins.
Fortunately for the Knights, Jenkins managed to release the ball before being sacked. An intentional grounding was not called. Initially, the on-field ruling was a fumble that BYU recovered; however, that call was reversed, while an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Cougars from that play still stood.
Consequently, UCF advanced to the BYU 28-yard line. From that point, their would-be game-winning 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
It appeared the Knights might get another chance as the kick occurred on third down and their kicker, Will Stone, recovered the loose ball. However, due to Stone’s helmet coming off during the play, a 10-second runoff was enacted, and UCF had no timeout to call for a stoppage.
There was also a debate regarding whether a facemask penalty should have been issued on that play and how it might have impacted the situation.
Veteran rules analyst Terry McAulay contributed on social media that there should not have been a 10-second runoff.
“The clock stopping for the helmet removal wasn’t the sole reason it stopped,” McAulay expressed on X. “It also halted because it was the end of a legal kick play.”
McAulay referenced the rule book, which states that a 10-second runoff is applicable under conditions where the helmet removal is the only reason for stopping the clock (barring an injury to the player or their teammate).
The excitement carried into overtime, though the focus shifted back to incredible plays rather than contentious reviews.
On third-and-13 during the first overtime, Bachmeier connected with wide receiver Legend Glasker for a 28-yard touchdown. On UCF’s first play of overtime, Jenkins evaded a sack, bought time, and launched a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Derry.
In the second overtime period, a roughing the kicker penalty on BYU prolonged a Knights drive that was initially destined for three points. They ended up scoring eight instead.
Jenkins, who concluded the game with 293 yards and three touchdowns on 25-of-41 passing, found tight end Grayson Brousseau for the decisive score. Hornes then lunged for a catch that converted the necessary 2-point attempt.
In a win that UCF secured through defensive effort, Hornes finished with six receptions and 137 receiving yards. Bachmeier’s fourth-and-goal pass went incomplete, leading to Knights fans jumping — up and down, in overwhelming joy.
