GAINESVILLE — UCF made its first trip to the Swamp in 18 years, and it wasn’t able to shake off a dismal home loss to Colorado or further crank up the heat on Florida Gators coach Billy Napier’s seat.
The Knights (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) continued to struggle in a 24-13 loss to UF. RJ Harvey was held to a season-low for the second straight week, rushing for just 75 yards on 16 carries. KJ Jefferson, who guided Arkansas to a November 2023 victory in Gainesville, had just 165 yards and an interception Saturday.
UCF was without starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend, who was one of five players who announced they would redshirt the rest of the season and enter the transfer portal before the game.
Florida (3-2, 1-1 SEC) built on its 45-28 road win over Mississippi State from two weekends ago. Graham Mertz went 19 of 23 for 179 yards and a TD, while freshman QB DJ Lagway completed all four of his passes for 50 yards.
The Gators lost both of their previous home bouts against Power Four programs, Miami and Texas A&M, by a combined score of 74-37. Napier, in his third season, now has a 14-16 coaching record at Florida.
Florida has all but secured victory, thanks to Bryce Thornton’s first career interception.
KJ Jefferson and Kobe Hudson were not on the same wavelength on a deep pass, and Thornton made an easy pick at the Gators’ 21-yard line to kill any chance of a UCF comeback.
Florida leads 24-13 with 1:48 left. UCF will drop to 3-2 and resume Big 12 Conference play next week versus Cincinnati.
UCF’s defense continues to pitch a second-half shutout, and the Knights will have the ball back at their own 14 down 24-13 with 4:21 left in regulation.
Florida holds a 349-252 advantage in total offense.
RJ Harvey finished a seven-play UCF drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, cutting the UCF deficit to 24-13 with 7:50 left.
Harvey has accounted for 71 of the Knights’ 98 rushing yards, factoring in Florida’s five sacks of KJ Jefferson. He set up the touchdown with a 35-yard reception off a wheel route.
Saturday’s announced attendance at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is 90,369.
UCF held Florida scoreless in the third quarter, but still has a mountain to climb to avoid a second straight defeat.
The Gators lead the Knights 24-6 as the game enters the fourth. Trey Smack missed a 53-yard field goal attempt wide left for Florida.
RJ Harvey is up to 60 rushing yards on 13 carries for UCF.
Grant Reddick made his second field goal of the night, a 37-yarder, to pull UCF within 24-6 against Florida. However, the drive consumed nearly 8½ minutes of the third-quarter clock, and the Knights are still down three scores.
RJ Harvey is up to 42 rushing yards on 11 carries, and Peny Boone has 37 yards on seven attempts.
KJ Jefferson is 7-of-14 passing for 107 yards.
Another UCF fourth-down failure resulted in points for Florida.
KJ Jefferson was sacked on fourth-and-9 at the Gators’ 34, and Montrell Johnson Jr. flipped the field with a 34-yard run deep into Knights territory. Trey Smack sent the hosts into the locker rooms with a 24-3 halftime lead.
Florida, for comparison’s sake, trailed at halftime by a combined 44-10 margin in previous home dates against Miami and Texas A&M.
The Knights have been outgained 251-119, averaging 3.8 yards per play. KJ Jefferson is 6 of 13 for 90 yards, and RJ Harvey is the leading rusher with 23 yards on eight carries.
Montrell Johnson Jr. fought through contact and dove across the goal line for a 3-yard touchdown run, extending Florida’s lead to 21-3 with 1:50 left until halftime.
UCF has now trailed by at least a three-score deficit in three consecutive games. It has led for 36 seconds combined across the last 10 quarters of football.
Graham Mertz is 14 of 17 for 126 yards, and the Gators’ 109th-ranked run defense has held UCF to 36 yards on 16 attempts.
Freshman DJ Lagway fired a 37-yard strike to Chimere Dike on his first pass of the night, and Ja’Kobi Jackson banged in a 1-yard touchdown run to put Florida up 14-3 with 12:50 left in the second quarter.
It took the Gators just three snaps to make UCF pay for its failure to convert on 4th-and-1 from its own 43-yard line.
Gators quarterbacks are 9 of 10 for 91 yards in the game.
Gus Malzahn decided to roll the dice on 4th-and-1 from UCF’s 43-yard line, but KJ Jefferson was stopped short on a quarterback draw.
DJ Lagway has checked in at quarterback for the first time tonight for the Gators.
UCF forced a three-and-out on its second defensive series, and trails Florida 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Braeden Marshall forced Graham Mertz into a throw well short of the sticks with an effective third-down slot blitz. Florida has an 81-70 edge in total yards, and scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mertz to Elijhah Badger.
RJ Harvey has 15 rushing yards on four carries. Randy Pittman Jr. has the Knights’ lone catch, a 30-yard tight end screen.
Grant Reddick split the uprights from 28 yards for his first UCF field goal, pulling the Knights within 7-3 with 2:32 left in the first quarter.
Randy Pittman ignited the 12-play, 65-yard drive with a 30-yard screen on the Knights’ first play from scrimmage. Peny Boone and RJ Harvey combined for six carries and 27 yards.
Florida methodically marched 75 yards in 15 plays for the opening touchdown, a 13-yard playaction pass from Graham Mertz to Elijhah Badger. Mertz’s TD pass was his 30th as a Gator, and it gives the hosts a 7-0 lead over UCF with 7:02 left in the first quarter.
The Gators went 4 of 4 on third down, with Mertz completing 7 of 8 passes for 55 yards. Badger, Montrell Johnson Jr. and Tank Hawkins recorded two receptions apiece.
Five UCF football players have opted to redshirt this week with intentions to enter the transfer portal this week, a university spokesman confirmed.
Wide receiver Xavier Townsend, offensive lineman Wes Dorsey, defensive end Kaven Call and safeties Bryon Threats and William Wells did not make the trip to Gainesville.
Townsend is the biggest loss of the bunch, recording 10 catches for 69 yards with one touchdown and 12 rushing attempts for 88 yards. He was also the Knights’ primary kickoff and punt returner.
Additionally, kicker Colton Boomer has been ruled out due to injury. Grant Reddick, wearing No. 33, will make his first start.
UCF vs. Florida will broadcast nationally on SEC Network in Week 6 of the 2024 college football season. Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb will call the game from the booth at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, with Tori Petry reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
The 2024 Knights are led by quarterback KJ Jefferson, an Arkansas transfer who was named preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. UCF boasts two also preseason All-Big 12 selections: receiver Kobe Hudson (first team) and defensive lineman Lee Hunter (second team).
The 2024 Gators are led by quarterback Graham Mertz, entering his second season in Florida after transferring from Wisconsin. Florida has four preseason All-SEC players: running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (second team), defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. (second team), punter Jeremy Crawshaw (second team) and kicker Trey Smack (third team).
Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida 26, UCF 23
“UCF needs to grab control early if it wants to exit the Swamp with bragging rights, having led its last two games for all of 36 seconds. Expect better statistical showings from RJ Harvey and KJ Jefferson, who won in Gainesville last year at Arkansas, against a Gators defense ranked 109th nationally against the run. Ultimately, the outcome should go down to the wire — perhaps even the last possession.”
Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun: Florida 41, UCF 38
“Between Florida’s suspect run defense and UCF’s suspect pass defense, stops will be hard to come by. Mertz will lead the Gators on a scoring drive on their last possession, setting up Smack for a game-winning field goal.”
Neil Blackmon, Saturday Down South: UCF 38, Florida 35
“In a game that might be a microcosm of the Napier era at Florida, the Gators will score plenty — but Florida’s run defense will surrender 350+ yards to the Knights as Jefferson wins in The Swamp for a second consecutive season.”
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Friday:
UCF tight end Jordan Davis has been ruled out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Wide receiver Xavier Thompson and defensive back Byron Threats announced this week they were redshirting the rest of the season.
Florida receiver Eugene Wilson III might return after missing the past two games with a knee injury.
Weather.com predicts 76 degrees at kickoff with cloudy skies in Gainesville. Winds are expected to blow out of the northeast at 5-10 mph. There is a 15-20% chance of rain.
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