Provo, Utah – In a game that started as a nightmare but ended in celebration, BYU overcame a sluggish start to defeat UCF 41-21 on a chilly Saturday morning at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The victory keeps the Cougars’ undefeated home record intact and punches their ticket to the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington.
A Tale of Two Halves
UCF came to Provo with something to prove, and they made their statement early. The Knights caught BYU flat-footed in the first quarter, racing to a stunning 14-0 lead. With the temperature hovering at 39 degrees at kickoff, UCF brought the heat.
“UCF came out on fire,” one observer noted. “It looked like UCF was playing a team that was 0-16, not a 10-1 team.”
The Knights dominated the opening quarter statistically, outgaining BYU 142-46 in total yards and converting a perfect 4-for-4 on third downs. Their game plan was working to perfection as they found receivers wide open in the BYU secondary.
The Turning Point
But championship-caliber teams find ways to respond, and BYU did precisely that. True freshman quarterback Bear started to find his rhythm, connecting with his brother Tiger and getting the offense moving. Running back LJ Martin became the catalyst for the comeback, scoring his first touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-7.
The momentum swing continued when BYU’s defense forced a crucial interception at the UCF 30-yard line. Though they couldn’t capitalize immediately with a missed field goal, the Cougars had found their footing.
Second Quarter Surge
LJ Martin continued his dominant performance, adding his second touchdown of the game. After BYU’s tight end nearly scored on a previous play, Martin punched it in to tie the game. The Cougars then took their first lead of the game with a field goal, heading into halftime up 17-14.
At the break, Martin had 56 yards and two touchdowns, though he was still chasing the predicted 150 yards and 2 TDs. Bear, meanwhile, was working through early struggles with -10 rushing yards, far from the anticipated 60 yards and rushing touchdown.
Third Quarter Explosion
The second half belonged to BYU. Martin continued his impressive day with his third touchdown, capping off a drive featuring a spectacular catch by tight end Ryan. The defense also came alive, recording its first sack of the game and finally calling the UCF quarterback for intentional grounding after he’d gotten away with it throughout the first half.
Then came the explosive play that broke the game open. Kingston returned a punt for a touchdown, extending BYU’s lead to 31-14. Though UCF responded with a trick-play touchdown to make it 31-21, Kingston wasn’t done making his mark.
On fourth down, Bear delivered a dart to Kingston, who turned it into another touchdown. Kingston’s two-touchdown third quarter effectively put the game out of reach.
Closing It Out
BYU’s defense tightened in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble-sack to stifle any UCF comeback hopes. Despite missing their second field goal of the game, the Cougars added another field goal to push the lead to 41-21 with 3:53 remaining.
With the game in hand, BYU brought in its backups and ran out the clock, even taking a knee on fourth down with 28 seconds left rather than risk injury.
Stats
Here are the game’s stats.
UCF | Stats | BYU |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | Plays | 65 |
| 296 | Total Yards | 407 |
| 4.9 | Yards Per Play | 6.3 |
| 254 | Passing Yards | 259 |
| 42 | Rushing Yards | 118 |
| 15 | First Downs | 21 |
| 6/13 | Third Down Efficency | 6/13 |
| 1 | Fumbles Lost | 0 |
| 1 | Interceptions | 0 |
| 6 | Penalties | 4 |
| 34 | Penalty Yards | 40 |
| 24:52 | Time of Poss. | 35:08 |
| 21 | Final Score | 41 |
Final Thoughts
This game served as a wake-up call for BYU. The Cougars appeared to be looking ahead to the Big 12 Championship game, and UCF made them pay early. But credit to BYU for refocusing and dominating the final three quarters.
Game MVP: LJ Martin (3 touchdowns) and Kingston (2 touchdowns, including a punt return) shared the spotlight in the comeback victory.
Key Stats:
- BYU remained undefeated at home this season
- The Cougars overcame their most significant deficit of the game (14-0)
- Kingston’s punt return TD was the turning point
- BYU outscored UCF 41-7 after the first quarter
Next Week
Next stop: Arlington, Texas, and the Big 12 Championship game. The Cowboys’ home will host BYU’s quest for a conference title, but this team will need to bring a better start than they showed against UCF.
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