As Scott Frost assesses UCF’s upcoming opponent, TCU, he notices a few similarities.
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“Our season and TCU’s have been pretty close,” Frost said Monday. “We’ve both played a really tough game and lost a close one. We played an opponent we both had advantages over, did what we’re supposed to do, and played a pretty good Group of Six team.
“We’ve had similar paths to get to this point.”
It’s clear the two teams have a lot in common.
UCF kicked off the season with an impressive 73-6 win over Bethune-Cookman, an FCS opponent, but then fell in a narrow 12-7 loss at Pittsburgh. They followed that with a hard-fought 44-30 win over a determined Georgia State squad on Saturday.
On the other hand, TCU opened the season with a tough loss to North Carolina in Ireland, 15-10, that many considered a mild upset. The Horned Frogs bounced back to dominate Grambling, 63-7, before securing a 31-7 victory over Arkansas State this past weekend.
“Both teams want to continue improving and getting better,” said Frost. “We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Saturday’s showdown with TCU (2-1) also signifies the start of Big 12 competition for the Knights (2-1). It’s also the first time that UCF has opened conference play at home. The Knights were on the road for their first league games the past three seasons.
This is the second meeting between the two programs. UCF won at TCU 35-34 on Sept. 14, 2024.
While a win Saturday (3:30 p.m., FS1) could help set the tone for the rest of the conference schedule, Frost isn’t emphasizing it much, stating it’s just another game.
“It’s just another opportunity,” Frost explained. “Our team has a chance to earn it every week, earn some respect and earn what we want for our season. We’re not looking at anything except this week.”
Running back Duke Watson, who leads the team with 297 rushing yards, believes there is plenty to prove.
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“I really want to show the world what this team is,” said Watson. “We’re way different from last year. We’re a different UCF. The offense is going to get more comfortable and the defense is always on. If we have each other’s backs, we’ll go a long way.”
“We’re going to play our brand of football for all four quarters from start to finish,” said added safety Demari Henderson, who had two interceptions against Georgia State.
UCF’s players have battled expectations since taking the field at the start of the season.
Most national publications picked the Knights to finish in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings, while TCU was projected to finish in the top half. The Horned Frogs are coming off a 9-4 campaign and finished ninth in the conference last season.
Senior offensive tackle Preston Cushman believes this game could help raise the team’s profile.
“As (Frost) said, it’s another game, another opportunity to put us on the map and just help us beat all the expectations, per se,” said Cushman. “People still have got us down, so we’ve got to prove to everyone and earn it. It’s like we say all the time, just earn it.”
That slogan is on T-shirts worn by players, including edge rusher Sincere Edwards.
“It’s a saying that we made this year, because we feel like we need to earn it, not for anybody else but for ourselves,” Edwards said.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram at @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
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Up next
What: TCU (2-1) at UCF (2-1)
When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Acrisure Bounce House Stadium, Orlando
TV: FS1
Favorite: TCU by 3 points