Knights’ defense steps up; QB more at ease | 5 things we learned from UCF win over TCU

UCF capitalized on a strong defensive performance and a record-setting showing by quarterback Keyone Jenkins to defeat TCU at home, 21-13, on Saturday.

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This marked the second straight season the Knights kicked off their Big 12 schedule with a win, and the fifth straight year they started with a solid 3-1 record.

The defense was relentless, forcing four turnovers and sacking the quarterback four times as Horned Frogs to their lowest offensive production since the season opener.

UCF travels to Houston Saturday, hoping to snap a 10-game road losing streak. Here are five things we learned from the Knights’ win over TCU:

Knights’ defensive front dominates

A week after allowing 24 points in the first half against Georgia State, UCF made it its mission to be more forceful up front on defense.

Edge rushers Isaiah Nixon and Ken Talley, along with defensive tackles Jeffson Lafontant and Horace Lockett, applied constant pressure on TCU quarterback Jaden Craig. Craig was hurried six times and sacked a season-high four times.

The Knights also registered eight tackles for loss, the second-most on the season.

“Hats off to my coaching staff,” said coach Scott Frost. “This is a team effort … especially to get the defense to play that well after last week; it was a special job by the defensive staff.”

Lafontant said the defensive linemen took up the challenge.

“The whole week we was getting it,” said Lafontant, who finished with four tackles, a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. “We talked about needing to get more effort up front, so we took it as a challenge from coach.”

Jenkins is getting comfortable in the offense

After an uneven first start against Georgia State last week, Jenkins found his rhythm early against TCU.

The senior, who was making his second start in place of the injured Alonza Barnett III, completed his first five passes on Saturday before his first incompletion. He would go on to complete 14 straight pass attempts, finishing 19 of 20 for 160 yards and a touchdown.

The 95% completion rate is a program record for a single game, previously set by current UCF quarterback coach McKenzie Milton on Oct. 28, 2017. The 14 straight completions are the fourth-best such streak, also tying him with Milton on Nov. 11, 2017.

“I’m way more comfortable from last Saturday to this Saturday,” said Jenkins. “For me, it’s being more relaxed and getting through my progressions.”

It was a far cry from his performance against GSU when he was 7 of 17 for 86 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Jenkins is 26 of 37 (70%) for 244 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception, while rushing for 34 yards and two touchdowns as a starter this season.

The only drawback against TCU was two lost fumbles.

“He’s a competitor and coming off the field, he knew he shouldn’t have done that,” said Frost. “So doesn’t really do a lot of good for me telling him not to do that after the fact.”

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Tight ends get larger role in offense

Tight ends Dylan Wade and Caden Piening stepped up against TCU, finishing with seven combined catches for 48 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Horned Frogs. This comes a week after both Wade and Piening failed to catch a pass against Georgia State.

The touchdown was Piening’s first, and the 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end caught the ball at the TCU 5 before dragging several defenders into the end zone for a 19-yard score late in the second quarter.

Frost quickly thanked athletics director Terry Mohajir for renewed attention to the spot.

“His one comment to me is we’ve got to make sure and call players sometimes, not just plays, and we did that,” said Frost.

“I told you guys last week, we need to get the tight ends more involved,” said Jenkins. “We did just that this week.”

UCF shuts down TCU ground game

The Knights entered this weekend as the worst team in the Big 12 in rush defense, allowing nearly 138 yards per game through the first three games of the season.

On Saturday, the defense held TCU to a season-low 33 yards on 27 carries. It’s the lowest single-game output by the Horned Frogs since totaling just 10 yards against Arizona State on Sept. 26. 2025.

“My message to the team before the game was we had to hit them before they hit us on both sides of the ball,” said Frost.

The 33 yards were the lowest rushing total by an opponent since Arizona on Nov. 2, 2024.

Atticus Bartram remains solid at punter

Special teams has been one of the strengths of this UCF team so far this season and punter Atticus Bartram is no exception.

The Australian punter entered the game averaging 46.6 yards per punt, but on Saturday, he belted out four punts, averaging 53 yards per kick. He even had a season-long 59-yarder.

Frost pointed to a crucial moment when UCF punted with 1:48 left and the Knights at their own 30.

“You’ve got to get the punt off and Atticus is an athlete, so I went up to him and said, ‘Make sure you get this off,’” said Frost. “I said, ‘I want this 35 yards out of bounds and he sure as hell did that. I mean, it was perfect.”

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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