UCF closes out the 2025 season with a loss at BYU
BY Adam Eaton | Sons of UCF
FINAL SCORE: UCF 21 – BYU 41
It’s happened to all of us football fans at some point in our lives. You see the score of a game you aren’t currently watching, and it is much different from what you expected. You likely let out an audible gasp and go searching for a way to get that game on your screen.
I’d like to imagine that, with 3:39 remaining in the first quarter of UCF’s matchup against BYU, someone found themselves in that position based on the Knights’ 14-0 lead.
Unfortunately, if you were looking for some drama and intrigue on the last Saturday of the college football regular season, this game was not it, as the Cougars ripped off 31 straight points en route to an easy win.
Kitchen Sink Game
Coming into the contest against BYU, Knights head coach Scott Frost had vowed that his team would ‘shoot their shot’ and leave it all out on the field. He was largely true to his word, as UCF rolled out a few slickly designed plays and wrinkles that gave the offense a shot in the arm.
Quarterback Tayven Jackson, in particular, looked comfortable early on as he made several nice plays when the offensive structure broke down due to pressure or miscues. All told, a good deal of UCF’s ‘plus’ plays came from a more improvised Jackson finding an open man in a soft spot for the defense.
But alas, chaos could only reign for so long, and the same execution issues that had plagued UCF all season returned throughout the game. And as it’s been the case all season, the Knights, once again, stopped the Knights.
Take a Bow, Lewis Carter
The Knights junior linebacker capped off his first season in the black & gold by amassing 12 total tackles against BYU, rounding out the season with a team high 92 total tackles. While stats are one thing, when you turn the tape on, Carter’s #20 jersey can be seen running sideline to sideline, making plays all over the field. As violent as he is on the field, Carter is as humble and quiet off it, focused instead on putting in the work and leading by example.
Former Knight and current ESPN analyst Leger Douzable recently shared how much he enjoys watching Carter play, citing his speed, energy, and decisiveness.
Taking Advantage
One bright spot for the Knights against BYU was the emergence of reserve running back Agyeman Addae. A true freshman walk-on, Addae logged only ten snaps on Saturday, but made the most of his time, catching five passes for sixty-plus yards and a touchdown, and throwing another touchdown pass to quarterback Tayven Jackson on a goal-line gadget play.
After the game, Scott Frost praised the development of Addae and other young players throughout the season and expressed excitement about the future.
Quote Me On That
Postgame, it was clear that Knights head coach Scott Frost had a few things on his mind as he navigated topics related to the team, culture, and building a foundation.
“Yeah. It’s probably something I shouldn’t say, but I’m honest – losing some guys. We had a smaller group here today and a way higher percentage of the guys that went, made this trip, are here for the right reasons. We’re battling for each other, and I think there was fewer distractions, and I think that played a part in… You can sugarcoat it if you wanted to.”
“It’s hard to say that we should have made more when we have 70 new players on the team, but you got to get everybody thinking the same way and really, when you have – we call them culture keepers – when you have guys that understand what you want, are living up to the standards and then hold everybody else accountable to the standards. You know, those guys in the locker room help get new guys to understand what’s expected. We didn’t have any of that this year because everybody was new. We’re going to be closer to that next year.”
“The game’s in a bad place, and agents have been shopping kids that are playing for teams with other teams for the last 6 weeks. So, you know, I hope we’ve created a good enough environment in our building that kids like being in, that we have a lot of kids that want to stay. Certainly, you know, numbers can change that if there’s something that our team just can’t match. Then kids are doing other things, and that’s too much of a primary driver of what kids are doing and where they’re going right now.”
– UCF Football Head Coach Scott Frost
45 Days to Fortify
The next 45 days for UCF Football will perhaps be the most crucial period the program has seen since elevating to D1 in 1996. And, if that sounds hyperbolic, consider that the Knights are now 7-20 in three seasons of Big 12 play, are already on their second head coach, and will miss a bowl game for the second consecutive season, the first such occurrence since 2005. Further, as college football becomes more overtly tied to money, UCF cannot afford (literally and figuratively) to fall behind due to poor play and apathy.
Scott Frost and his staff didn’t get a full cycle of roster construction leading up to the 2025 season based on the timing of his hire, a point of grace that was afforded to him throughout his first season. Meaningful progress is the minimum requirement in 2026, and the clock has already started running on that expectation.
Based on the results over the course of the season, it is clear that UCF must invest in rebuilding the offensive line, identify a quarterback who can execute at a more consistent level, and find playmakers at the running back and wide receiver positions. Oh, and they also need to keep some of the defensive players that helped fortify the Knights’ defense from entering the portal.
With the early high school signing period opening December 3 and the transfer portal opening January 2, Frost and his staff have their work cut out for them, evaluating the roster, identifying needs, and finding players who fit within the team’s confines and budget. None of this is easy, and there are no guarantees, but this six-week period holds the potential for a much-needed springboard… or a pit of doom.
Next Up
Early High School Signing Day, December 3rd-5th: The Knights have 12 hard commits per 247Sports, with the 15th-ranked class in the Big 12.
Men’s Basketball: The Knights are currently 7-1, including a quad two win at Texas A&M and a quad one loss to Vanderbilt. Sitting at 58 in the first NET rankings, Johnny Dawkins’ team will welcome Towson to Orlando on Sunday, December 7.