CINCINNATI — Jerome Ford and No. 3 Cincinnati ran all over UCF at Nippert Stadium crushing the Knights 56-21 on Saturday.
Ford scored four times in the first half and finished with 189 yards on the ground. The Bearcats never trailed and UCF only scored three times. Until Mark-Anthony Richards’ 2-yard touchdown run with 1:48 left, the Knights were headed towards their least points scored since the 2016 Cure Bowl (13).
The Knights (3-3) struggled on third down, converting only 6 of 16. UCF punted on six straight drives to open the game.
“We didn’t play well,” Knights coach Gus Malzahn said. “For us to have a chance, we would have had to play really well. Offensively in the first half, we [weren’t] able to get anything going. They beat us handily.”
The loss is UCF’s third in the past four games after star quarterback Dillon Gabriel broke his left (throwing) collarbone. The Knights will need to win three of their final six contests to achieve bowl eligibility.
UCF quarterback Mikey Keene completed 16 of 27 passes for 141 yards for 1 touchdown. His 2 interceptions led to 14 points for Cincinnati.
“He’s still learning,” Malzahn said. “It’s not an easy environment for anyone, much less a true freshman. He’s growing and he’s learning on the run. He’ll continue to get better.”
Senior running back Isaiah Bowser returned after missing two games, but UCF finished with 155 yards on the ground. Bowser carried the ball 13 times for 27 yards and 1 touchdown.
“We weren’t able to run the football,” Malzahn said. “[Cincinnati] is a good defense. You’ve got to be able to run the football and explosive plays and we weren’t able to do that.”
A shanked punt that only traveled 8 yards set up Cincinnati at UCF’s 38-yard line on their opening possession. Eight plays later, Ford scored his first touchdown.
“We’ve got to protect the punter,” Malzahn said. “That’s not good.”
Keene was sacked on third down on the Knights’ second drive. The Bearcats drove 66 yards on 10 plays as Ford scored his second from 1 yard out after defensive lineman Big Kat Bryant jumped offsides on third down.
The Knights settled down on defense and actually forced the Bearcats to punt on back-to-back drives to open the second quarter. UCF’s offense, however, provided no help going three-and-out four straight drives.
“They challenged us,” Malzahn said. “Their defensive front is real. We had a couple of opportunities in the run game, but just not really executing it like we needed to.”
Ford ran for 20 yards then caught a pass for 23 to set up Desmond Ridder’s lone touchdown pass. Alec Pierce made a leaping 19-yard grab over Quadric Bullard in the corner end zone putting the Bearcats up 21-0.
Ford only needed one play to score his third touchdown, turning on the burners to go 79 yards. Keene’s first interception led to Ford’s fourth touchdown.
UCF had two successful possessions with the first coming before halftime. Keene led the Knights on an 8-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Johnson. Cincinnati led 35-7 at halftime.
“This week, we didn’t play to our standard,” UCF redshirt senior Anthony Montalvo said. “I think there was a lot left on the field. We left a lot of meat on the bone, especially me. I didn’t play my game like I was supposed to.”
UCF’s defense pitched a shutout in the third quarter, but Keene’s second interception went the other direction for a 74-yard touchdown from Bearcats cornerback Coby Bryant.
“I don’t know how many pick-sixes we’ve had but it’s more in one season I’ve ever had,” Malzahn said. “We’ve got to do a better job with that. That was a big play in the game.”
The Knights responded with their second touchdown relying on Bowser twice in the Wildcat formation. Bowser scored his sixth touchdown of the season, punching the ball in from 4 yards out.
UCF wide receiver Jaylon Robinson missed his third straight game with a knee injury. In his absence, Ryan O’Keefe caught 7 passes for 60 yards. He also ran the ball once for 51 yards to lead the team in rushing yards.
“Everbody is devasted, but a loss is a loss,” Montalvo said. “Like the coaches said, on to the next one. We have a quick turnaround and just have to pick it up where we left off.”
The Knights return to the Bounce House next Friday vs. the Memphis Tigers, who won 35-17 over Navy on Thursday.
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