UCF Stuns No. 2 BYU 39-31 in Double Overtime Behind Keyone Jenkins

BYU had first-and-goal at the UCF 8 with a chance to force a third overtime. Four plays later, the Cougars were still on the wrong side of the goal line, and the Acrisure Bounce House was celebrating the biggest win in UCF history.

UCF beat No. 2 BYU 39-31 in double overtime on Saturday, Oct. 24, in front of a homecoming crowd of 45,112 in Orlando. The Knights snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 4-3 and 2-2 in the Big 12. BYU, which came in unbeaten and ranked No. 2 in the AP poll and No. 3 in the coaches poll, fell to 6-1 and 3-1.

It was UCF's first win over an AP top-five opponent and the highest-ranked victory in program history, topping the 52-42 Fiesta Bowl win over Baylor on Jan. 1, 2014.

A back-and-forth first half

BYU set the tone right away. After UCF went three-and-out on the game's first possession, ending a four-game streak of opening-drive touchdowns, the Cougars marched 84 yards in 11 plays. Bear Bachmeier finished it with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Kyler Kasper, the first opening-drive points UCF had allowed all season.

UCF answered in the second quarter. Landen Chambers ran it in from 2 yards out with 13:44 left in the half to tie it, and after BYU's defense held at the 2, Will Stone kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.

BYU went back in front when Bachmeier scored on a 1-yard run with 3:47 left in the half, a play after a Kasper touchdown catch was overturned and ruled out of bounds at the 1.

The turning point

The swing came just before halftime. With 1:22 left in the half, Thomas Collins deflected a Bachmeier pass and linebacker Tackett Curtis picked it off, his second interception of the season.

Keyone Jenkins took over from there. The Knights went 78 yards in 11 plays in 1:18, and Jenkins found Chambers on a wheel route for a 6-yard touchdown with four seconds left. It was the first career touchdown catch for Chambers, and UCF took a 17-14 lead into the locker room. BYU trailed at halftime for only the second time this season.

The interception was the only turnover of the game. UCF did not give the ball away once.

Trading blows after the break

Sione Moa put BYU back ahead with a 1-yard touchdown run with 9:45 left in the third quarter. UCF answered with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:39, highlighted by a 56-yard connection from Jenkins to Tyren Hornes, the longest completion and catch of the season for both. Jenkins finished it himself with a 1-yard run with 3:06 left in the quarter for a 24-21 lead.

BYU tied it on a long Matthias Dunn field goal with 12:09 to play, and neither team scored again in regulation. UCF had one last shot. Starting at its own 31 with 42 seconds left, the Knights drove 41 yards in eight plays, but Faletau Satuala blocked Stone's 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

Overtime

BYU got the ball first and struck quickly. Facing third-and-13 after a false start, Bachmeier hit Legend Glasker for a 28-yard touchdown, and the Cougars led 31-24.

UCF needed one play to answer. Jenkins threw deep to Josh Derry for a 25-yard touchdown, and Stone's extra point sent the game to a second overtime.

The Knights went first in the second extra period and stalled at the BYU 8. Stone made a 26-yard field goal on fourth down, but BYU was flagged for roughing the kicker, and the penalty wiped out the kick and gave UCF a first down at the 5. Two plays later, Jenkins hit tight end Grayson Brousseau for a 4-yard touchdown. Jenkins then found Hornes for the two-point conversion and a 39-31 lead.

BYU reached first-and-goal at the 8 on a 17-yard catch by Kasper. Bachmeier ran for 4 yards, then threw three straight incompletions, the last one intended for Walker Lyons on fourth down, and UCF had its upset.

"This is the best team we've played, I've got so much respect for them," UCF coach Scott Frost said.

The backup who is not a backup

Jenkins was not supposed to be the starter. He took over after Alonza Barnett III was injured at Pittsburgh on Sept. 12. Against the No. 2 team in the country, he threw for a season-high 293 yards on 25 completions with three touchdown passes and no turnovers, and he added 35 rushing yards and a score. In overtime alone, he went 3-for-5 with two touchdowns and the two-point pass.

"Our backup is not a backup. He had an unbelievable game tonight," Frost said.

The honors piled up. Jenkins was named the Maxwell Award National Player of the Week, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and a Manning Star of the Week. He is the first UCF quarterback to win the Big 12 offensive award.

Hornes had a career-high 137 receiving yards on six catches. Derry also caught six passes, for 54 yards, and Duke Watson ran for 94 yards on 15 carries. Chambers scored twice. On defense, Jayden Williams had eight tackles, Ken Talley had a sack and Curtis had the game's lone interception.

Frost also credited his offensive coordinator. "Steve Cooper did an unbelievable job getting the offense ready, it's the best we've played on offense," Frost said. Frost was named the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Week.

BYU's side

Bachmeier completed 16 of 32 passes for 257 yards with two touchdowns and the interception, and he ran for 37 yards and a touchdown. It was the 11th game of his career with both a passing and rushing touchdown. Kasper had a career-high 129 receiving yards on six catches, 98 of them in the first half. Glasker caught four passes for 54 yards, and Moa ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in his most extensive action since the season opener.

Cade Uluave led the BYU defense in tackles, and Justin Kirkland recorded his first sack as a Cougar.

The numbers that mattered

UCF outgained BYU 463-373, the largest yardage deficit the Cougars have faced this season. The Knights had 26 first downs to 18, held the ball for 32:35 and converted 9 of 16 third downs.

The bigger story was on the ground. BYU came in averaging 223.8 rushing yards per game and managed 116. UCF ran for 170. And a BYU defense that had allowed 15.2 points per game gave up 39.

The full numbers are in the official box score (opens in a new tab), and UCF posted its recap (opens in a new tab) while BYU posted its own recap (opens in a new tab).

What it means

For UCF, this is the program's fourth win over an AP top-10 team and its 11th ranked win overall, and its first ranked win since beating Oklahoma State on Nov. 11, 2023. It was also UCF's first overtime game since the double-overtime win over Memphis in the 2017 AAC championship game. The Knights play Baylor on Friday night.

For BYU, the loss ended the dream of a perfect season and dropped the Cougars to No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the coaches poll. They still sat at 3-1 in the Big 12, and next on the schedule was a home game against Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Cougars are now 4-2 all-time against UCF.

The last word

UCF had lost to Houston and Oklahoma State in back-to-back weeks after hanging with both at halftime. This time, the Knights finished.

"I'm happy for UCF, a win like this has been a long time coming for us," Frost said. "We found it tonight."

Sources: UCF Athletics recap, official box score, postgame notes and awards releases, BYU Athletics recap, postgame notes and poll release, and UCF Football on X. More college football coverage on Undrafted.

Photos: Tanner Pavlovsky / UCF Athletics.