West Virginia and Central Florida will face off Saturday in Orlando, with both teams desperate to reverse the similar, disappointing trajectories of their seasons. The struggling programs are set to clash at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Bounce House in a game airing on TNT.
The matchup features two of the three Big 12 Conference teams still searching for their first league win. The Mountaineers (2-4, 0-3) have grappled with quarterback instability and defensive lapses since beginning conference play. The Knights (3-3, 0-3), after a perfect non-conference start, have seen their offense sputter, scoring a total of just 51 points across their three league losses. The parallels extend to the sidelines, as West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez and UCF’s Scott Frost are both in the first year of their second stints as head coach of their respective programs.
For the second consecutive game, West Virginia is expected to start a freshman quarterback. Redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins made his first career start in a 38-24 loss at BYU on October 3. In that game, true freshman Scotty Fox Jr. entered in relief and threw his first career touchdown, positioning him for a potential first start or an expanded role against the Knights.
“Every week, everybody is going to play you a little bit differently,” Rodriguez said, acknowledging the challenge of preparing inexperienced quarterbacks. “You have to dial back as coaches a little bit. We have to be very conscious about how much we put in and add while these guys get their experience.”
Whoever is under center will be tasked with revitalizing an offense that has scored only 48 points and one first-half touchdown in three Big 12 games. The offensive line has struggled with pass protection and creating running lanes, a problem that will be tested by UCF’s defense.
Despite their overall record, the Knights have been respectable on defense, allowing 27 points per game in conference play and ranking fifth in the Big 12 in scoring defense at 17.8 points per game overall. Oklahoma transfer Lewis Carter leads the team with 38 tackles.
“Very athletic guys up front,” Rodriguez said of the UCF defense. “Speed off the edge is a concern. They’ll play a lot of man coverage in the secondary because they can. They’re very active.”
Meanwhile, West Virginia’s defense is seeking significant improvement after a bye week. The Mountaineers have surrendered 127 points in Big 12 competition and yielded 1,048 total yards in their last two games against Utah and BYU.
The unit will face a UCF offense set to welcome back quarterback Tayven Jackson, who missed last week’s 20-11 loss to Cincinnati with an injury. The Knights will rely on a potent rushing attack led by Myles Montgomery, who has 434 yards and three touchdowns, and big-play threat Jaden Nixon, who has rushed for 289 yards and four scores on just 25 carries.
WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley anticipates the Knights will use their ground game to create opportunities through the air. “They’re going to run the ball to set up the deep play-action shot off of it and see if they can take the top off,” Alley said.
West Virginia holds a 4-0 all-time record against UCF, including two victories in Orlando. As his team looks to extend that streak and salvage its season, Rodriguez emphasized accountability.
“I challenged the staff and the players… are we doing everything we can to have success?” Rodriguez said. “Some of it is out of our control, but some of it isn’t. The things that we can control, let’s control the best we can.”
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