Heading into Saturday night, UCF was in a unusual spot: looking to bounce back from a loss. The Knights were coming off their first regular season defeat in three years and were eager to get back on the field and shake off last week’s result.
UCF did just that, dominating UConn 56-21 at the Bounce House on Saturday night in the team’s conference opener.
Despite the loss last week, UCF’s offense had not performed badly, putting up 34 points. But that looked like nothing after the Knights torched the Huskies for 42 points in the first half alone.
UCF simply couldn’t be contained, with Dillon Gabriel consistently finding receivers downfield for huge plays. The true freshman didn’t play after halftime, having completed 11 of his 16 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns. All three of those scoring passes were to Gabriel Davis, who simply couldn’t be matched by any UConn defender. He finished the night with 119 yards and three touchdowns.
Helped by stellar defense that included two interceptions, the Knights went into halftime with a 42-0 lead.
The second half saw more dominance from UCF and the return of quarterback Darriel Mack, who started for the Knights last year after McKenzie Milton suffered his injury.
Mack looked sharp in his limited time, completing 9 of his 12 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.
The Knights will head out on the road next week to take on Cincinnati in a matchup that could have major implications for the AAC East.
