Game notes
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Time and date: Friday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET
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Location: Acrisure Bounce House — Orlando, FL
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All-time series: UCF leads, 8-3
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Last meeting: UCF 27, Houston 13 — November 25, 2023
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Current streak: UCF, 3 (2019-23)
Setting the scene
UCF is hosting its ninth-annual Space Game, and there’s no opponent more fitting for it than Houston. UCF was founded as Florida Technological University in the 1960s with a mission of supporting the United States space exploration program, developing engineers and scientists for the nearby Kennedy Space Center — the most active launchsite for spacecrafts in the country. Meanwhile, Houston is the home of the Johnson Space Center, which contains the mission control center used to facilitate space exploration.
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UCF designs unique space-themed uniforms for each iteration of the Space Game, but that’s not the only thing to know about this annual spectacle in Orlando. As good as the “Citronauts” (their Space Game rebrand moniker) look from an aesthetic standpoint each year, they look even more out of this world on the field. Here’s a history of UCF in the Space Game:
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2017 – UCF 63, East Carolina 21
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2018 – UCF 52, Temple 40
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2019 – UCF 44, Houston 29
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2020 – UCF 51, Tulane 34
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2021 – UCF 24, Memphis 7
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2022 – UCF 70, Temple 13
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2023 – UCF 45, Oklahoma State 3
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2024 – UCF 56, Arizona 12
UCF is 8-0 and outscoring opponents 405-159 in Space Games, an average score of 51-20 per game. Since joining the Big 12, the Knights are 6-17 overall; yet they’re 2-0 in Space Games with two 40+ point wins. Sure Houston enters with a 7-2 record compared to UCF’s 4-4 mark, but the Citronauts’ dominant history suggests you can throw the records out when they’re suited up in spacegear.
Houston Cougars outlook
Houston (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) finally attained its first ranking since joining the Big 12, checking in at No. 22 in the AP Poll. One week, it faded in stunning fashion. Houston dropped a home game 45-35 to a West Virginia team riding a 5-game losing streak, watching its dark-horse shot at a Big 12 title take a severe hit.
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How do the Cougars bounce back in a road environment? They successfully rebounded from their first home loss to Texas Tech with a 22-point win at Oklahoma State. To show similar resolve in Orlando, Houston must get back to what brought it seven wins, and that’s clean football. Houston tied for third in the FBS with four turnovers through Week 9, but in Week 10, the Cougars doubled their season output with four giveaways against West Virginia.
Outside of the Wets Virginia game, Conner Weigman has done a tremendous job with ball security. The quarterback has 25 total touchdowns (16 passing, 9 rushing) compared to four interceptions, and he’s delivered 300+ yards on a 70 percent or greater completion rate in two of his last four games. Weigman rides a four-game streak of completing at least 65 percent of his attempts, with accuracy among his top attributes.
The receiving production is primarily handled by wide receiver Amare Thomas and tight end Tanner Koziol, who account for 88 of the team’s 158 completions and 12 of 17 receiving touchdowns on the year. Thomas is more of the intermediate threat and Koziol thrives in the short-yardage game, and Houston is looking to get a vertical piece after a season-ending injury to Stephon Johnson Jr. That candidate is Koby Young who recorded season-highs in catches (4) and yards (56) last week.
Although the aerial production is increasing lately, Houston isn’t getting consistent gains on the ground. The Arizona game showcased the peak of the Cougars’ run game, producing 232 yards with Dean Connors and Weigman designed runs leading the charge. The line hasn’t cleared space for the duo in the past two weeks, and Houston looks to regain that element of its game.
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Defensively, Houston has been quite streaky recently. The Cougars started and ended the West Virginia game in brutal fashion but dominated the middle portion. At Arizona State the prior week, they pitched a 3-quarter shutout before letting up three scoring drives in the final frame. What Houston desires is four quarters of a more stable performance, and this unit is capable of stifling opponents. They rank 28th nationally in fewest yards allowed per play, wielding above average metrics against the run and the pass.
Key performers include Carlos Allen, who leads all FBS defensive tackles with 63 tackles, while ranking second on the Cougars with 5.5 tackles for loss. Allen consumes plenty of attention at the line of scrimmage, opening up pass rush opportunities for the havoc-inducing defensive end Eddie Walls III, who has 5.5 sacks and five passes batted down.
One issue holding Houston’s defense back lately is the lack of turnover production. The Cougars intercepted five passes in their first three outings, yet only secured one in their last six. They only have three fumble recoveries on the year, and perhaps one opportune takeaway could have swung that West Virginia game back into their favor. Outside linebacker and second-leading tackler Jalen Garner is one player looking to revitalize that effort, leading the team with two forced fumbles.
UCF Knights outlook
UCF (4-4, 1-4 American) is off to a .500 start to Scott Frost’s second tenure, still in search of its first winning season since joining the Big 12 in 2023. In the theme park capital of the United State, the Knights’ season has mimicked the hills of a roller coaster. UCF’s peaks have been incredibly high, decimating North Carolina 34-9 and West Virginia 45-13. But overall this team is 1-4 in conference play and fresh off a disappointing 30-3 showing at Baylor.
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The Knights are different at home and on the road. In the Bounce House, they sport a 4-1 record and the offense often scores in droves, as evidenced in those North Carolina and West Virginia games. But away from Orlando, UCF only hopes to win with its defense, recording just 34 points across three road games in 2025.
Similar to last year, UCF has cycled through different quarterbacks, but Tayven Jackson is the clear-cut QB1 heading into Week 11. Jackson was instrumental to all three of the Knights’ FBS victories, generating 200+ passing yards on efficient completion rates each time. The quarterback looks to make those types of performances a regular trend, and he may also seek improvement in the mobility department — generating 66 rushing yards vs. North Carolina and six combined against all other opponents.
Even without heavy quarterback contribution, the run game is the foundation of UCF’s offense. The Knights are 28th nationally with 191 rushing yards per game and rank 12th in rushing average at 5.6 yards per carry. It’s a thunder and lightning duo of Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon, with Montgomery operating more as the workhorse and Nixon thriving as the flashy explosive runner, picking up 12.1 yards per rush and a team-high six touchdowns.
In the receiving game, Duane Thomas Jr. has separated himself as the overwhelming No. 1 target, and UCF hopes another contributor steps up. In recent weeks, tight end Dylan Wade has become a reliable threat, rising up to second on the roster in receptions with 23 — only trailing Thomas’ 38.
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Significantly contrasting to Frost’s first tenure at UCF, the defense is much more potent than the offense. UCF surrenders 18.8 points per game to rank 21st in the country, while also fielding a top-20 total defense and the nation’s 11th-ranked passing defense. However, the Knights are averaging fewer than a takeaway per game against FBS competition, searching for better fortune in the ballhawking department.
UCF exhibits a powerful defensive end duo of Nyjalik Kelly and Malachi Lawrence to cause havoc to opposing passing games. The two combine for 9.0 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, regularly establishing habitats in opposing backfields. Negative plays are a significant feature of the UCF defense and one key reason the Knights field the 17th-best third down defense in the FBS, only allowing 31.9 percent of conversions.
In the secondary, Phillip Dunnam has been the most impactful transfer in a defense full of first-year Knights. Dunnam is third on the unit with 44 tackles, and he’ll look to add to his career total of six interceptions, in effort to force Houston’s offense into another sloppy showing.
Prediction
Space Game magic is real. But can Houston be the first team to send Space U out of orbit? The Cougars have been excellent in road environments this year, posting a 4-0 record and playing solid football in the middle portion of all four games. Houston is fresh off a heartbreaking loss, knowing that a turnover barrage is the reason the team is no longer ranked.
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UCF is a bit harder to predict given its ups and downs. The Knights have seen two sensational performances at home this year, but piling the points on Houston’s defense (16.5 points per game allowed on the road) isn’t always easy. This one features a back-and-forth style, with a last-minute score swinging the outcome in Orlando.
Prediction: Houston 24, UCF 23
