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UCF football is scrambling to save its season and get things back on track after three consecutive losses have completely changed the vibes around the program. On Saturday against Cincinnati, head coach Gus Malzahn made the shocking decision to bench starting quarterback KJ Jefferson in favor of true freshman EJ Colson.
The move didn't pay off, as Colson went just 1-for-4 with -6 yards before he was replaced by Miami transfer Jacurri Brown. Brown played a pretty good game, but it wasn't enough as UCF fell to the Bearcats 19-13 to drop to 3-3.
On Friday, Malzahn announced that Brown would be the starter on Saturday against No. 9 Iowa State and gave an interesting update on Jefferson as well, according to Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
“Not only did Coach Malzahn say Jacurri Brown would be starting in our radio interview this morning, he also made it sound like KJ Jefferson is not really a part of the game plan,” Bianchi reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Brown finished Saturday's game 13-for-20 with 207 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 84 yards on 16 carries. He played sparingly during the previous two seasons at Miami, throwing four touchdowns and four interceptions on just 76 attempts.
Jefferson was a three-year starter at Arkansas before coming over to UCF for his final season of eligibility. However, it has been a rough year for Jefferson, as he's completed less than 60% of passes with 1,012 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has 193 yards and two scores on the ground.
UCF desperately needs upset win to turn season around
Gus Malzahn and UCF are on a massive slide after a 3-0 start, and the vibes around the team aren't looking like they're going to turn around anytime soon. The Knights have lost three straight games — to Colorado, Florida and Cincinnati — and now sit at 3-3 as their hopes of making a bowl game rest in serious jeopardy.
The climb doesn't get any easier from here, as UCF now takes on No. 9 Iowa State. The Cyclones have been playing excellent football this season, as they currently sit at 6-0 and are the highest-ranked team in the Big 12.
UCF's defense really struggled to limit Colorado's explosive offense, as the Buffs marched up and down the field to hand the Knights their first loss of the season. Since then, however, it has surprisingly been the offense that has let them down. Malzahn's group scored just 13 points in each of their last two losses, as its explosive rushing attack has been slowed down and it hasn't been able to find any consistency through the air amid a constantly changing quarterback situation.
An upset this week against one of the surprise teams in college football may seem far-fetched, but that may be just what UCF needs to keep its season alive and get things back on the right track.
