BYU @ UCF preview
Bounce House
Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2011 ) Central Florida 17, Brigham Young 24
Brigham Young’s hopes of an undefeated season and a major bowl bid likely came crashing down about the same time it lost Heisman Trophy hopeful Taysom Hill for the season last weekend. The Cougars look to rally around replacement Christian Stewart on Thursday at Central Florida as they try to rebound from their first loss. Hill, who had BYU off to its best start since 2008, was responsible for 326 yards of total offense per game and accounted for 13 total touchdowns through four contests.
However, Hill fractured his left leg late in the first half of the Cougars’ 35-20 home loss to Utah State, which limited a Stewart-led offense to two second-half field goals and intercepted him three times. "It was a tough situation (to see) your best friend coming off the field hurt. ... It's a terrible thing that Taysom went down, but if there's a guy that's ready to step up, it's me," Stewart told reporters after the loss. The Knights opened up American Athletic Conference play last Thursday with a 17-12 win at Houston as safety Brandon Alexander forced a game-saving fumble at the goal line with 24 seconds left to preserve the victory.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Central Florida -3.
ABOUT BRIGHAM YOUNG (4-1): Jamaal Williams became the first player other than Hill to pace BYU’s ground attack, rushing for 99 yards last week to move into sole possession of eighth place on the school’s all-time list (2,403). Mitch Mathews (career-high 135 yards) and Jordan Leslie (career-high 117) each exceeded 100 yards receiving against Utah State, becoming the first pair of BYU receivers to do so in the same game since Austin Collie and Michael Reed accomplished the feat in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl. BYU recorded a season-high four giveaways against the Aggies and has committed multiple turnovers in four of its five games.
ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA (2-2): J.J. Worton managed only one catch for nine yards versus Houston, but it was enough for him to become the 10th Knight to amass over 2,000 career receiving yards. Thomas Niles has posted a sack in each of Central Florida’s last five games and can become the first player in school history to notch one in six straight with another against BYU. In large part due to Niles and Jaryl Mamea, who became the 20th Central Florida player to register three sacks in a game last weekend, the Knights have collected 11 of their 14 sacks this season over the last two contests.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Central Florida is one of only two schools in the country (Eastern Michigan) that has yet to play at least two home games.
2. BYU averages 10.6 penalties, the second-highest mark in FBS.
3. After allowing eight sacks in two losses to begin the season, the Knights have yielded only one over their two victories.
PREDICTION: Central Florida 20, Brigham Young 16