After an incredible win against Notre Dame and a coveted top 2 spot in the country, BYU collapsed on the road to an unlikely opponent.
The Cougars traveled to Orlando, Florida to visit the unranked UCF Knights in a game that BYU entered heavily favored.
But when the No.2 team in the country enters hostile territory with a perfect 6-0 record, it lights a fire in the underdog, turning what should be an easy victory into an uphill battle.
And unfortunately, you can’t win them all.
UCF entered the game not wanting to just win, but with the intention to make BYU lose. And they got their wish in a double-overtime home thriller, escaping with the 39-31 victory.
“I just wanted to give credit to UCF,” said BYU linebacker Cade Uluave. “They played their butts off, and they had a great game plan, and it really just came down to them executing versus us.”
Head coach Kalani Sitake also gave the Knights their flowers after the game.
“UCF put us on our heels and put us in some uncomfortable positions,” Sitake said. “So, I want to give them a lot of credit for what they’ve done. They deserve the win.”
Wide receiver Kyler Kasper performed well, despite the loss. He pulled down six receptions for 129 yards and one touchdown. He told the media that losing is just part of the game.
“Yeah, it’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do about it now,” Kasper said. “We’ve just got to move on to the next. It’s football, that happens and you lose and it’s unfortunate.”
UCF’s record coming into this game is deceiving, and their resume highlights something that Sitake said.
“I don’t want to diminish anything that UCF has done, because they’re a quality team,” Sitake said. “They expect to beat great times like that, and they are playing at a high level. They can beat anybody, and we found that out today.”
BYU is the third straight ranked team in three weeks UCF has played. In their first game against No.20 Houston two weeks ago, the Knights entered the half with a 10-0 lead. The next week against No.18 Oklahoma State, UCF forced a fumble on the Cowboys first drive that led to a UCF touchdown. They entered the half tied with Oklahoma State. Both games ended in losses, meaning they were bound to get an upset win at some point.
And it just so happened to come against BYU.
The Cougars are now 6-1 and fell six spots in the AP Top 25 Poll.
They’ll return home on Halloween to host the Arizona State Sun Devils at 1:30 p.m.