5 things learned from UCF’s 2nd-half win over Oklahoma State

UCF fell behind 14-0 in the first half against Oklahoma State but rallied in the second half, scoring 17 points. Kicker Noe Ruelas nailed a 34-yard field goal with 57 seconds left to lift the Knights to a 17-14 win over the Cowboys on Saturday night.

The victory salvaged the team’s home finale and Senior Day while moving UCF one step closer to a possible bowl bid.

In the meantime, here’s a look at five key takeaways from UCF’s win.

They are who they are

UCF continued its season-long trend of getting in its own way, particularly on offense.

The Knights were penalized 10 times during the game against OSU, nine of which occurred on offense, including four false starts. Over the entire season, the team has been penalized 83 times, with 37 of those penalties being pre-snap infractions.

“As much as we talk about working on those things, that’s who we are right now,” coach Scott Frost explained. “We have to wear that. I have to wear that as a head coach, our assistants have to wear it and the players have to wear it. That kills drives and it did tonight.

“It’s the between-the-snap fouls that you can’t always control and those are an experience and discipline thing. I would have hoped we were better at that at this point.”

Added tight end Dylan Wade: “We’ve got to stick together. Just try to shorten down penalties next week and keep playing. Try to stay in front of the chains. Try not to get behind the chains.”

Kicker Ruelas continues to impress

Ruelas’ lone field goal on Saturday marked his first game-winning kick since transferring to the Knights from James Madison in the offseason. This moment was particularly significant for the redshirt senior on Senior Day.

“I’m just happy to send the seniors out on a high note,” Ruelas said. “We’ve got one more opportunity, so hopefully we can go to Provo [Utah] and shock a few people and get bowl-eligible.”

Ruelas has connected on 88% (15 of 17) of his field goal attempts and 97% (29 of 30) of his extra point attempts. His strong performance has earned him a spot as one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which is given to college football’s top kicker.

“I knew he was going to make it,” said quarterback Tayven Jackson. “We knew he was going to make it when there were four minutes left. It was a great opportunity for him.”

Wade emerges as go-to option

The tight end’s 83-yard touchdown catch to start the second half was certainly a spark needed by the Knights, who trailing 14-0 at the half.

The junior finished with a career-high 145 yards on four catches with two touchdowns for Saturday evening. It was the most receiving yards this season, eclipsing Chris Domercant’s 89 yards against West Virginia on Oct. 18.

“He got a game ball tonight,” Frost said. “That’s two games at home where we needed a spark and we were on fumes and he made a huge play for us. He made two tonight. He’s a big part of this. He’s become one of our best weapons, and he certainly can keep improving.”

Wade had 6 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown last week in UCF’s 48-9 loss at Texas Tech.

He leads the team in receiving yards (492) and receiving touchdowns (4).

QB Jackson guts through rough showing

It was another tough start for the redshirt junior quarterback, who tossed two interceptions in the first half as UCF’s offense stalled out. It was the fifth straight game that he’s thrown at least one interception.

Jackson finished 16 of 25 for 271 yards and two touchdowns, his first multi-touchdown game since throwing two against West Virginia on Oct. 28.

Still, it was the miscues that bothered him the most.

“I hate throwing picks, but it’s a part of the game,” Jackson said. “Everyone throws picks. Go watch football on TV, but I got it. I’ve got to learn from them.”

“When Tayven does things right, he’s good,” added Frost. “He’s playing his first full year of football.”

Bowl eligibility remains

Saturday’s win means UCF could still qualify for the postseason after missing out last season if the Knights can find a way to upset No. 11 BYU in Utah. A bowl bid would mean a lot to the team, especially given how the season has gone.

“It would be great for the seniors,” said Jackson. “It’s totally necessary for us to continue progressing as a program. That’s definitely a goal we set out to achieve at the beginning of the year; certainly, a couple of games would already have gotten us there. But we have one more chance against an excellent team, so we’re going to shoot our shot.”

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