FB Hosts UCF in Homecoming on Saturday
10/28/2025 4:39:00 PM | Football
WACO, Texas – Baylor football will host UCF in a 11 a.m. kickoff on Saturday at McLane Stadium in its annual Homecoming game. The game will be televised live on ESPNU and broadcast on the Baylor Sports Media Network.
Brian Custer (play-by-play) and Craig Haubert (analyst) will have the call for ESPNU. The Voice of the Bear, John Morris (play-by-play) will be joined in the booth by BU great Nick Florence (analyst) and on the sideline by Ricky Thompson.
Baylor (4-4, 2-3 Big 12 Conference) will face UCF (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) on Saturday, looking to snap a two-game skid as the Bears enter the final four games of the regular season. Baylor suffered a 41-20 loss at No. 21 Cincinnati last week, which followed a 42-36 loss at TCU on Oct. 18. Following the game, the Bears will have their final idle week of the year, before facing No. 24/24 Utah on Nov. 15, Arizona on Nov. 22 and No. 21/21 Houston on Nov. 29 to wrap up the year.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
• UCF enters the clash with Baylor off an idle week and sport a 4-3 record and a 1-3 mark in conference play. The Knights have non-conference wins over North Carolina A&T, North Carolina and Jacksonville State, while losing in conference play vs. Kansas State, Kansas and Cincinnati, with a win on Oct. 18 vs. West Virginia, 45-13.
• The Knights routed WVU in Orlando last time out, rolling to 578 yards of total offense, including 255 rushing and 323 passing, while holding WVU to just 210 yards of total offense. UCF averages 30.7 points per game, allowing 17.1 points. Offensively, UCF totaled 445.1 yards per game, including 208 rushing and 237 passing, while allowing only 292 yards per game, including 146 passing and 145.9 rushing. Against Big 12 teams, UCF averages 442 yards offensively, allowing 326.5 with 168.3 passing and 158.3 rushing, surrendering 23.5 points per game.
• Lewis Carter leads the defense with 44 tackles, while Nyjalik Kelly has a team-high 6.5 TFLs and three sacks, with Malachi Lawrence charting six TFLs and four sacks. Tayven Jackson has thrown for 1,183 yards on 103-of-158 passing with five TDs and just two interceptions. Duane Thomas Jr. has 30 catches for 316 yards, while DJ Black and Chris Momercant each have two TD catches. Myles Montgomery has rushed 100 times for 522 yards and three TDs, while Jaden Nixon has six rushing TDs on 42 carries and 405 yards, a total of 12.7 yards per tote.
• UCF is led by Scott Frost, who is in his first year of a second stint in Orlando, also leading the team from 2016-17. He owns a 39-41 record in his career, which also included the 2018-22 seasons at his alma mater, Nebraska. Frost was the OC at Oregon from 2013-15. Frost led the Knights to a 13-0 record and an 8-0 mark in the American Athletic Conference in 2017.
• Alex Grinch is the DC, after serving as the DC at Wisconsin in 2024, USC in 2022-23 and Oklahoma in 2019-21, Ohio State in 2018 and Washington State in 2015-17. Steve Coopers is the OC, which followed a year as an analyst at Boise State in 2024. Sean Beckton Sr. is the associate head coach.
• Terry Mohajir is the AD at UCF and joined the Knights in 2021 after the 2012-21 seasons as the AD at Arkansas State. He prepped at Kansas (2011-12), FAU (2004-11) and UMKC (1997-04), and was a former assistant coach at Kansas from 1993-97. Rich Zvosec is the Senior Deputy AD, Chris McFarlane, Mark Wright and Terry Donovan are Deputy ADs.
HISTORIC COMEBACK IN ORLANDO IN 2023
• Baylor made history in its road league debut at UCF in the meeting in 2023, rallying from down 35-7 with just under four minutes left in the third quarter to score 29 unanswered points and clip the Knights in a 36-35 win on Sept. 30 in Orlando.
• It marked the largest comeback in Baylor football history, topping a 21-point comeback win in 2014 vs. TCU, in 2011 at Kansas and in 1080 vs. SMU.
• Baylor has three fourth-quarter comeback wins under Coach Dave Aranda, including 2020 vs. Kansas State, 2021 vs. Texas and the historic win over UCF.
• Baylor's 28-point comeback win marked the largest by an FBS school since 2019.
• The last 892 FBS teams, trailing by at least 25 points entering the fourth quarter, lost.
• Baylor's 26-0 fourth quarter at UCF marks the 21st time BU has scored 26 or more in a quarter in program history and it was the highest scoring fourth quarter in program history, eclipsing the previous mark of 24 points vs. Sam Houston in 2012 and TCU in 2014.
2013 FIESTA BOWL
• In the first meeting in the series, the Knights posted a 52-42 win over the Bears in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, with UCF ranked No. 15 and the Bears No. 6. UCF finished the year 12-1 while Baylor sported an 11-2 record.
• UCF took a 35-28 lead midway through the third quarter and scored 24 of the final 38 points to post the high-scoring win. UCF totaled 556 yards of total offense with Baylor going for 550, including 356 through the air. Blake Bortles threw for 301 yards with three TDs and two picks, adding 93 yards rushing, while Bryce Petty was 30-for-47 with two TDs and 356 yards. Storm Johnson had 130 yards rushing and three TDs, with Lache Seastrunk toting it 17 times for 119 yards.
HOMECOMING HISTORY
• Baylor's homecoming began in 1909, marking the first recognizable collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation.
• The Bears are 51-44-4 all-time on homecoming and have won five their last six and 12 of their last 14 homecoming matchups.
• Baylor has never faced UCF in a homecoming clash.
• The first homecoming came in 1909 after six months of planning by faculty and students. Large delegations of former students converged on the Baylor campus to participate in a concert, receptions, speeches, class reunions, singing, a parade, a pep rally and a football victory. It was Baylor's first "homecoming" which, except during the later years of World War II, has been an annual tradition and has grown to be the largest collegiate Homecoming celebration in the United States.
HOT START FUELS NO. 21 CINCY PAST BEARS IN QUEEN CITY
• Baylor suffered a 41-20 loss at No. 21/21 Cincinnati in its next to last road game of the year, allowing the Cats to jump out to a 24-0 lead in the second quarter.
• BU rallied to cut the game to 27-20 with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter but couldn't get a key stop to give the ball back to the offense with a chance to tie the game. After allowing a seven-minute TD drive, BU fumbled the ensuing kickoff and UC punched it in from 17 yards out to put the game out of reach.
• It marked the worst offensive performance for Baylor of the year, as BU - the nation's top passing offense entering the game - threw for only 137 yards and rushed for 129, totaling 266 yards of total offense in a game that saw BU with only seven offensive possessions, with three going for TDs. UC totaled 376 yards of offense, including 111 passing.
• BU freshman Michael Turner set new career highs with carries (14) and rushing yards (90).
Brian Custer (play-by-play) and Craig Haubert (analyst) will have the call for ESPNU. The Voice of the Bear, John Morris (play-by-play) will be joined in the booth by BU great Nick Florence (analyst) and on the sideline by Ricky Thompson.
Baylor (4-4, 2-3 Big 12 Conference) will face UCF (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) on Saturday, looking to snap a two-game skid as the Bears enter the final four games of the regular season. Baylor suffered a 41-20 loss at No. 21 Cincinnati last week, which followed a 42-36 loss at TCU on Oct. 18. Following the game, the Bears will have their final idle week of the year, before facing No. 24/24 Utah on Nov. 15, Arizona on Nov. 22 and No. 21/21 Houston on Nov. 29 to wrap up the year.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
• UCF enters the clash with Baylor off an idle week and sport a 4-3 record and a 1-3 mark in conference play. The Knights have non-conference wins over North Carolina A&T, North Carolina and Jacksonville State, while losing in conference play vs. Kansas State, Kansas and Cincinnati, with a win on Oct. 18 vs. West Virginia, 45-13.
• The Knights routed WVU in Orlando last time out, rolling to 578 yards of total offense, including 255 rushing and 323 passing, while holding WVU to just 210 yards of total offense. UCF averages 30.7 points per game, allowing 17.1 points. Offensively, UCF totaled 445.1 yards per game, including 208 rushing and 237 passing, while allowing only 292 yards per game, including 146 passing and 145.9 rushing. Against Big 12 teams, UCF averages 442 yards offensively, allowing 326.5 with 168.3 passing and 158.3 rushing, surrendering 23.5 points per game.
• Lewis Carter leads the defense with 44 tackles, while Nyjalik Kelly has a team-high 6.5 TFLs and three sacks, with Malachi Lawrence charting six TFLs and four sacks. Tayven Jackson has thrown for 1,183 yards on 103-of-158 passing with five TDs and just two interceptions. Duane Thomas Jr. has 30 catches for 316 yards, while DJ Black and Chris Momercant each have two TD catches. Myles Montgomery has rushed 100 times for 522 yards and three TDs, while Jaden Nixon has six rushing TDs on 42 carries and 405 yards, a total of 12.7 yards per tote.
• UCF is led by Scott Frost, who is in his first year of a second stint in Orlando, also leading the team from 2016-17. He owns a 39-41 record in his career, which also included the 2018-22 seasons at his alma mater, Nebraska. Frost was the OC at Oregon from 2013-15. Frost led the Knights to a 13-0 record and an 8-0 mark in the American Athletic Conference in 2017.
• Alex Grinch is the DC, after serving as the DC at Wisconsin in 2024, USC in 2022-23 and Oklahoma in 2019-21, Ohio State in 2018 and Washington State in 2015-17. Steve Coopers is the OC, which followed a year as an analyst at Boise State in 2024. Sean Beckton Sr. is the associate head coach.
• Terry Mohajir is the AD at UCF and joined the Knights in 2021 after the 2012-21 seasons as the AD at Arkansas State. He prepped at Kansas (2011-12), FAU (2004-11) and UMKC (1997-04), and was a former assistant coach at Kansas from 1993-97. Rich Zvosec is the Senior Deputy AD, Chris McFarlane, Mark Wright and Terry Donovan are Deputy ADs.
HISTORIC COMEBACK IN ORLANDO IN 2023
• Baylor made history in its road league debut at UCF in the meeting in 2023, rallying from down 35-7 with just under four minutes left in the third quarter to score 29 unanswered points and clip the Knights in a 36-35 win on Sept. 30 in Orlando.
• It marked the largest comeback in Baylor football history, topping a 21-point comeback win in 2014 vs. TCU, in 2011 at Kansas and in 1080 vs. SMU.
• Baylor has three fourth-quarter comeback wins under Coach Dave Aranda, including 2020 vs. Kansas State, 2021 vs. Texas and the historic win over UCF.
• Baylor's 28-point comeback win marked the largest by an FBS school since 2019.
• The last 892 FBS teams, trailing by at least 25 points entering the fourth quarter, lost.
• Baylor's 26-0 fourth quarter at UCF marks the 21st time BU has scored 26 or more in a quarter in program history and it was the highest scoring fourth quarter in program history, eclipsing the previous mark of 24 points vs. Sam Houston in 2012 and TCU in 2014.
2013 FIESTA BOWL
• In the first meeting in the series, the Knights posted a 52-42 win over the Bears in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, with UCF ranked No. 15 and the Bears No. 6. UCF finished the year 12-1 while Baylor sported an 11-2 record.
• UCF took a 35-28 lead midway through the third quarter and scored 24 of the final 38 points to post the high-scoring win. UCF totaled 556 yards of total offense with Baylor going for 550, including 356 through the air. Blake Bortles threw for 301 yards with three TDs and two picks, adding 93 yards rushing, while Bryce Petty was 30-for-47 with two TDs and 356 yards. Storm Johnson had 130 yards rushing and three TDs, with Lache Seastrunk toting it 17 times for 119 yards.
HOMECOMING HISTORY
• Baylor's homecoming began in 1909, marking the first recognizable collegiate homecoming celebration in the nation.
• The Bears are 51-44-4 all-time on homecoming and have won five their last six and 12 of their last 14 homecoming matchups.
• Baylor has never faced UCF in a homecoming clash.
• The first homecoming came in 1909 after six months of planning by faculty and students. Large delegations of former students converged on the Baylor campus to participate in a concert, receptions, speeches, class reunions, singing, a parade, a pep rally and a football victory. It was Baylor's first "homecoming" which, except during the later years of World War II, has been an annual tradition and has grown to be the largest collegiate Homecoming celebration in the United States.
HOT START FUELS NO. 21 CINCY PAST BEARS IN QUEEN CITY
• Baylor suffered a 41-20 loss at No. 21/21 Cincinnati in its next to last road game of the year, allowing the Cats to jump out to a 24-0 lead in the second quarter.
• BU rallied to cut the game to 27-20 with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter but couldn't get a key stop to give the ball back to the offense with a chance to tie the game. After allowing a seven-minute TD drive, BU fumbled the ensuing kickoff and UC punched it in from 17 yards out to put the game out of reach.
• It marked the worst offensive performance for Baylor of the year, as BU - the nation's top passing offense entering the game - threw for only 137 yards and rushed for 129, totaling 266 yards of total offense in a game that saw BU with only seven offensive possessions, with three going for TDs. UC totaled 376 yards of offense, including 111 passing.
• BU freshman Michael Turner set new career highs with carries (14) and rushing yards (90).
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