Friday night’s college football spotlight falls on the Baylor‑UCF matchup, a game that carries extra intrigue as both programs grapple with recent turmoil. The Knights entered the weekend after an overtime upset of BYU, while the Bears entered after firing head coach Dave Aranda following a loss to Kansas.
At Baylor, interim head coach Joe Klanderman will continue to call the defense while offensive coordinator Jake Spavital receives full creative control. The Bears’ offense has struggled, with quarterback DJ Lagway completing just 52.1 percent of his passes and gaining only 19 rushing yards on 26 carries, and leading rusher Dawson Pendergrass averaging 3.5 yards per carry. The offensive line also needs improvement, though the defense remains solid, ranking 17th nationally in yards allowed per play.
UCF coach Scott Frost brought in Keyone Jenkins as insurance behind Alonza Barrett III, but Jenkins has taken the starting role, posting an 11‑to‑3 touchdown‑to‑interception ratio and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Transfer running back Duke Watson contributes a strong 6.8 yards per carry.
Jeff Sagarin’s ratings highlight a 30‑spot strength‑of‑schedule gap between the teams: UCF sits 27th while Baylor is 57th. UCF has already faced three top‑30 opponents, whereas Baylor has not faced any, underscoring the differing challenges each team has endured.
Despite the Knights traveling to Orlando, they avoid internal upheaval and have seen Jenkins outperform Lagway this season, setting up a game that looks like a coin flip between two evenly matched squads.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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