Conner Weigman threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a game-high 82 yards to lead the Houston Cougars to a gritty 30-27 Big 12 victory over the UCF Knights.
The Texas A&M transfer quarterback orchestrated his third career game-winning or fourth quarter go ahead drive with a 15-play, 62-yard march late in the final period in front of 44,206 at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando. Senior kicker Ethan Sanchez capped the comeback with a game-winning field goal, a 22-yarder, with 2:31 left to play in the game, spoiling UCF’s annual Space Game, honoring the area’s space program. It was the Knights’ first loss after winning the initial eight games as the self-proclaimed “Citronauts” for the special game.
“He was money again today,” said Houston Head Coach Willie Fritz of Sanchez, who booted three field goals in the game to bring his total to 19 for the season. That ranks second all-time and just two behind the program’s single season record.
Sanchez tied the game, 27-27, with a 30-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter after connecting on a 40-yarder at the end of the first half to cut the UCF lead to 24-17. It ended a wild second quarter in which the two teams combined for 38 points.
Still, however, the victory was not secured until junior free safety Kentrell Webb recorded his first career interception, a pick in the endzone on the Knights’ final possession.
It helped overcome a mistake-filled game in which both teams were victims of a pick-six.
“We didn’t play great,” Fritz said. “We made some critical mistakes throughout the game. But the kids really played hard. And we made enough plays to win. So, I’m very, very proud of the effort they put forth.”
The Cougars improve to 8-2 on the season and 5-2 in Big 12 play. They are 5-0 on the road this season and still hold onto hope for a chance at the league championship game. Houston sits just behind Texas Tech, BYU, and Cincinnati, all with one conference loss.
UCF slips to 4-5 overall and 1-5 in the conference.
Weigman, who came into the game having thrown just four interceptions all season, was picked off three times in the game, all by UCF senior DB Phillip Dunnam. One of those, Dunnam returned 43 yards for a touchdown and late in the second quarter the “Nauts'” lead was extended to 24-14. Dunnam’s three picks are the most in a game in UCF program history.
But twice Weigman helped rally the Coogs from 10-point deficits. UCF jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 37-yard field goal by Noe Ruelas, who late in the third quarter nailed a career-high 54-yarder to become the first player in program history to drill three-or-more field goals of 50-plus yards in a single season.
The pace picked up considerably over the final eight minutes of the first half. Weigman connected on a 64-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Amare Thomas, who hauled in his program-tying single season record eighth touchdown pass. Then moments later, the Cougars took a 14-10 lead with a 45-yard pick six by junior linebacker Latreveon McCutchin.
But UCF rebuilt its 10-point lead on a 15-yard touchdown run by Jaden Nixon followed by Dunnam’s pick six.
The Cougars lost the turnover battle but persevered behind Weigman, who tied the game at 24 midway through the third quarter with the only touchdown of the second half, a 9-yard scoring strike to Dean Connors.
Weigman’s main target, senior tight end Tanner Koziol hauled in a game-high eight passes, good for 66 yards. Koziol has caught a pass in 25 consecutive games.
