Everyone loves a good comeback story. Last week, UCF tied their largest comeback in school history by coming back from a 21-point deficit to defeat TCU 35-34. With the school coming back from such a deficit and the fan jubilation that came with it, the question becomes which UCF comeback was the best. With UCF being on a bye week, we have some free time available. Let’s take a look at the top five UCF football comebacks in the FBS era.
5. 2021 – UCF 36, Boise State 31 (21 points)
After a two-hour and 45-minute delay due to weather, UCF began this game by giving up a 100-yard interception for a touchdown. Boise State would extend their lead to 21-0 early in the second quarter before the UCF began their comeback. The Knights would score shortly after falling behind by three touchdowns to narrow the deficit to 21-7. The Broncos would extend it to 24-7 before UCF would score three touchdowns and take the lead 28-24 at the end of the third quarter. In the beginning of the fourth quarter, UCF would extend their lead to 30-24 via a safety. Boise State would score to take a 31-30 lead before the Knights would answer with the go-ahead touchdown and win 36-31.
The Knights offense outgained the Broncos 573 to 283, but Boise State converted both of UCF’s turnovers into touchdowns. This was running back Isaiah Bowser’s first game as a Knight after transferring from Northwestern and he became an instant fan favorite by running the ball 33 times for 172 yards and the winning touchdown.
4. 2018 – No. 8 UCF 56, Memphis 41 (17 points)
The 2018 American Athletic Conference Championship Game. While UCF was ranked in the top ten, the team was reeling as starting quarterback McKenzie Milton went down with a devastating injury the previous week. Backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr had yet to throw 100 yards in a single game. His lone start prior to this was earlier in the season in an unimpressive outing against East Carolina.
With the team galvanized by Milton’s injury and playing in front of a very spirited Orlando fanbase, the Knights charged into the game before being smacked down by Memphis running back Darrell Henderson. Henderson scored two touchdowns within the first five minutes of the game, including a 62-yard run. UCF scored a touchdown of their own to make it 14-7 in the first quarter. UCF would lose control of the quarter as the Tigers scored the next ten points to make it a 24-7 game. The teams would trade touchdowns and it would be 38-24 Memphis at the half. Begin the UCF comeback and the Darriel Mack show.
UCF would dominate the second half, outscoring Memphis 35-3. It would start with a 54-yard catch-and-run from Mack to Otis Anderson, which was the play that created the school-famous deuces image. Mack then would score the next four UCF touchdowns on the ground. A Memphis field goal split the first and second Mack touchdowns and the Tigers led 41-35 at the end of the third quarter. Doing the math, UCF shut out Memphis 21-0 in the fourth to win the game. The win pushed UCF’s win streak to 25 games and secured them a spot as in the Fiesta Bowl.
3. 2024 – UCF 35, TCU 34 (21 points)
The most recent game on the list. UCF and TCU faced off to kick off the 2024 Big 12 conference schedule. This was expected to be a close matchup, but it didn’t start that way. UCF started the game flat on offense while TCU was magical on third down. The Horned Frogs would convert on seven of eight of their third down opportunities to open a 21-7 halftime lead. The second half didn’t start of any better as TCU quarterback Josh Hoover threw his fourth touchdown pass on the day. This one was a 50-yard bomb to Jack Bech, who terrorized the Knights’ secondary en route to a 200-yard receiving day. With TCU leading 28-7 early in the third quarter, it’s time to cue the UCF comeback.
UCF’s top three offensive players: Quarterback KJ Jefferson, running back RJ Harvey, and wide receiver Kobe Hudson took over. It started with Harvey scoring a short-yardage touchdown, which was offset by a TCU field goal. UCF continued to chip into TCU ‘s lead immediately with a 27-yard strike from Jefferson to Hudson to make it 31-20 at the end of the third quarter. With all the momentum, UCF continued to take the game over. RJ Harvey scored his second rushing and third total touchdown to shrink the deficit to a field goal 31-28. TCU would add one more field goal and the Knights took their first lead of the game with 0:36 left on a Jefferson to Hudson strike. UCF would hold on 35-34.
Despite TCU being very good on third down in the first half, UCF was near-perfect in the fourth quarter. Their running game did its job and wore down TCU’s defense.
Why isn’t this game higher? The teams ahead on the list came back against much better competition.
2. 2009 – UCF 37, No. 13 Houston 32 (14 points)
An oft-forgotten game from UCF’s days in Conference USA. The 2009 UCF football team was a scrappy, but largely underachieving team. After getting thrashed by second-ranked Texas the week prior and with a 5-4 record, the Knights hosted 13th-ranked Houston and quarterback Case Keenum. The Cougars came to Bright House Networks Stadium at 8-1 for UCF’s homecoming game. As expected, Houston struck first and led 10-0 after the first quarter. UCF would hit a field goal before the Cougars added another touchdown to lead 17-3 midway in the second quarter. Begin the UCF comeback.
A Jonathan Davis rushing touchdown would make it 17-10 Houston at the half. UCF’s offense continued to dial in and they scored 13 straight points to take a 23-17 lead, a lead they would never relinquish. The Knights would eventually extend the lead to 37-20 before the Cougars clawed back to 37-32, which ended up being the final score.
UCF kept up with the offensive juggernaut that is Houston having a 423-393 yardage edge. The Knights outgained the Cougars 152-46 on the ground behind Brynn Harvey’s 35 carries for 138 yards and three touchdowns and the team held on to the ball for a whopping 39:30. This was UCF’s first win against a top 25-ranked opponent. UCF would win their last two regular season games as would Houston, but the Cougars would fall in the Conference USA Championship Game.
1. 2013 – UCF 38, No. 8 Louisville 35 (21 points)
The biggest one of them all. UCF was 4-1 after a narrow loss to then-12th-ranked South Carolina on network television. After a wild win against Memphis, the Knights went on the road for a Friday night game at 8th-ranked Louisville on national television. UCF wasn’t quite in the top 25 at the time, but they were receiving votes. In 2012, Louisville won the Big East Conference, defeated Florida in the Sugar Bowl, and finished 13th in the AP behind the arm of hot NFL prospect quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Opposite of Bridgewater was UCF’s Blake Bortles, who was in the midst of his own breakout season.
The Cardinals would strike first with a touchdown and the Knights counter-punching with a touchdown of their own. Louisville would then take over, scoring the next three touchdowns for a 28-7 lead midway through the third quarter. UCF then began their comeback. Over the last 4:50 of the third quarter, the Knights would score three touchdowns of their own and tie the game at 28 going into the fourth quarter. The tie would be broken midway through the fourth quarter as UCF took a 31-28 lead. Louisville would regain the lead 35-31 with 3:00 left. UCF would cap the comeback by marching down the field and Bortles would hit Jeff Godfrey to take a 38-35 lead with 0:30 left. The Knights would hold on to win.
This was a truly even matchup. UCF won the offensive output 446-445, both teams had 22 first downs, and both had two turnovers. Louisville’s strength was in their passing game as Bridgewater outplayed Bortles, throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns versus 250 yards, 2 touchdowns, and one interception. The Knights running game outplayed the Cardinals 196-104 with the Knights averaging 1.8 more yards per carry.
Why is the 2013 win against Louisville the top UCF comeback?
The impact on this game cannot be understated. The win propelled UCF into the top 25 and the Knights ran the table in the AAC, finishing 11-1 with a berth in the Bowl Championship Series’ Fiesta Bowl. Louisville would also finish 11-1, but was relegated to the Russell Athletic Bowl to play Miami. Had this game gone the other way, UCF would have missed out on a BCS bowl in their one year in a BCS auto-qualifying conference and not have the chance to have the largest upset in BCS bowl history by defeating Baylor, thus negatively changing the trajectory of UCF football.
*All rankings are from the AP Poll
