Game recap: UCF takes down No. 19 Cincinnati on last-minute RJ Harvey touchdown run
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UPDATE: UCF has handed Cincinnati its first American Athletic Conference loss in nearly three years.
R.J. Harvey ran for a go-ahead touchdown with 48 seconds left in regulation, and K.D. McDaniel thwarted any hope of a Bearcat miracle with a strip sack as the Knights defeated the No. 19 team in the land 21-18 at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
EARLIER: To be the best in the American Athletic Conference, UCF will need to beat the best in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd.
The Knights (5-2, 2-1) host defending league champion and future Big 12 rival Cincinnati (6-1, 3-0) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, a game televised nationally on ESPN. The visiting Bearcats have won each of the last three head-to-head meetings, including a 56-21 thumping at Nippert Stadium last October.
Cincinnati marched to the conference crown and blazed a trail for Group of Five teams, becoming the first to qualify for the College Football Playoff.
UCF hopes to shake off a dismal outing at East Carolina last week, a 34-13 loss in which John Rhys Plumlee committed four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble). The Knights rushed for a season-low 130 yards and allowed the Pirates to convert at a 9-for-14 rate on third down.
UCF beat writer Chris Boyle is at the Bounce House and will provide live updates throughout the afternoon.
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7:10 p.m. | R.J. Harvey runs for late TD, UCF defeats Cincinnati
UCF has handed Cincinnati its first American Athletic Conference loss in nearly three years.
R.J. Harvey ran for a go-ahead touchdown with 48 seconds left in regulation, and K.D. McDaniel thwarted any hope of a Bearcat miracle with a strip sack as the Knights defeated the No. 19 team in the land 21-18 at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
Mikey Keene engineered the game-winning drive in his first action of the season, filling in for the injured John Rhys Plumlee. He completed 15 of 21 attempts for 176 yards.
UCF (6-2, 3-1 AAC) gained 505 yards against the nation's leading defense in both sacks and tackles for loss.
The Knights remain alive in the hunt for the American Athletic Conference championship ahead of next week's trip to Memphis.
6:55 p.m. | Bearcats break big run to reclaim the lead
Cincinnati finally sprung a hole, and Ryan Montgomery ran the Bearcats back into the lead with a 39-yard touchdown.
The No. 19 Bearcats lead UCF 21-18 with 3:04 left in regulation.
Prior to that carry, Cincinnati had gained 39 yards on 16 rushing attempts.
UCF has all three timeouts. Mikey Keene remains in the game at quarterback for the injured John Rhys Plumlee.
6:45 p.m. | Isaiah Bowser rushes for TD, puts UCF back in front
Isaiah Bowser punched in a go-ahead, 3-yard touchdown run with 4:36 left in the fourth quarter, giving UCF an 18-13 lead over No. 19 Cincinnati.
The Knights strung together a 13-play, 77-yard drive that ate nearly six minutes off the clock.
Cincinnati, aiming for a 20th straight American Athletic Conference win, has just one timeout remaining.
UCF has rushed for 242 yards against a defense that leads the nation in sacks and tackles for loss per game.
6:10 p.m. | Cincinnati takes 1st lead on Ben Bryant TD pass
UCF survived one red-zone fumble, but not a second.
RJ Harvey lost the ball after the Knights marched to Cincinnati's 16-yard line, and Ben Bryant made them pay with a 14-yard touchdown toss to tight end Josh Whyle. The No. 19 Bearcats have their first lead of the day, 13-12, at the end of three quarters.
UCF committed four turnovers a week ago in a loss at East Carolina.
Mikey Keene, who entered in relief of the injured John Rhys Plumlee, is 7 of 10 passing for 66 yards. The Knights hold sizeable advantages in total yards (330-246) and time of possession (27:07-17:53) but are behind on the scoreboard to a Cincinnati team in search of its 20th consecutive American Athletic Conference win.
5:50 p.m. | Josh Celiscar sack results in UCF safety
UCF squandered a golden opportunity to extend its 10-6 halftime lead when Isaiah Bowser lost a fumble inside Cincinnati's 10-yard line. But the Knights' defense rose to the occasion and put a few points on the board instead.
Josh Celiscar sacked Ben Bryant for a safety, giving UCF a 12-6 advantage with 7:45 left in the third. Bryant fumbled on the play, and Tre'mon Morris-Brash recovered it before rolling out of the end zone, but officials deemed Bryant's knee down before losing control of the ball.
5:05 p.m. | UCF takes 10-6 lead into halftime over Cincinnati
UCF's top-ranked red-zone defense held firm again, limiting Cincinnati to a late field goal to take a 10-6 lead into halftime.
Ryan Coe knocked through a 33-yard kick for the second time this afternoon.
Mikey Keene has taken over at quarterback following an injury to John Rhys Plumlee.
The Knights hold a 212-159 edge in total yards, possessing the ball for 17:38 in the first half. Cincinnati is 2 of 8 on third down.
RJ Harvey leads UCF with 48 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Bearcats quarterback Ben Bryant is 12 of 21 for 147 yards.
4:50 p.m. | Mikey Keene replaces injured QB John Rhys Plumlee
Mikey Keene has checked in at quarterback for the first time this season, replacing injured starter John Rhys Plumlee.
The Knights ran three times from the shadow of their own goal line on Keene's first drive before punting the ball to Cincinnati.
Keene started the last 10 games of the 2021 season when Dillon Gabriel, now at Oklahoma, suffered a fractured collarbone. He threw for 1,730 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions, posting a 7-3 record — including the Knights' Gasparilla Bowl triumph over Florida.
4:40 p.m. | UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee evaluated for injury
UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is in the medical tent midway through the second quarter after a heavy collision with Cincinnati defensive back Arquon Bush.
Plumlee lowered his shoulder trying to scramble for a first down, and stumbled away from the sidelines. If he is unable to return in time for the Knights' next drive, it will force Gus Malzahn into a major decision.
Freshman Thomas Castellanos has already played four games, meaning if he were to take the field that he would officially burn a year of eligibility. Mikey Keene, who started the final 10 games for UCF last year after Dillon Gabriel suffered a broken collarbone, has not played a single snap so far this fall.
Plumlee is 7 of 11 for 71 yards on the day, and he has rushed seven times for 26 yards.
4:35 p.m. | Cincinnati on the board with short FG
Ryan Coe converted a 33-yard field goal, putting Cincinnati on the board and trimming UCF's lead to 10-3 with 9:19 left in the second quarter.
Ben Bryant lofted a 32-yard completion to Jadon Thompson, and fired a 21-yard strike to Tre Tucker on 3rd-and-15 to put the Bearcats into scoring position.
UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is 6 of 9 for 59 yards. The Knights have added 121 yards on the ground, averaging 7.1 per carry.
4:10 p.m. | RJ Harvey races for 26-yard TD; UCF up 10-0
Orlando native RJ Harvey broke loose for a 26-yard touchdown, extending UCF's lead to 10-0 over No. 19 Cincinnati with 3:00 left in the first quarter.
Harvey surged through a hole off the right side, and raced past two defenders to get into the end zone. UCF has rushed for 109 yards on 14 attempts.
3:50 p.m. | Colton Boomer kicks FG, gives UCF 3-0 lead
UCF is on the board first, courtesy of increasingly reliable freshman kicker Colton Boomer.
Boomer hit a 26-yard field goal to give the Knights a 3-0 lead. He's now 10-for-10 on the season, taking over the role in mid-September ahead of the trip to Florida Atlantic.
The Knights are having success early on the ground, gaining 60 yards on six rushing attempts.
Both teams traded punts on their opening drives. Josh Celiscar and Jason Johnson stuffed Charles McClelland on 3rd-and-2 to force a Bearcats punt, and the offense capitalized on the quality field position.
12:50 p.m. | ESPN College GameDay goes with Cincinnati over UCF
The ESPN College GameDay team was unanimous in its pick in tonight's game, as three hosts and a guest picker all took Cincinnati.
Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee, along with guest picker Stephen A. Smith, all took the Bearcats. as the show broadcast from the campus of Jackson State University, in Jackson, Miss. That said, with underdogs sometimes winning after all the hosts pick the favorite, host Rece Davis, who normally stays neutral, said he was going with UCF.
Lee Corso, the GameDay host who puts on headgear on occasion to make his selection, is away from the show this week due to health issues, but Davis said he'd return next week.
Where and when will the UCF Knights play the Cincinnati Bearcats?
Where: FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, Florida
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, October 29
How can I watch UCF vs. Cincinnati on TV, streaming?
TV: ESPN (Channel 206 on DirecTV, Channel 140 on Dish Network), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial), fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Live stream: WatchESPN, ESPN+ and the ESPN app
How can I listen to UCF vs. Cincinnati on radio?
Radio: 96.9 FM The Game, Sirius XM
Online radio: SiriusXM.com, TuneIn, iHeartRadio
What's the latest betting line for UCF vs. Cincinnati?
UCF is a 0.5-point favorite over Cincinnati, according to Tipico, the oddsmaker for USA TODAY. The over-under is 55.5 points.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Game recap: UCF Knights beat Cincinnati Bearcats with late touchdown
