No. 2 BYU Falls to UCF in Double Overtime 39-31

ORLANDO, Fla. – No. 2 BYU’s perfect 2026 record is no more, after the UCF Knights used two overtimes and capitalized on multiple BYU miscues to defeat the Cougars 39-31.

The Cougars, holding the AP No. 2 ranking for the first time ever, entered the game averaging 223.8 rushing yards per game. UCF held the Cougars to just 116 on a night where the Knights scored 39 points. Before the matchup, BYU allowed on average 15.2 points per game.

Bear Bachmeier threw for 257 yards going 16-32, with two touchdowns through the air and an interception. The sophomore added 37 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown on top of Preston Rex’s 42 yards on five carries and Sione Moa’s 36 yards rushing and touchdown.

Kyler Kasper led the receivers collecting six receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. Legend Glasker had 54 yards on four catches, scoring a touchdown of his own in overtime.

Cade Uluave led the Cougars on defense with nine tackles. Justin Kirkland earned the lone sack for BYU, while totaling four tackles on the night. Corner Evan Johnson added six tackles, earning one in the backfield for a loss.

First Quarter

After winning the coin toss the Cougars elected to start on defense. UCF let the kickoff go out the back of the endzone for a touchback. Starting from their own 25-yard line, the Knights managed just four yards on a first-down rush, before two straight incompletions from quarterback Keyone Jenkins to complete a three-and-out.

The Knights’ 55-yard punt was received by Cannon Devries who carried it out of bounds at the BYU 16 to set up the Cougars’ first drive. After a quick rush to the edge from Legend Glasker, Bachmeier completed a 15-yard pass to Jojo Phillips at the 34-yard line to grab a first down. Bachmeier scrambled on second-and-nine to set up a short third down, where Moa rumbled ahead on his first carry since getting injured in the season opener, to grab another first down. After another third-down conversion for Moa set up BYU at the UCF 37, Kyler Kasper had the Cougars in the end zone with a leaping grab for a touchdown. A Mattias Dunn extra point put BYU up 7-0 with 8:19 left in the quarter.

Starting from the 25-yard line after a BYU kickoff, the Knights completed two passes for a first down at the UCF 40-yard line before a fumbled snap forced Jenkins to jump on the ball at the UCF 37 for a third down with 14 yards to go. One short pass later and UCF launched a 44-yard punt to the BYU 12. A penalty on return set the Cougars back to their own 8-yard line.

A two-yard gain from Moa pushed the Cougars to the 10-yard line, but Bachmeier was sacked on the next play, setting up a third and 13 from the Cougars’ own five-yard line. A short rush from Rex later, and BYU’s Dunn sailed a 51-yard punt to the Knights’ 38.

UCF proceeded to take the ball down the length of the field on a 8-play, 62-yard drive. The Knights started it off with a 10-yard rush and a short pass from Jenkins, before Watson took off for a 30-yard run up the middle to the BYU 17. The quarter came to a close after two short rushes set up a third and one at the Cougars’ 8 yard-line.

Second Quarter 

UCF opened the quarter handing the ball off to Chambers three more times to get into the endzone for six. A UCF extra point later and the score was knotted at seven each with 13:44 left in the half.

A touchback on the kickoff started BYU again at the 25-yard line. Three straight incompletions from Bachmeier stalled the drive, leading Shurtz to punt the ball 39 yards to the UCF 36, where Joseph Douglas forced the UCF returner back two yards to the UCF 34. 

On their fourth possession of the game, the Knights opened a five-minute, 12-play, 62-yard drive. A rush up the middle and an 11-yard pass had UCF at its own 47-yard line, but a BYU penalty after the play pushed them forward 15 more yards. On the next play, Kirkland got a hand on a pass from Jenkins that was nearly intercepted. as it was redirected straight up in the middle of the field. Three plays later, a two-yard pass from Jenkins put the Knights at the BYU 18, but a penalty on UCF set them back 15-yards. Three Jenkins passes later, and UCF was knocking on the door at the 8-yard line. The BYU defense held strong however, stopping the Knights at the 2-yard line, highlighted by Raider Damuni’s touchdown saving tackle in space on a Jenkins tuck and run. Will Stone kicked the ball between the uprights on a field goal attempt, giving UCF the lead 10-7 with 8:10 left in the half.

The Cougars responded with an 8-play, 75-yard drive of their own, lasting 4:23 to retake the lead on a touchdown. Two straight rushes from Rex, and Bachmeier barrelled ahead to the BYU 39 for a first down. Bachmeier then found Kasper up the middle on a 28-yard pass to advance the Cougars to the UCF 33, before finding Kasper again seconds later for what initially was called a touchdown down the sideline. After review, Kasper was ruled out of bounds at the one-yard line, where after two handoffs to Moa, Bachmeier took it himself across the line for six. The Dunn extra point had BYU back in front 14-10 with 3:47 remaining.

After a 9-yard rush from the 25-yard line, Kirkland batted down another Jenkins pass attempt before a penalty set the Knights back to their own 25 on third down. Another Jenkins incompletion later and UCF punted 46 yards to the BYU 29 where it was downed by the Knights.

A four-yard rush from Moa opened the drive, followed by a Bachmeier incompletion. On the next play Roger Salleapaga caught a short pass from Bachmeier and made a diving effort for a first down at the BYU 36. Bachmeier then found Legend Glasker across the middle for 18 more yards where the freshman raced out of bounds to stop the clock with 1:41 remaining. Two plays later, Bachmeier’s pass deflected off the helmet of a UCF lineman and was intercepted in the secondary at the UCF 21. 

The Knights took advantage of the change of possession on an 11-play 78-yard drive to retake the lead on a touchdown. From their own 21-yard line, a rush and three short passes from Jenkins pushed the Knights near midfield at their own 45-yard line. Jenkins then found Tyren Hornes down the sideline for 30 yards at the BYU 28. Several short passes and a Jenkins scramble then had UCF at the 13-yard line with 0:29 left in the half. A pre-snap penalty pushed the Knights back five yards, but two passes later Jenkins found Chambers in the end zone with four seconds left. The Stone point after left UCF leading 17-14 with just seconds remaining in the half.

The ensuing kickoff went out the back of the endzone to give BYU the ball at the 25, where Bachmeier took knee to end the half with BYU down 17-14, only the second time this season the Cougars have entered the locker room at the break trailing their opponent.

Third Quarter

BYU received the second-half kickoff in the endzone to set up the Cougars’ first possession of the second half at their own 25-yard line. The Cougars proceeded to put together a nine-play 75-yard drive that took over five minutes. On the opening play, Rex found a hole between the tackles and raced outside for 27 yards into UCF territory at its 48. After two short rushes from Glasker and Moa, Bachmeier was tackled short of the sticks on third down to set up fourth-and-four at the UCF 42. The Cougars elected to go for it with Bachmeier finding Kasper on the sideline for 14 yards. On the next play Bachmeier found Phillips at the five-yard line to set up first-and-goal. Bachmeier pushed forward to the one-yard line before Moa punched it in on third down. Dunn finished off the drive with a successful point after attempt to give BYU the lead back 21-17 with 9:45 remaining in the quarter.

From its 25, UCF equaled its final drive of the first half with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that found the endzone. After a pass from Jenkins advanced the Knights to the 36-yard line, a tackle for loss on a heads up play from Evan Johnson on the edge followed by a Kirkland sack set UCF back to its own 29 on third-and-17. A short pass to Hornes saw him sprinting down the sideline for a 56-yard gain at the BYU 15. Six straight rushes later from Chambers, Watson and a quarterback sneak from Jenkins, and the Knights were in the endzone for six. Stone made the extra point for the fifth lead change of the game, UCF up 24-21 with 3:06 left in the quarter. 

Another touchback had BYU starting at its own 25 to open a 12-play, 46-yard drive. A Bachmeier incompletion and a rush for a loss of one set the Cougars back for a third-and-11 before an offside penalty gave them five free yards. Bachmeier then found Glasker for five yards, setting up a fourth-and-one situation. Bachmeier called his own number up the middle moving the sticks on a one yard rush. Moa then took the handoff to go ahead for three yards before the clock hit zero in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

After a  Bachmeier rush, Bachmeier hit Walker Lyons on the sideline for seven yards for a first down. Moments later, Bachmeier found Reggie Frischknecht at the UCF 36 for an 18-yard gain. The drive then stalled after a blitz on third down forced Bachmeier to get the ball out quickly to Saleapaga who didn’t see the pass, and it fell incomplete on third down. Dunn sent the ball inside the uprights on the ensuing 47-yard field goal attempt to tie the game at 24-24 with 12:09 left in the game.

At the UCF 25-yard line, Jenkins' pass on first down was batted up in the air and was nearly intercepted by Ace Kaufusi on a diving attempt. Watson then received two-straight handoffs, coming up short of the sticks to complete the three-and-out.

The 47-yard UCF punt was fielded by Cannon Devries who was immediately hit at the BYU 23. Two rushes from Moa set up a Cougar third-and-three at the BYU 31 where Bachmeier’s pass to Kasper in the middle of the field fell incomplete. Shurtz’ 32-yard punt then gave UCF the ball at its 38-yard line with 8:59 to go.

The Knights proceeded to use 7:17 on a 12-play, 61-yard drive on the next drive. UCF pushed forward with five straight rushes before the Cougars forced a third-and-six at the BYU 35 where Jenkins completed an 11-yard pass to Josh Derry for a first down. A 21-yard pass to Hornes set up first-and-goal at the BYU three-yard line. After a two-yard rush, a pre-snap penalty pushed the Knights back to the six. On the next three plays UCF advanced back to the one-yard line and elected to go for it on fourth-and-one. The Jenkins quarterback sneak was stuffed at the line for a turnover on downs with 1:42 remaining.

BYU took over inside its own one-yard line. Three straight rushes from Bachmeier and Moa gained four yards, but the Cougars found themselves on fourth-and-five at their own five-yard line. The punt by Shurtz went 61-yards, taking a BYU roll to the UCF 31.

The Knights, from their own 31, opened the final drive of regulation with an incompletion and a short gain, forcing a third-and-five at their own 36. Out of a Knights’ timeout, Jenkins completed a pass to Chambers for a 21-yard first down. An incompletion later and Jenkins was initially ruled down for a fumble on a near sack by Isaiah Glasker. On the review, it was determined that Jenkins' arm was moving forward and the call on the field was overturned to an incompletion. An after-the-play penalty also gave UCF 15 more yards and a first down at the BYU 28 with 10 seconds left. After a BYU timeout, the officials added five more seconds to the clock, resulting in UCF sending its offense back onto the field, after initially lining up to attempt a field goal. Jenkins then spiked the ball and threw an incompletion out of bounds to cut the clock down to 11 seconds on third down. The ensuing UCF 46-yard field goal attempt from Stone was then blocked by Faletau Satuala. The blocked kick was recovered by Stone and advanced back to the line of scrimmage with two seconds remaining. A strange set of circumstances where a penalty was initially called, and then the flag picked up, alongside Stone’s helmet coming off during the advancement of the blocked field goal attempt, stopped the clock in the Knights’ possession making it fourth down with time left. However, after a review, the officials concluded that a 10-second runoff was to be applied, and since neither team had timeouts remaining, regulation ended in a tie at 31.

Overtime

The Knights won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense first. On first down from the 25 yard-line, Bachmeier’s pass fell incomplete before taking it himself up the middle for two yards. A pre-snap penalty then pushed BYU back five yards to the 28, setting up third-and-13. Bachmeier then found Legend Glasker open downfield, where he raced into the endzone for six points. Dunn’s extra point gave BYU the lead 31-24.

UCF took all of one play to find the endzone in its response, with Jenkins finding Derry on the near sideline. Stone made the extra point to tie the score at 31, forcing a second overtime.

Double Overtime

The Knights walked down to the other side of the field to start the second overtime period on offense from the 25 yard-line. After a four-yard pass from Jenkins, Hornes rushed ahead for 11 more yards to the ten. Two incompletions and a short rush later and BYU appeared to get a stop with UCF on the eight-yard line on fourth down. Lined up to kick a field goal, Stone was hit after the kick and BYU was called for a penalty that resulted in a new set of downs. Jenkins then found a tight end who made it into the end zone. Rolling left on the two-point conversion, Jenkins then found Hornes in the back of the endzone, pushing the score to 39-31.

BYU, starting at the 25 again, found Kasper for 17-yards. After a Bachmeier four-yard rush, the sophomore threw two straight incompletions to set up a fourth-and-goal at the four-yard line. On the final play, Walker Lyons couldn’t come down with Bachmeier’s pass in the endzone to seal the game in a BYU loss 39-31.

Up Next

BYU returns home to face the Arizona State Sun Devils at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1:30 p.m. MDT with live coverage available on FOX. Listen to Greg Wrubell for live play-by-play broadcast on BYU Radio.