The Two-Minute Drill for Sept. 28: Fort Myers wins 700th football game
Fort Myers High has become just the 5th confirmed program in Florida to win its 700th football game; the Dolphins play the Bills in an AFC showdown.
ORLANDO — More than a year after its move to the Big 12 Conference was announced, UCF will finally play its first home game as a league member this afternoon against Baylor. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in the Bounce House.
The Knights played their inaugural game in the Big 12 last week, falling 44-31 at Kansas State. Saturday will mark just the second meeting betwixt UCF and the Bears with the Knights claiming a wild 52-42 win in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.
UCF (3-1 overall, 0-1 Big 12), and fellow new league members Cincinnati, Houston and BYU, all dropped their conference openers to Big 12 holdovers. The Bears (1-3, 0-1), meanwhile, have struggled, dropping nonconference tilts to Texas State and No. 10 Utah before losing 38-6 to No. 3 Texas in Waco last week.
Knights quarterback John Rhys Plumlee will again be sidelined with an injury suffered in the team’s win at Boise State. Timmy McClain will get the nod again after throwing for 264 yards, three touchdowns and a pick against the Wildcats last week.
UCF vs. Baylor: 3 things to watch for the Knights’ Big 12 football home opener
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Colton Boomer’s 59-yard field goal as time expired fell short, and Baylor completed its largest comeback in program history with a shocking 36-35 win over UCF.
UCF, seeking its first Big 12 win in its conference home opener, led 35-7 late in the third quarter. The Bears reeled off 29 unanswered points, capped off by Isaiah Hankins’ 25-yard field goal with 1:21 left.
Timmy McClain kept the Knights’ final drive alive with a highlight-reel scramble and 16-yard completion to RJ Harvey, but UCF could only reach Baylor’s 42-yard line. Boomer missed for the second time on the day, having an earlier chip shot blocked.
Baylor improves to 2-3 and 1-1 in Big 12 play, while UCF drops to 3-2 and 0-2, respectively.
UCF’s 28-point lead is gone.
Isaiah Hankins connected on a 25-yard field goal, giving Baylor a 36-35 lead with 1:21 left in regulation. The Bears, who entered the day last in the Big 12 in scoring offense, have reeled off 29 unanswered points on the road.
Monaray Baldwin has seven receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown.
Just when it seemed UCF was driving to put things away, Caden Jenkins scooped up a fumbled snap and sprinted 72 yards the other way, unfathomably bringing the Bears to within two points at 35-33.
The score continued a run of 26 straight points since the 4:39 mark of the third quarter. After taking the opening kickoff and driving 14 plays for a touchdown, UCF led 35-7. It marked the second turnover in the second half for the Knights.
Once down 35-7, Baylor continued its comeback bid with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Shapen to Monaray Baldwin, giving the Bears 19 straight points and cutting UCF’s lead to 35-26. Again the Bears converted on a 2-point attempt.
After just a 19-yard punt ended UCF’s previous drive, the Bears went 55 yards on five plays in just 1:17, leaving 9:38 left on the fourth quarter clock.
Baylor running back Dawson Pendergrass rumbled into the end zone untouched from 6 yards out, further cutting into the deficit and making the score 35-18 UCF. The Bears went for 2 and got it on a throw from Blake Shapen to Ketron Jackson Jr.
The drive was set up by an interception thrown by Knights quarterback Timmy McClain. The Bears went 81 yards on 10 plays to cut the gap down to three scores with 12:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Isaiah Hankins booted a 30-yard field goal with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter, giving Baylor its first points since the opening period and trimming the Knights’ advantage to 35-10.
Again, the Bears got into the red zone but couldn’t find the end zone. Baylor has made four trips inside the UCF 20-yard line but only has 10 points to show for it.
The Knights took the opening kickoff and went on a grinding, defining 14-play, 84-yard march capped by a 6-yard toss from McClain to Townsend for a touchdown. The score extended the Knights’ lead to four scores.
It marked the second touchdown pass for McClain and finished a drive that consisted of 10 runs and a key penalty on Baylor, which was flagged for a personal foul on third-and-9 from the Knights’ own 29-yard line. The drive took 6:52 off the third-quarter clock.
Isaiah Hankins pushed a 46-yard field goal wide right in the dying seconds of the first half, and UCF takes a 28-7 lead into the break in its Big 12 football home opener.
UCF had the ball for just 6:58, but outgained Baylor 240-189. Johnny Richardson scored a 79-yard rushing touchdown on the Knights’ first play from scrimmage, Timmy McClain tacked on a 2-yard keeper and Javon Baker housed a 65-yard slant in building a quick 21-0 lead.
Blake Shapen brought Baylor back in the game with a 2-yard rushing score on a playaction rollout, but Demari Henderson restored the Knights’ three-score advantage with an 87-yard fumble return.
UCF is looking for its first win in league play after opening with a road loss at Kansas State.
Demari Henderson stripped Dominic Richardson and returned the fumble 87 yards for a UCF touchdown, restoring the Knights’ three-score lead at 28-7 with 11:12 left in the second quarter.
Officials reviewed whether Richardson’s knee was down, but upheld the call on the field.
Baylor marched 80 yards on six plays prior to the turnover, hoping to cut the deficit back to a single touchdown.
Scoring touchdowns on each of its first three possessions, UCF leads Baylor 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The Knights gained 201 yards, highlighted by Johnny Richardson’s 79-yard touchdown run and Javon Baker’s 65-yard touchdown catch. Tre’mon Morris-Brash and Malachi Lawrence provided sacks for UCF defense.
In between periods, UCF honored its 2014 Fiesta Bowl championship squad. The Knights defeated Baylor 52-42 for their first New Year’s Six bowl victory in program history.
Baylor’s on the board in the last two minutes of the first quarter.
Blake Shapen beat UCF defenders to the front right pylon on a 2-yard playaction rollout, cutting the Knights’ lead to 21-7 with 1:58 left in the opening period. The Bears went 72 yards in 10 plays, putting a temporary halt on UCF’s momentum.
UCF lit up Baylor’s defense for another quick strike, scoring for the third time in eight offensive snaps.
Timmy McClain fired a dart deep over the middle to Javon Baker, who pulled away for a 65-yard touchdown. The Knights are outgaining Baylor 196-2, and leading the score 21-0 in their Big 12 home opener.
Malachi Lawrence ended Baylor’s third possession with UCF’s second sack, surging up the middle to level Blake Shapen for a 10-yard loss.
About 25 minutes after UCF-Baylor got underway, fans watching on TV finally got to start watching on FS1.
That’s because a crash-filled end to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race ate into the allotted time for the football game. UCF fans were none too happy, and they responded in kind on social media. – Dan Rorabaugh
UCF’s offense found the end zone twice before FS1 viewers got their first look at the game.
Timmy McClain walked in for a 2-yard keeper, doubling the Knights’ lead over Baylor to 14-0. The Knights have gained 131 yards from scrimmage on just seven plays, while Baylor has zero.
Javon Baker caught a 13-yard slant to start UCF’s second drive, Xavier Townsend gained 20 on a reverse and RJ Harvey ran through a jersey rip for 12 inside the Baylor 10-yard line.
UCF executed a perfect start, forcing a three-and-out on Baylor’s first possession and scoring the game’s first points immediately.
Johnny Richardson raced 79 yards around the left end for a touchdown on the Knights’ opening play from scrimmage, sending the sellout crowd into a frenzy. It was the longest play for UCF this season, and Richardson’s first rushing TD since Nov. 20, 2021.
Brandon Adams nearly intercepted Blake Shapen’s first pass, and Tre’mon Morris-Brash ended Baylor’s second drive with a sack for a 14-yard loss.
QB Timmy McClain, tight end Alec Holler and defensive lineman Ricky Barber will start vs. Baylor. John Rhys Plumlee was warming up before the game but does not appear to be ready to play just yet.
On the other sideline, quarterback Blake Shapen warmed up and is expected to return for the Bears for the first time since the season-opener Sept. 2 vs. Texas State. – Dan Rorabaugh
UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee was dressed in full uniform before the game. He was wearing a brace and sleeve on his injured right leg.
Coach Guz Malzahn said this week Plumlee was recovering faster than expected from the injury he sustained during the Boise State game Sept. 9. Timmy McClain has filled in as starting QB since then. – Dan Rorabaugh
The sun is shining, and temperature is rising, ahead of UCF’s Big 12 football opener against Baylor. However, thunderstorms are approaching from the east and expected to roll through FBC Mortgage Stadium late in the 2 o’clock hour.
UCF (3-1, 0-1) looks to rebound from a 44-31 road loss in its league opener against defending champion Kansas State. The Knights will roll with Timmy McClain at starting quarterback as John Rhys Plumlee sits out for a third straight game with an unspecified right leg injury.
The Knights will hope to have tight end Alec Holler back, and defensive tackle Ricky Barber available for a larger share of snaps.
Meanwhile, Baylor is expected to have quarterback Blake Shapen back in the lineup after missing three games due to an MCL sprain, On3Sports reported Friday night. The Bears (1-3, 0-1) rank last in the Big 12 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
- When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, September 30
- Where: FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Eric Collins will have the play-by-play with Devin Gardner as the analyst on FS1. Streaming options include fuboTV, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
| Date | Opponent |
| Thursday, Aug. 31 | vs. Kent State: W 56-6 |
| Saturday, Sept. 9 | at Boise State: W 18-16 |
| Saturday, Sept. 16 | vs. Villanova: W 48-14 |
| Saturday, Sept. 23 | at Kansas State*: L 44-31 |
| Saturday, Sept. 30 | vs. Baylor* |
| Saturday, Oct. 7 | at Kansas* |
| Saturday, Oct. 14 | BYE |
| Saturday, Oct. 21 | at Oklahoma* |
| Saturday, Oct. 28 | vs. West Virginia* |
| Saturday, Nov. 4 | at Cincinnati* |
| Saturday, Nov. 11 | vs. Oklahoma State* |
| Saturday, Nov. 18 | at Texas Tech* |
| Saturday, Nov. 25 | vs. Houston* |
| Saturday, Dec. 2 | Big 12 Championship Game |
| * Big 12 game |
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