Once again in the wake of the injury to quarterback Alonza Barnett, the UCF Knights turned to backup Keyone Jenkins on Saturday. For the second week in a row, they ended up with a road loss after keeping it close with a ranked Big 12 opponent. For the second week in a row, Jenkins was guilty of a massive turnover that changed the game.
Last week, against the Houston Cougars, it was the tipped interception on a checkdown that was returned to the goal line, setting Houston up for easy points and all the momentum. On Saturday, against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, it was a backwards pass that was returned for a score. That came on a drive when UCF could have taken the lead. Instead, the Cowboys took an overwhelming two-score lead.
“I didn’t think it was a backward pass. I watched it on film a couple of times. It was a low ball for sure, but I didn’t see a backward pass,” Jenkins said after the game. “And if it was, it’s got to be better on my part.”
It was close in real time. The referees ruled on the side of letting it play out. Upon being reviewed, it was too close to overturn. The end result is Jenkins had another major turnover that UCF couldn’t overcome.
UCF Knights QB Keyone Jenkins Reacts to His Costly Turnover
The old cliché goes that nobody is as upset by a loss as the players. That may be the case for Keyone Jenkins, who is feeling like he let his UCF teammates down.
“Yeah, it’s okay,” Jenkins said. “I just got to take it on the chin and be better. I feel like I let my teammates down today with that play, especially coming off the same loss we had last week. I just got to be better for my guys and just hone in on the little details and probably get right.”
On the whole, Jenkins played well against Oklahoma State. He finished the day completing 30 of 42 passes for 4 touchdowns and 1 interception as time expired. Still, he struggled to push the ball downfield accurately, missing on a couple of shot plays that UCF would like to have back. Not to mention the backwards pass.
Now, in five games this season, Jenkins is completing 69.7% of his passes for 541 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 3 touchdowns.
“I don’t know if it’s something I’m doing wrong off the field. The football gods didn’t reward me this week again. But just definitely stay strong in my faith, continue to praise God through it all. That’s pretty much it. Keep the main thing the main thing and try not to let my teammates see me down,” Jenkins said.
“Even though it’s tough in that situation, especially in this environment, I just got to be better. I know they’re going to try to bash me on the internet. It’s cool.”
Now, Jenkins needs to tune out that noise around a struggling UCF program. That means focusing on the team and finding a way to cut out the mistakes.
“But nobody matters but the guys next to me, my left and right, the guys I go to war with. Those are the only opinions that matter at the end of the day. Continue to get better. We were in the game all the way through, probably until that turnover. I ain’t got nothing to say after that. But a great football team, as y’all can see, and just eliminate the mistakes. We’ll be better,” Jenkins said.
UCF Has Another Major Challenge Next Week
The road ahead doesn’t get easier for UCF. The Knights return home for a bye week. After that, they’re set to play host to the BYU Cougars. There, they’ll be a home underdog against one of the best teams in the entire country, not just the Big 12.
If UCF isn’t able to pull off an upset, they’ll then be staring at a 3-4 record. It’s a bad place to be in after not making a bowl game since 2023.
On the other hand, once UCF finishes this murderer’s row of Big 12 opponents, they’ll be one of the most battle-tested teams in the entire conference. With the schedule easing up after that, there’s a good chance that UCF will be better prepared to finish the season strong.
UCF QB Keyone Jenkins Reacts to Costly Turnover, Guilt of Oklahoma State Loss