The UCF Knights snagged an emotional win on Saturday against the Kansas Jayhawks. After blowing a 26-7 lead, they managed a last-minute touchdown drive to score with the clock ticking down to nothing, to win 33-32.
Unfortunately, part of what made the game emotional for UCF was that the Knights lost star running back Duke Watson to a first half injury. Watson was tackled awkwardly and left the game without training staff attending to him on the field. However, he would be seen getting carted off the field before later returning in a walking boot.
In his place, UCF turned to Landen Chambers and Taevion Swint for the most part at running back, with quarterback Alonza Barnett also becoming a factor in the option run. Chambers led the way with 40 yards on the ground while Swint managed a rushing touchdown, but neither did much to create when holes weren’t there. Behind a struggling offensive line, it was clear how much the offense missed Watson as it bogged down in the second half.
UCF Knights HC Scott Frost Shared an Update on Duke Watson
After the game, UCF head coach Scott Frost was asked about Duke Watson. However, he didn’t have an immediate update.
“I don’t know a lot yet,” Scott Frost said. “It’s a foot. I think we’re going to get him back and look at it closer and do some X-rays and stuff. And then I don’t know what happened to Landen for sure.”
The injury to Landen Chambers was a little less obvious than the injury to Watson. A power runner, he’s been earning more opportunities as the season has gone on, particularly as Taevion Swint has been a bit banged up.
For a UCF team that wants to lean on its running game, those injuries are massive. Still, the Knights have gotten used to dealing with injuries this season.
“We’ve been on the wrong side a lot. There’s a lot of injuries around the country. We’ve had at least our share this year. So has Kansas. It was kind of a war of attrition out there. They had more guys go down in the game, too. Depth matters, but it’s hard to have depth in this era of college football,” Frost said.
“Man, I just feel blessed and lucky. We had just enough tonight.”
What Watson Has Meant to UCF
Coming out of high school, Duke Watson was a four-star recruit who landed at Louisville. There, he spent the first two seasons of his career, proving his explosiveness by rushing for 8.9 yards per carry as a true freshman in 2024.
Following 2025, Watson hit the Transfer Portal, landing at UCF. He’d quickly become the workhorse for the Knights.
In nine games, Watson has 596 yards on 94 carries to go along with 3 touchdowns. That’s 6.34 yards per carry. He also has 8 receptions for 15 yards.
Chambers is second on UCF in rushing with 225 yards. Swint, meanwhile, has 181 yards. That pair combines for 7 touchdowns on the ground as well. Notably, they also combine for 95 carries, which is one more than Watson has on the season, despite Watson only carrying twice against Kansas.
UCF is looking to get bowl-eligible in the final three weeks of the season. Doing that without Watson immediately becomes much harder.
UCF HC Scott Frost Shares Injury Update on Star RB Duke Watson