Weigman's Fourth-Quarter Surge Lifts Houston Past UCF 27-17

A Defining Fourth Quarter

Conner Weigman orchestrated a critical fourth-quarter rally, rushing for two touchdowns and adding a field goal of his own to propel the Houston Cougars to a 27-17 victory over the UCF Knights at TDECU Stadium on Saturday. The win improved Houston’s record to 4-1, while UCF fell to 3-2.

The Cougars (home) entered the final period trailing 17-10 after a scoreless second half from their side in the first two quarters. Weigman changed the momentum entirely in the fourth, accounting for 10 points in that span alone through his legs and via Jonathan Dimas’s boot.

First Half: UCF Controls Tempo

UCF (away) established early dominance with efficient offensive execution. In the opening period, Keyone Jenkins connected with Josh Derry on a 13-yard pass for a touchdown, giving the Knights a 7-0 lead. Will Stone added a 30-yard field goal to extend the advantage to 10-0 at halftime.

Jenkins finished his outing completing 23 of 35 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown, though he also threw an interception. Duke Watson contributed 50 rushing yards on nine carries, while Derry hauled in seven receptions for 101 yards, including the opening score.

Third Quarter: Jenkins Extends Lead

The Knights extended their lead to 17-0 early in the third quarter when Jenkins ran for a 5-yard touchdown. At that point, Houston had not scored since the previous season and trailed by double digits.

Weigman began his comeback effort late in the third period, rushing for a 19-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-7. He added another score later in the quarter on a 1-yard run, making it 17-14 heading into the final frame.

Closing Out the Game

Weigman’s impact was decisive in the fourth period. His second rushing touchdown of the quarter, also from 1 yard out, gave Houston a 21-17 lead for the first time since early in the game. Dimas then kicked two field goals—a 40-yarder and a 46-yarder—to seal the victory.

Weigman completed 18 of 33 passes for 239 yards, adding three rushing touchdowns. Re’Schaun Sanford II provided support on the ground with 62 rushing yards on 18 carries. Patrick Overmyer led Houston in receiving with six catches for 76 yards.

The final score stood at Houston 27, UCF 17. Attendance was recorded at 25,593.

Sources

ESPN