ORLANDO (AP) — No. 11 BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns and added another on the ground to lead the Cougars to a 37-24 win over UCF on Saturday. BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) controlled the clock, holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes.
The Cougars capitalized on their opportunities to score, especially in a few pressure moments during the game. The Cougars got a 62-yard touchdown pass from Retzlaff to Chase Roberts with 27 seconds left to head into the locker room up 14 points. They then came out of the locker room with a 10-play, 72-yard touchdown drive capped with a one-yard throw from Retzlaff to tight end Mata'ava Ta'ase.
BYU outgained the UCF (3-5, 1-4) 483-350. Running back LJ Martin rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, and Hinckley Ropati rushed for 83 yards on 13 carries to lead BYU's ground attack. BYU scored the first 17 points of the game, coasting to the victory.
The only bright spot for UCF came from running back RJ Harvey. He rushed for 127 yards on 16 carries, including a 54-yard carry to the two-yard line that he finished with a touchdown on the next play. He added another two-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
But the Knights struggled offensively overall. Quarterback Jacurri Brown threw two second-half interceptions as the Knights tried to bounce back. He finished 8 of 17 with only 96 passing yards and two picks.
Freshman Dylan Rizk replaced Brown in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 102 yards on 6-.
