RJ Harvey rushed for 184 yards and scored three touchdowns, while new starting quarterback Dylan Rizk threw for 294 yards and added three more touchdowns to help UCF end a five-game losing streak with a 56-12 win over Arizona on Saturday.
UCF (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) appeared refreshed and full of energy for their annual Space Game after firing defensive coordinator Ted Roof and shifting offensive play-calling from head coach Gus Malzahn to offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. earlier in the week.
The Knights recorded 602 yards of offense, their highest total since the first game of the season against FCS opponent New Hampshire.
“It was special,” Harvey said. “There was never any quit in this team. We’ve been through a rough stretch. We kept working and it finally paid off.”
The decision to start Rizk, the fourth quarterback in the last five games, proved beneficial as the team moved the ball down the field more effectively.
This was especially clear at the end of the first half when Rizk threw a 48-yard Hail Mary pass to tight end Randy Pittman Jr. It was the senior’s first touchdown catch of the season and just his 17th catch overall.
Pittman scored another touchdown later in the game, finishing with five catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns, which were all career highs. After struggling to distribute the ball throughout the season, Rizk connected with seven different receivers.
This included a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones, who had five catches for 106 yards, marking his second consecutive game with over 100 yards receiving. Before this stretch, he had only two catches for 29 yards.
The Knights were having a tough time until they found their breakthrough with the new quarterback.
“Being prepared is always a big thing,” Rizk said. “I know this offense very well. Just waiting for an opportunity to be prepared. I always knew my chance was coming and when it did, I seized the moment.”
The Knights still relied a lot on their running game, rushing for 308 yards. Harvey led with 184 yards on 22 carries, scoring on runs of 17, 18, and 19 yards.
Arizona (3-6, 1-5) struggled to find any offensive rhythm to keep up with UCF’s renewed energy.
Arizona ended the game with 261 total yards and only five rushing yards. Quarterback Noah Fifita completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Star receiver Tetairoa McMillan caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Chris Hunter had seven catches for 102 yards.
However, Fifita was sacked four times, and the Knights’ defense, which had struggled before, recorded 10 tackles for a loss.
“A really hard day out there on the football field,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “They got after us in all three phases. It is just totally unacceptable. We need to coach better. We need to go through everything and get back to finding how we can execute in all three phases.”
