RJ Harvey scored three of his four touchdowns in the first half to help UCF secure a 45-14 victory over Sam Houston on Saturday, marking their second consecutive home win to start the season.
Harvey rushed for 126 yards on 19 carries, contributing to a strong running game that totaled 384 yards in this game, with 243 yards coming in the first half. This follows a performance of 454 rushing yards against New Hampshire the previous week.
Last year, the Knights were ranked fifth in the nation for rushing yards per game but only had one game with over 300 yards. They now have two such games in their first two games of the season, setting a solid foundation before they start Big 12 Conference play next week at TCU.
“Those running backs are different,” Sam Houston coach K.C. Keeler said. “Our hope was to make them one-dimensional by forcing them to pass more, but they were overpowering us. Those running backs are special.”
For Harvey, it was his third game with three rushing touchdowns. He also surpassed 100 rushing yards for the fourth game in a row, continuing his streak of 100-yard games in 10 of his last 11 games, despite not playing in the fourth quarter.
Myles Montgomery and Peny Boone each added a rushing touchdown later in the game, helping the Knights reach a total of 554 yards.
“It takes stress off me,” UCF quarterback KJ Jefferson said. “I hand the ball off to those guys and let them showcase their talents.”
The Bearkats (1-1) struggled offensively, managing only 118 total yards in the first half and 282 for the game, compared to UCF’s 554 yards.
Running back DJ McKinney led the Bearkats with 22 of their 67 rushing yards, and backup Zach Hrbacek added 25 yards on eight carries in the fourth quarter, after the game was decided.
