Ethan Sanchez kicked a tiebreaking 22-yard field goal with 2:31 left and the Houston defense allowed just three second-half points as the Cougars came from 10 points down to defeat UCF 30-27 on Friday in Orlando.
Conner Weigman, despite throwing three interceptions, helped Houston (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) rebound after a rough loss to West Virginia a week ago. The quarterback produced 223 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-31 passing and added 82 yards on 22 carries. Amare Thomas had five receptions for 103 yards and a TD.
Sanchez’s game-winner came on a 15-play, 62-yard drive that lasted 7:51.
Phillip Dunnam nabbed all three interceptions of Weigman to become the first player in school history to pick off three passes in one game.
UCF (4-5, 1-5) had four of its six second-half drives end in punts, and not a single one went more than 28 yards.
Knights quarterback Tayven Jackson completed 15 of his 29 passes but for only 136 yards and an interception.
Jackson was benched on the final drive of the game for Davi Belfort, who had a pass intercepted by Kentrell Webb in the end zone with 11 seconds left, sealing the outcome.
Houston’s Dean Connors scored the lone touchdown of the second half on a 9-yard pass from Weigman to tie the game 24-24 with 7:38 left in the third.
The teams then traded field goals, a 54-yarder from Noe Ruelas and a 30-yarder from Sanchez, before the eventual game-winner.
Ruelas kicked off the scoring with a 37-yard field goal with 4:17 left in the first.
Myles Montgomery capitalized off of a Houston muffed punt with a 1-yard run to extend the lead to 10-0 with 9:39 left in the half.
Weigman found his favorite target streaking down the sideline, and Thomas went untouched into the end zone for a 64-yard score to cut it to 10-7 in the middle of the second quarter.
Just 1:16 later, Houston struck again as Latreveon McCutchin picked off a Jackson pass and returned it 45 yards for the Cougars’ first lead of the night.
UCF responded with Jaden Nixon rushing 15 yards for a 17-14 lead with 2:05 remaining in the half.
Weigman then threw his own pick-six as Dunnam returned it 43 yards to extend the lead to 10 with 96 seconds left before the break.
Houston salvaged a 40-yard field goal with no time left to cut the deficit to 24-17 at the half.
