West Virginia and Central Florida likely wish the first half of their respective seasons didn’t play out in similar fashion to each other, but such is the case as a pair of struggling teams get set to square off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando.
The contest, which airs on TNT, features two of the three teams from the Big 12 Conference without a league win. The Mountaineers (2-4, 0-3) have rotated quarterbacks without much in the way of luck and struggled defensively since starting conference play. That they have head coach Rich Rodriguez in the first year of his second stint with the program, which also applies to Knights’ head coach Scott Frost, only adds to the similarities between the two teams in 2025.
UCF (3-3, 0-3) ran the table in non-league play, but has sputtered offensively since, managing a total of 51 points and no more than 20 in each of its first three conference tilts.
For the second straight game, WVU is in line to start a freshman quarterback. Redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins got his first career start back on October 3 in a 38-24 loss at BYU. True freshman Scotty Fox Jr. spelled Wilkins and threw his first career touchdown late in that game and could be in line for his first career start or at least a more extensive role against the Knights.
“Every week, everybody is going to play you a little bit differently, so you try to prepare for how they’re going to play you, but you add more things to your menu,” Rodriguez said. “There are going to be some things that are new to these guys and they’ve never done it before.
“You have to dial back as coaches a little bit. We have to be very conscious about how much we put in and add while these guys get their experience.”
Oct 3, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. (15) runs the ball for a first down against the Brigham Young Cougars during the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Whoever gets the bulk of snaps behind center will attempt to ignite a struggling unit that’s scored one first-half touchdown and 48 points in three Big 12 games.
West Virginia’s offensive line has struggled to protect quarterbacks and generate enough of a push up front to run with much consistency, and the quest to right the ship in Orlando won’t be an easy one despite Central Florida’s struggles.
The Knights are allowing 27 points on average in Big 12 play — 15.3 fewer than the Mountaineers — and have the No. 5 scoring defense in the conference at 17.8 points as UCF allowed a total of 26 while running the table in non-league action.
Linebacker Lewis Carter, an Oklahoma transfer, leads the team with 38 tackles and is a name familiar to WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley as both he and Carter were with the Sooners in 2024.
“Very athletic guys up front,” Rodriguez said. “Speed off the edge is a concern. “They have fast, athletic guys at defensive end and linebacker, and one of them played for Zac at Oklahoma and he’s a really good player. They’ll play a lot of man coverage in the secondary because they can. They’re very active like everybody nowadays. Nobody stands still. Everybody moves, slides, twist and angle up front, which we have to prepare for.”
On the other side, a struggling West Virginia defense yet to hold a Big 12 opponent to fewer than 38 points looks for major improvement following the benefit of its first bye week.
The Mountaineers have allowed 127 points to Big 12 competition and 1,048 yards against Utah and BYU in the last two games.
Knights’ quarterback Tayven Jackson is set to return from a one-game absence in last week’s 20-11 loss to Cincinnati after Jackson was shaken up a game prior in the Knights’ loss to Kansas.
Cam Fancher got the start against the Bearcats and attempted 49 passes, but was ruled out for the matchup with the Mountaineers late Wednesday.
Oct 4, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights running back Myles Montgomery (22) runs the ball as Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Jalen Todd (26) moves in during the second quarter at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Myles Montgomery is UCF’s lead tailback and has rushed for 434 yards and three touchdowns on 86 carries, while running back Jaden Nixon adds a big-play threat in the backfield and has rushed for 289 yards and four scores on only 25 attempts. More than half (156) of Nixon’s rushing yardage came in a convincing win over North Carolina A&T, though he was also effective in setbacks to Kansas State and Kansas.
Duane Thomas Jr. leads Central Florida with 272 receiving yards and fellow wideout DJ Black has 241 receiving yards and half of the team’s four receiving touchdowns.
“They have good speed on the edges and perimeter,” Alley said.
Alley expects the WVU secondary to be tested early and often despite the Knights having an equal number of rushing and passing yards (595) thus far in Big 12 play.
“As a whole, they’re going to run the ball to set up the deep play action shot off of it and see if they can take the top off,” Alley said. “You get two or three of them a quarter. No matter what, here comes a deep post and they’re going to throw it to try and see if they can get a 1-on-1 or a [pass interference]. Everyone counts that as a win nowadays. That’s something they like to do and I anticipate they will do across the board to make sure you’re doing your job back there and playing with depth.”
The Mountaineers have won all four previous meetings with UCF, including two in Orlando.
“I challenged the staff and the players, but everybody on staff, are we do everything we can to have success? I think we are as best we can,” Rodriguez said. “Some of it is out of our control. That’s a challenge for all of us. To our players’ credit and the staff’s credit, they’re doing everything they can. Some of it is out of our control, but some of it isn’t. The things that we can control, let’s control the best we can.”
