BYU, in its very first week as the No. 2 team in the entire country, just got absolutely rocked by UCF in a game that was pure, unadulterated chaos right up until the final whistle. The two teams were stuck in a 24-24 tie for most of the fourth quarter, setting up one of the wildest finishes we’ve seen all season.
The Regulation Nightmare That Refused to End
UCF had a couple of shots to snag the win in regulation. First, they were stuffed cold on fourth down right at the goal line. Brutal. But then, almost miraculously, they got the ball back with only 42 seconds left on the clock. You’d think that’s enough time for a game-winning drive, right? Wrong. What followed was a complete circus show where both teams somehow found new and exciting ways to blow opportunities. It was so confusing, honestly, that even the announcers were scrambling to figure out what the heck happened. The game somehow limped into overtime, but the path there was like navigating a minefield.
Rulebook Deep Dive: A Block, a Flag, and a Flying Helmet
So, under a minute left, tie game, UCF has the ball with a chance to kick a game-winning field goal and pull off the massive upset. UCF’s kicker, Will Stone, lines up, kicks it, and… it gets blocked! BYU looked like they’d saved the game, it was an insane moment. But then, plot twist! Stone himself recovered the ball. That meant UCF kept possession and got a fourth down to try another kick. You gotta be kidding me.
But wait, there’s more! While Stone was advancing the ball after the blocked kick, a BYU defender looked like he committed a facemask penalty, which would have given the Knights 15 crucial extra yards. Officials huddled, looked at it, and then… they picked up the flag. No penalty. Ball stayed right where Stone went down.
And just when you thought you understood the rules, another curveball. UCF had zero timeouts left, which normally means a running clock would just expire. And typically, recovering your own blocked kick stops the clock automatically. But here’s the kicker: Stone’s helmet came off during the play, which is actually why a flag was even thrown for the “facemask” in the first place. That helmet coming off automatically triggered a 10-second runoff on the play. With no timeouts to stop it, regulation officially expired with the game still tied. Absolutely bonkers.
Overtime Chaos Seals the Deal
If you thought regulation was nuts, overtime basically said, “Hold my beer.” The chaos just kept on rolling. Both teams scored in the first overtime, because of course they did. Then, UCF got the ball to start the second OT. They drove down the field, came up just short of a touchdown, and were forced to try another field goal. And that’s when BYU got slapped with a roughing the kicker penalty. You can’t make this stuff up! That penalty gave UCF a fresh set of downs, and they capitalized, going on to score and clinch the upset over the No. 2 Cougars. What a game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply