Conner Weigman scored three times on the ground in the second half as host No. 20 Houston shrugged off a ragged first 40 minutes and roared from behind to beat UCF 27-17 on Saturday in a Big 12 Conference clash.
Weigman’s third rushing touchdown, a 1-yard plunge with 10:15 to play, gave Houston (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) its first lead. On the ensuing drive, Weigman — who finished with 239 passing yards — connected with Trent Walker for a 43-yard catch-and-run to set the table for Jonathan Dimas’ 40-yard field goal with 4:14 to play.
Dimas added a career-high 46-yarder with 1:56 left that capped the Cougars’ 27 unanswered points and cemented the win.
Keyone Jenkins passed for 253 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to lead UCF’s attack.
The Knights (3-2, 1-1) opened the game with a six-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a 13-yard TD pass from Jenkins to Josh Derry and a 7-0 lead.
After an exchange of possessions that ended with punts, Houston marched from its own 30 to the UCF 3 before turning the ball over on downs on an incomplete pass in the end zone. The Cougars advanced to the UCF 3 on their ensuing drive, again failing on fourth down due to an incomplete pass.
Houston steamrolled to the UCF 14 on its following possession before Patrick Overmyer fumbled into the end zone after catching a pass from Weigman.
Will Stone added to the Knights’ lead on a 30-yard field goal with 1:36 to play in the first half.
Jenkins’ 5-yard scoring run on UCF’s opening drive of the third quarter to finish a nine-play, 71-yard march built the margin to 17-0, pitting the Cougars’ backs against the wall.
Houston responded with a 19-yard scoring run by Weigman that cut the deficit to 10 with 3:38 to play in the third quarter.
The Cougars’ Latreveon McCutchin then leaped to tip a Jenkins pass, intercepted it and returned it to UCF 2. Weigman crashed over from the 1-yard line two snaps later to bring Houston to within three.
