PITTSBURGH — A week after tying a school record with a 73-point outburst against Bethune-Cookman in the season opener, UCF could only muster 7 points, losing to Pittsburgh 12-7 on Saturday.
Alonza Barnett III found receiver Waden Charles on a fade route with 2:51 left in the game to prevent the Knights from being shut out for the first time in 218 games.
UCF (1-1) had one more chance, but Barnett was hurt on a third-down play with 1:29 left. Backup Keyone Jenkins came in and was tackled for a loss on fourth down, ending the threat.
The loss extends UCF’s road losing skid to 10 consecutive games, the longest such streak since the Knights lost 15 straight contests from 2003 to 2005.
The game got off to an inauspicious start, as storms in the Pittsburgh area delayed kickoff by 65 minutes. Fans scrambled to find cover in Acrisure Stadium after the National Weather Service forecast severe conditions, including lightning.
Heavy rain fell throughout the game, making conditions less than ideal.
After misfiring on three of his first four passes, Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel found his rhythm on the Panthers’ third possession. Heintschel connected with running back Damon Ferguson (9 yards), receiver Malik Knight twice (3, 17) and tight end Elijah Lagg (8), quickly moving Pittsburgh down the field.
UCF’s defense seemed a step behind as Pitt moved into the red zone for the first time. The Knights, though, held and forced the Panthers to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Antonio Chadha.
After completing his first four passes, the bottom seemed to fall out for Barnett, who missed two out of his next three throws. The Knights punted on their first three possessions, failing to convert on three of four third-down chances.
Heintschel, meanwhile, continued to chip away at a UCF defense that returned all five starters in its secondary. Time and time again, the sophomore would find an open receiver, sometimes in the flat, sometimes in the middle of the field or on a sweep.
On the flip side, Barnett kept struggling.
Facing second-and-9 deep from his own 8-yard line, the senior quarterback scrambled into the end zone under heavy pressure and tossed the ball out of bounds. After a short discussion among the officials, he was penalized for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety for Pitt and a 5-0 lead.
It was the first safety surrendered by UCF since Tulsa on Oct. 3, 2020.
Pitt (2-0) scored the first touchdown of the game when running back Damon Ferguson Jr. pushed his way into the end zone for a 13-yard score with 28 seconds left in the second quarter, extending the Panthers’ lead to 12-0 at the half.
UCF entered the game with the second-best rushing offense in the Big 12 after totaling 360 yards and seven touchdowns against the Wildcats last week. But against Pitt, the Knights managed just 13 yards, their lowest output since managing 12 yards against Arkansas State in the 2016 Cure Bowl.
Running back Duke Watson finished with just 10 yards on six carries.
Heintschel didn’t throw a touchdown pass in the game, a week after tying a school record with seven touchdown passes last week against Miami of Ohio.
UCF hosts Georgia State at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium next Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN+)
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram at @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
A UCF staff member looks at the skies as his team waits for weather to clear to take on Pitt at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)