UCF coaches and players hoped the bye week would give the Knights much-needed rest and recovery.

For a team that’s dealt with its fair share of injuries through the first half of the season, a few days off was just what the doctor ordered.

“I’ve been part of a lot of bye weeks in the NFL and they say, ‘See you in a week,’” said coach Scott Frost. “I’ve been a part of college programs where you grind through a bye week and try to find a way to get a little better. We made the decision that the best way to help our team for the stretch run was to be fresh, so we gave the guys quite a bit of time off.”

The Knights did some lifting and running but held only one practice last week, according to Frost.

“Hopefully, this is going to help us have the stamina and put the players in the right place to play a really good back half of the season,” Frost said.

“My body feels the best it’s been since probably the middle of fall camp, so more than six weeks,” said offensive tackle Preston Cushman, who returned home to Saint Petersburg to spend time with family and friends. “It really rejuvenated all the guys. I can’t wait to hear the stories about the guys getting away and how they feel.”

UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) entered the bye week hoping to get some injured players healthy before the second half of the season. The Knights have been missing a handful of starters, including quarterback Alonza Barnett III, wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr., offensive linemen Jacob Maiava and Owen Spell and linebacker Lewis Carter.

Barnett has been out since the second game of the season at Pitt, recovering from a significant hamstring injury. Frost isn’t sure whether the senior or any of the others could return to action this week as No. 2 BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) comes to Acrisure Bounce House Stadium.

“I’m not sure on the injuries yet,” he said. “We’re really close to getting a lot of guys back. Some will probably be this week and some will probably be a week after.”

Frost emphasized that Barnett is making good progress in his recovery, but wants to be cautious and not rush him back.

“He’s doing a lot of things. I want to make sure he’s ready to go if we put him out there,” Frost explained. “That’s a position where you might not have to run for 10 plays or so and then you’ve got to run away from some really big guys trying to get you. I just want to make sure that if he’s out there, he won’t get hurt again.”

Frost praised Keyone Jenkins, who’s started the last four games since Barnett’s injury, despite the Knights’ recent two-game losing streak.

“Lightz (Jenkins) has been doing a really good job, so we’ll make some decisions when (Barnett) gets back,” Frost said.

“He’s (Jenkins) played better every game that he’s played. It’s more experience than understanding the offense at this point. We’ve also gotten better at doing some of the things that he’s better at and we feel good about how he’s playing.”

With a difficult first half of the season behind them, Frost wants his team to finish strong.

“We played a pretty tough slate for six games and man, we’ve battled,” said Frost. “I’m happy with our team’s fight. We need to play our best football going forward. I told the guys from the beginning that I don’t want to peak in September; I want to peak in late October and November and play our best football.

“We get a chance to write the narrative on the success of the season based on the last six games.”

Added Cushman: “This bye week let us take a deep breath and a fresh start to this next half of the season. We just played season 1-A. Now we’re in season 1-B, so I’m rejuvenated as ever to go kick some butt.”

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.

Up next

What: UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) vs. No. 2 BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)

When: 3:30, Saturday

Where: Acrisure Bounce House Stadium, Orlando

TV: Fox

Favorite: BYU by 6.5 points