ABOVE VIDEO:Check out some of UCF’s great plays from the Knights’ game against the NC State Wolfpack in the Bitcoins St. Petersburg Bowl.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl.
UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27.
A Niklas Sade field goal put the Wolfpack on top by 21 points with 12:37 remaining in the contest. But senior captain Josh Reese, who scored all three of the UCF (9-4) touchdowns, hauled in a 14-yard strike from quarterback Justin Holman less than three minutes later, bringing a huge, partisan UCF crowd back into the game.
The Knights started moving the ball again when they took over with 2:56 remaining. Just 1:12 later, Reese found the end zone a third time on a two-yard pass from Holman. That score pulled UCF within seven points, 34-27.
With 1:44 remaining and no timeouts, the Knights needed to recover an onside kick to have a chance. NC State secured the kick and was able to run out the clock.
Meanwhile, thousands of Knight fans chanted “UCF! UCF! UCF!” and saluted their team as they left the field. An estimated 20,000-plus UCF fans made the short trip and were a part of a near-sellout of 26,675.
The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)The UCF Knights fell just short of another stirring comeback Friday night at Tropicana Field in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. UCF trailed North Carolina State 34-13 in the fourth quarter, but mounted a rally before falling 34-27. (Rhett Lighthall image)
