COLLEGE FOOTBALL: UCF Knights Lose to Louisville Cardinals 42-35 in Final Minutes of Friday’s Thriller

Gabriel threw for 188 yards, 3 touchdowns

ABOVE VIDEO: UCF Knights at Louisville Cardinals | Full Game Highlights

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – The UCF football team dropped a 42-35 decision to Louisville on the road Friday night at Cardinal Stadium. Junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns.

UCF (2-1) turned Louisville (2-1) over on downs on the first drive of the game and then scored on its second offensive play with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Dillon Gabriel to Ryan O’Keefe.

The Cardinals tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter with a 7-yard Malik Cunningham rushing touchdown.

The Knights regained the lead early in the second quarter when Gabriel found Jaylon Robinson for a 15-yard, one-handed touchdown reception.

Louisville again tied the game, at 14-14, midway through the second with a 2-yard touchdown rush by Jalen Mitchell. The Cardinals then took a 21-14 lead with less than a minute remaining in the half on a 1-yard pass from Cunningham to Marshon Ford.

The Knights tied the game early in the third quarter on a trick play that found O’Keefe throwing to Gabriel for a 20-yard touchdown. The Cardinals then took the lead again, at 28-21, on a 1-yard touchdown run by Cunningham.

UCF tied the game at 28-28 early in the fourth quarter when Gabriel found Brandon Johnson for a 6-yard touchdown. The Cardinals took a 35-28 lead on a trick play of their own as receiver Braden Smith threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to running back Trevion Cooley.

The Knights responded to knot the score at 35-35 with an eight-play, 87-yard drive that was capped off by a six-yard touchdown run from Gabriel.

UCF’s defense forced the first turnover of the game as Tre’mon Morris-Brash intercepted Cunningham, but the Cardinals responded with an interception of their own, running it in for the go-ahead score with 12 seconds remaining.

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