Tayven Jackson threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns and led the game-winning drive in the final two minutes as UCF escaped Jacksonville State’s upset bid Thursday to win the first game of Scott Frost’s return to Orlando.
After the Knights got a fourth-down stop with 1:31 left in a tie game, Jackson scrambled for a chain-moving 15-yard run on third-and-10. He took a vicious hit from Trevor Woods on the play that was ruled a targeting penalty, moving UCF to the Jacksonville State 34-yard line.
Three plays later, wide receiver DJ Black got loose in the Gamecocks secondary on a post route, and Jackson connected for a 33-yard scoring play with 1:03 to play.
UCF defensive back Jayden Bellamy iced the win on the ensuing drive with an interception.
Frost, who led the Knights to a 13-0 record as their head coach in 2017 before leaving to coach his alma mater at Nebraska, was making his return to the sidelines for UCF after being rehired in the offseason.
The Gamecocks had taken a 10-3 fourth-quarter lead when Andrew Paul plowed into the end zone from 10 yards out with 12:01 to go, finishing off an 11-play, 84-yard scoring drive. The Gamecocks outgained the Knights on the ground 165-108.
UCF responded with a seven-play 76-yard drive, with Jackson connecting with tight end Dylan Wade on a 39-yard scoring pass.
The Knights overcame three fumbles, including one lost.
Myles Montgomery led UCF with 21 carries for 79 yards while adding three catches for 71 yards. Jackson completed 17 of 24 passes, and Wade and Black each had a team-high four receptions.
Jacksonville State quarterback Gavin Wimsatt finished 15 of 29 for 139 yards and an interception. Cam Cook ran 17 times for 75 yards, and he caught four passes for 43 yards.
