UCF football returns home, faces slumping Big 12 foe West Virginia | 3 things to watch

ORLANDO — UCF returns to the Bounce House for the first time in a month Saturday, still in search of an elusive Big 12 Conference victory.

The Knights (3-4, 0-4) welcome in West Virginia (4-3, 2-2) for a noon kickoff to celebrate homecoming, hoping to build on arguably its best performance of the season in last weekend's 31-29 loss to No. 6 Oklahoma. John Rhys Plumlee hit Javon Baker for a fourth-down touchdown pass with 1:16 left in regulation, but UCF failed to convert a two-point trick play that could have tied the score.

Instead, UCF dropped its fourth straight contest — marking its longest losing streak since 2015.

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"Our locker room is strong. Our guys, they're not flinching," Knights coach Gus Malzahn said. "They're ready for the next game. We've got a bunch of high-character, team-type guys. You'll see in the way we play moving forward."

West Virginia reeled off four straight wins in September, highlighted by a 17-6 Backyard Brawl triumph over rival Pittsburgh and a 24-21 road victory over TCU, last year's national runner-up. But the Mountaineers have dropped two in a row, a Hail Mary heartbreaker to Big 12 newcomer Houston and former coach Dana Holgorsen and a disappointing home result against resurgent Oklahoma State.

West Virginia holds a 2-0 all-time record against the Knights, though the last head-to-head meeting occurred in 2004.

Here are three things to watch ahead of a pivotal game for the remainder of UCF's debut Power Five season.

Running games will almost certainly decide the outcome

UCF's defense spent a majority of the bye week getting back to basics, determined to stop the run after a dismal display at Kansas in which they allowed 399 yards on the ground. The Knights limited Oklahoma to 115 rushing yards through three quarters last week, but allowed 74 in a tide-turning final period.

Under embattled coach Neal Brown, West Virginia has often lived and died by whether or not it could sustain success in the run game. The Mountaineers are averaging 184.8 yards per game in league play, led by Miami native CJ Donaldson Jr. (116 carries, 470 yards, six TDs).

West Virginia loves to control the clock as well, ranking seventh in the country in time of possession at more than 33 minutes per game. If the Mountaineers set the tempo, it could tire out a Knights defense whose depth has already been tested in previous weeks due to injuries.

"We've got to continue to grow in stopping the run with our integrity of our run fits," Malzahn said. "We did get better, and took a step up. We've still got areas to improve on, still got things we can even do better and we're committed to do that."

Offensively, UCF will hope to exploit a West Virginia defense that got burned by Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon to the tune of 282 yards and four touchdowns. The Knights are No. 5 nationally in rushing on the year (232.4 ypg), but just eighth in the Big 12 since the start of conference play (182.3).

Can UCF bring the same pressure on Garrett Greene?

UCF made Dillon Gabriel uncomfortable in the pocket at times last weekend, with Tre'mon Morris-Brash, Lee Hunter and Malachi Lawrence each recording a sack. The Knights will have to capitalize on similar opportunities against West Virginia's Garrett Greene, who threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns and added 117 rushing yards against Oklahoma State.

West Virginia's offensive line, however, has consistently graded well during Big 12 play as it pertains to pass blocking. The Mountaineers' linemen earned a 91.3 mark last week, per Pro Football Focus, as starters Wyatt Milum, Brandon Yates, Zach Frazier, Ja'Quay Hubbard and Doug Nester allowed just three pressures combined.

Preseason All-Big 12 selection Frazier has made 33 consecutive starts at center and is the linchpin of the unit. He'll face a stout UCF interior, boosted by the return last week of redshirt senior defensive tackle Ricky Barber.

Malzahn described Barber, one of the team's six captains, as an "impact player." He logged 62 snaps against Oklahoma, making two tackles and posting a 70.8 PFF grade — fourth-best among UCF defenders.

Time running out to turn things around, make a bowl game

Following the loss to Oklahoma, Malzahn told his team he believes it still has a chance to run the table. Realistically, the Knights need to win three of their final five games in order to secure bowl eligibility.

"It's a must-win, but every single game of the season is a must-win," sixth-year senior tight end Alec Holler said. "If you want reach your goals and aspirations for a season, every single week you need to have that same intent."

UCF has learned the hard way that there are no gimmies in the Big 12, not even when holding a 28-point, second-half lead at home against Baylor. Only the Knights and fellow league newcomer Cincinnati are yet to crack the win column in the league standings.

With that said, four of UCF's final five games are against opponents currently situated in the bottom half of the conference standings — including West Virginia. The Mountaineers were picked to finish last out of the 14 teams, but are instead eighth with a 2-2 mark.

Additionally, the Knights have three remaining home dates; both Oklahoma and Houston visit Orlando next month.

"There's no off weeks in this league," Malzahn said. "You've got to play good football to win, whether you're on the road or at home."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF football: West Virginia limps into Orlando for Knights' homecoming