ORLANDO — Friday night’s final blow, a 28-14 defeat to Utah, served as a microcosm for UCF’s demoralizing 2024 season.
Save for a few moments of individual magic from RJ Harvey, who set the school’s all-time touchdown record before halftime, UCF endured the same inconsistent quarterbacking, committed the same irredeemable mistakes and despondently walked off the field searching for answers that never came.
Utah snapped a seven-game losing streak by turning three Knights turnovers into 17 points, and further turned up the heat on Gus Malzahn. The 59-year-old coach dropped to 28-24 overall at the completion of his fourth season, including a 5-13 mark against Big 12 opponents since UCF joined the conference last year.
It’s very disappointing,” Malzahn said. “We had some close losses that were tough. We played musical quarterbacks throughout the year. That never helps. We had some injuries. But the bottom line is we didn’t get it done. We had some opportunities to win some games. It was uphill.”
Malzahn refuted speculation that he would consider retirement following last Saturday’s loss at West Virginia, one which ended UCF’s eight-year bowl streak. His contract, signed last summer, runs through the 2027 season and features an eight-figure buyout.
Asked whether he was concerned about his job security, Malzahn replied, “I’m concerned about trying to make this team better.”
Since benching KJ Jefferson in October, following a second consecutive loss at Florida, Malzahn has sought a “spark” at quarterback on a near quarter-by-quarter basis. Dylan Rizk drew his fourth start, but Jacurri Brown was utilized in the first half in subpackages.
Rizk struggled, producing an 11-of-27 passing line for 118 yards and an interception returned 60 yards to the end zone by Zemaiah Vaughn near the midway point of the second quarter. He lost a fumble on
Here are three takeaways from a finale that casts huge doubt on Malzahn and UCF’s football future.
