UCF’s defeat was marked by offensive mistakes and defensive lapses in the second half—issues that have been present all season. Despite a strong first half, including a pick-six, the Knights’ offense stalled after halftime, allowing Houston to rally. A last-minute drive led by redshirt freshman quarterback Davi Belfort ended with a game-sealing interception in the end zone.
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**ORLANDO** — All good things must come to an end, even UCF’s legendary Space Game voodoo.
The Knights committed the same critical offensive mistakes and temporary defensive lapses that have plagued them all year in their 30-27 defeat to Houston on Friday, Nov. 7.
UCF emerged victorious in its first eight Space Games, often cruising by comically lopsided margins. Each of those victories came by at least two scores, and the Knights piled up a total of 405 points (50.6 per game), including a 70-point outburst against Temple in 2022 during their American Athletic Conference swan song.
Even in their first two years as Big 12 members, during which they endured separate five-game losing streaks, UCF miraculously transformed from subpar to spectacular over the course of four hours.
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The first half of this year’s game provided signs that inspired hope UCF would overcome its season-long shortcomings.
Houston’s Mekhi Mews muffed a punt, setting the Knights up for a 1-yard Myles Montgomery touchdown run and a 10-0 advantage. Phillip Dunnam then victimized Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman with a school-record three interceptions, including a 43-yard pick-six that pushed UCF ahead 24-14 before the break.
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But UCF’s opening two possessions after halftime foreshadowed more of the same struggles.
Back-to-back three-and-outs stunted the Knights’ momentum, and Houston erased the two-score deficit when Weigman found Dean Connors in the flat for a 9-yard swing pass. As the night wore on, Weigman kept the offense moving, engineering 11- and 15-play drives that drained more than 12 minutes off the clock and produced the game-tying and go-ahead field goals.
Houston accumulated 158 of its 210 rushing yards after halftime, dominating the second half on the ground.
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Yet, there was still time for one final twist.
Knights head coach Gus Malzahn pulled off a surprise ahead of UCF’s do-or-die drive by inserting redshirt freshman Davi Belfort at quarterback.
Unlikely heroes have emerged in Space Games of the past. Last year, Dylan Rizk—also a fourth-string quarterback to begin the season—diced up Arizona for 294 passing yards and three touchdowns. In 2023, Demari Henderson earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors after producing three takeaways versus Oklahoma State.
Belfort, the son of mixed martial arts legend Vitor Belfort, delivered the sought-after spark with a 19-yard run on his first snap. He put the Knights in field goal range with a 17-yard scramble on third-and-11.
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And for a split second, Belfort had an open window to keep the streak alive.
Duane Thomas Jr. was uncovered downfield for a potential winning touchdown, but Belfort found him too late and left the pass too short. The ball was intercepted in the end zone by Houston’s Katrell Webb, sealing the game.
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And thus, an era is over—and with it, the aura surrounding the Space Game.
The tradition will live on, a fitting one given UCF’s foundational roots in providing personnel for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, despite Houston’s protests.
But no longer can fans feel an air of invincibility or players use the streak as a genuine point of pride like Montgomery did earlier in the week.
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“I kind of describe it like a Florida-Georgia or Alabama-Auburn game, or like a Michigan-Ohio State,” Montgomery said. “You can lose every (other) game, but you better not lose that one game.”
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Instead, Houston—home to the Johnson Space Center and Mission Control—drew inspiration from UCF’s claim to the final frontier.
Cougars coach Willie Fritz said his team watched a video about the city’s ties to NASA the night before kickoff. After the game, Webb told Rivals, “Space City is our city.”
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/college/ucf/2025/11/09/ucf-knights-football-space-game-houston-cougars/87125519007/