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UCF Likely to Get Back Top Wide Receiver Ahead of No. 2 BYU Matchup
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- UCF Likely to Get Back Top Wide Receiver Ahead of No. 2 BYU Matchup
(IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters Connect)
As the Knights prepare for Saturday's bout with No. 2 ranked BYU , UCF has a big opportunity to pick up a historic victory.
The Cougars enter the Bounce House as the highest ranked team to ever play in the stadium, while the Knights are looking to finally pull off a ranked victory after two tightly-contested losses.
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On offense, starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III could make his return from injury, but is unlikely to start the game, leaving Keyone Jenkins at the helm.
Duane Thomas Jr . is also likely to make his season debut after missing the opening weeks with a lingering injury.
Last season, the speedy Thomas was the team leader in receptions (53) and receiving yards (528), showing the ability to make people miss in space.
Ahead of Saturday's matchup, Thomas was listed as probable on the injury report , his best designation in weeks.
Getting him back would be a big addition to UCF's downfield passing game, while supplementing a receiving corps that has begun to pick it up over the past few weeks.
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In early May, Thomas was hailed as a top-10 lead receiver in the Big 12 according to CFBudge, coming in at the No. 9 spot.
He had a very strong offseason and was one of Barnett's top targets throughout training camp before the injury.
"AB, I heard Cush [Preston Cushman] call him a point guard, and that's exactly what he is," Thomas said about his QB in mid-August . "Today, he dished out to a couple different guys in one drive and that's what you want to see from a quarterback."
Jenkins has also spread the wealth to his receivers, with multiple Knights making big contributions.
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Monmouth transfer Josh Derry has emerged as Jenkins' top target over the past two weeks, however, hauling in 18 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
Expect Derry to be featured early and often to try to get him in space and help Jenkins get comfortable against a stout BYU passing defense.
In the Cougars' huge win over then-ranked No. 2 Notre Dame , the defense held projected first-round quarterback CJ Carr to just 261 yards, holding him out of the endzone and forcing him to be inefficient (27/49).
Keeping the ball out of harms way and leaning on the run game will be recipes for success on Saturday afternoon, while the potential return of Thomas would be a big benefit.
The Knights look to pick up their biggest win since head coach Scott Frost's return to the program on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
