The No. 20 Houston Cougars won in perhaps one of the strangest games they have played in a while.
The UCF Knights had the Cougars on the ropes on Saturday, up 17-0, before a sudden, quick shift in momentum. Houston scored 27 unanswered to take a 10-point win. Here's whose stock went up and who's went down against the Knights.
Latreveon McCutchin probably gets the game ball in this one. Houston was struggling immensely offensively but was also looking pretty bad defensively as well.
Finally, in the third quarter, Houston put a decent drive together and got on the board, making it 17-7. However, the very next drive was the turning point. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins made a bad decision by letting go of the football, and McCutchin intercepted the pass and returned it to the UCF one-yard line. Boom.
In that moment, it felt like the Cougars couldn't even lose. Houston quickly punched it in and took all the momentum in that game. As the game continued, McCutchin and the Houston defense looked great, as UCF couldn't get anything going. McCutchin's interception and his second-half play can't be overstated in importance.
Houston Cougars defensive end Latreveon McCutchin reacts after a turnover during the third quarter against the UCF Knights at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Patrick Overmyer deserves some recognition as well after another solid game. Overmyer did lose a fumble, but the tight end has continued to show that he can be a huge target for quarterback Conner Weigman. This is the third straight game where he compiled 68 receiving yards or more, with six receptions for 76 yards this time against the Knights.
Safety Kentrell Webb also looked good with eight tackles (all solo) and a pass defended. Houston needed the secondary to step up against UCF. Unfortunately, that really didn't happen in the first half. Once the Cougars got going, though, the secondary looked arguably as good as it has looked all season.
If that pass defense can lock down some other QBs in the future, specifically guys who are starting QBs (which Jenkins wasn't), it remains to be seen. But that showing from the secondary was one of the best things that could've happened to Houston.
Running Back Makhi Hughes felt like he may have lost the starting job just a bit against Georgia Southern Eagles.
But once again, the former superstar with the Tulane Green Wave, who had back-to-back seasons with over 1,370 rushing yards, got fewer carries and didn't look all that great against UCF. Hughes managed only 27 yards on 10 carries. That marks the third straight game where Hughes averaged 4.7 yards per rush or less.
Re'Shaun Sanford II didn't exactly look great either, with only 62 yards on 18 carries. But that's still better than Hughes's showing, which just wasn't good for what he can do.
All in all, Houston can be happy it won. But in the future, Houston will play better teams and won't play a team with a head coach like Scott Frost (who always seemed to find the strangest ways to lose with Nebraska and still at UCF).
Houston visits the 3-1 Kansas State Wildcats next, where they must find a way to play a more consistent game.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/houston as Houston Stock Report: Who Helped and Hurt Themselves Against UCF .
