ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF opened its 2026 football season in dominant fashion Thursday night, defeating Bethune-Cookman 73-6 at the Acrisure Bounce House.
The 67-point victory set a UCF record for largest margin of victory, surpassing the Knights’ 64-point win over Grand Valley State in 1987. UCF’s 73 points also tied the program scoring record set against Austin Peay in 2017.
Bethune-Cookman avoided a shutout on the final play of the game when Joel Morris connected with Kobe Stewart for an 8-yard touchdown pass.
Quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who transferred from James Madison during the offseason, made his UCF debut with 158 passing yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a score.
Barnett entered the season as the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year after leading James Madison to the College Football Playoff in 2025.
UCF scored on its first three drives and spread the production throughout the roster.
Running back Duke Watson provided the first big play, racing 64 yards for a touchdown on UCF’s second offensive snap. Watson finished with 110 yards on seven carries.
Jayden Williams returned a Tyler Jefferson interception 47 yards for a touchdown before Barnett closed the first-quarter scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run, giving the Knights a 21-0 lead.
Receiver Jonathan Bibbs caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Barnett early in the second quarter.
Running back Landen Chambers finished with 56 rushing yards on six carries and scored twice, while Agyeman Addae added another touchdown run.
Nine UCF players scored touchdowns as the Knights used contributions from throughout the depth chart.
Freshman quarterback Rocco Marriott added UCF’s final touchdown on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.
After the game, coach Scott Frost cautioned against reading too much into the lopsided victory, emphasizing that the Knights had handled the matchup as expected.
The competition gets tougher this week. UCF travels to face Pittsburgh on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 3:30 p.m.
For Bethune-Cookman, the loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-1. The Daytona Beach program returns home Sept. 12 to face Stetson.
