Bye week will buy time to recover

CINCINNATI — The pain and disappointment flashed on Josh Heupel’s face as he stood in the visitors tunnel moments after No. 18 UCF’s 27-24 loss at Cincinnati on Friday night. Around him, players and coaches were mingling with family and friends, seeking comfort in familiar places.

“This one’s going to hurt,” Heupel said of the loss, which was the second UCF had suffered during the past three games.

UCF hadn’t lost two games in a season since the 2016 campaign, when the Knights finished 6-7 under the direction of first-year coach Scott Frost. The loss to the Bearcats snapped the Knights’ 19-game American Athletic Conference winning streak dating to a Black Friday 2016 loss to rival USF.

The majority of UCF players had never previously suffered a regular-season loss, let alone two.

“It hurts a lot, just knowing we didn’t do what we wanted to do,” UCF senior offensive lineman Jordan Johnson said. “We wanted to go 1-0, as we always speak of and preach, and it’s disappointing. We’ve got to come back stronger next time.”

During the past two seasons, the Knights played the part of hunter to perfection, winning 25 of 26 games, including back-toback AAC championships and New Year’s Six Access Bowl bids.

But while a last-minute road loss to Pittsburgh could have been absorbed, a conference loss to Cincinnati is another story.

UCF’s goal of winning a third consecutive conference championship took a major hit, with Cincinnati now holding a one-game lead and tiebreaker over the Knights in the East Division.

UCF coaches and players, however, aren’t willing to write off this year.

“It’s a long season,” Heupel said. “Now, if you try and project everything six weeks from now, you’re not going to put yourself in a position to play football 1-and-0, and all we can control is our off week, our bye week and get ourselves better and get prepared for the next one.”

Senior” linebacker Nate Evans said he believes the team’s goals are still attainable and it can learn much from adversity.

“Of course, no doubt,” he said. “It’s football. It’s life. Life doesn’t always go the way you want it to go. You’re going to have to adjust to your situation and make the best of it, overcoming it and keep moving.”

The Knights enter their bye week facing a litany of questions.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is coming off a career-worst game during which the true freshman threw three interceptions, including a pick-six. During UCF’s two losses this season, Gabriel has thrown three touchdown passes and five interceptions. Gabriel sees the bye week off as a chance to work on getting better.

“This is a good week for me to lock down and be even more focused and get better for the team,” Gabriel said.

Despite his young quarterback’s struggles, Heupel never considered a lineup change.

“I did not tonight, no,” Heupel said when asked whether he thought of playing backup quarterback Darriel Mack Jr.

“I thought at times [Gabriel] handled it well and at other times he didn’t take care of the football. And at the end of the day, that’s the biggest part. It’s not just him, but I am proud of the way he continued to compete when they came after him.”

Heupel said he was impressed with the UCF defensive effort, lauding the Knights’ ability to fight throughout the evening. He said despite the score, there were encouraging moments for the Knights.

“There’s a lot of positives to take from this football game, just not enough of them collectively as a group,” Heupel said. “And it’s going to be coaches and players together — offense, defense, special teams together as a family — fighting, scratching and clawing and getting better.”

Evans said it’s going to be up to the veterans to make sure the younger players don’t let Friday’s loss spiral into something bigger.

“The leaders have to show them and take them under their wing and say, ‘Follow my lead,’ ” he said. “At the end of the day, they listen to us. If the older guys can keep their spirits up and be positive, the younger guys are going to be too.”