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USF embraces its upset-maker mentality as Florida fans watch in disbelief
GAINESVILLE — USF loves being the team you hate. Your anger just helps inspire the Bulls.
After beating Florida 18-16 in the Swamp, Bulls coach Alex Golesh preached gratitude for a supportive administration and his talented squad. But don’t let that fool you.
The Bulls are happy to be your worst enemy, the source of your Saturday night frustrations, the team that knocks you out of the AP Top 25 poll — ask Boise State. USF is the spoiler of college football: a team few believed in at the beginning that has transformed into a formidable force.
“It’s always great to get a win on the road. Going in there, you like the villain,” Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown said. “They don’t want you to win, just overcoming those odds.”
A week after beating then-ranked No. 25 Boise State, USF (2-0) marched into the Swamp and stunned the No. 13 Gators (1-1). A week earlier, Florida routed Long Island University 55-0.
The dominating performance vs. LIU meant little against the Bulls and may mean even less against an upcoming schedule featuring No. 3 LSU, No. 5 Miami and No. 7 Texas.
With the loss, USF shined a bigger spotlight on Florida coach Billy Napier, who now has to answer for a loss to the in-state opponent few thought would win.
As the minutes counted down, Florida fans faced a whirlwind of emotions.
First was disbelief that sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway couldn’t find his footing. With UF clinging to a 16-15 lead, two incompletions by Lagway and an inconsequential run by Jadan Baugh gave back the ball to USF and sent frustrated Florida fans up the stairs and out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
As USF marched down the field without much resistance, the disappointment settled in. When sophomore kicker Nico Gramatica sent the ball through the uprights just as the clock reached zero, the anger rose.
“It stinks because I thought the football team was good,” said junior Chandler Poppell, who watched on from about the 10th row from the field.
Poppell hedged the loss’s impact, saying that football didn’t necessarily determine his emotions. But as he stood in the stands, the defeat stung harder than the other games the 20-year-old watched in his time at UF.
“This one’s at the bottom,” he said.
As Florida’s players trudged to the tunnel and into their locker room, USF coaches, players, cheerleaders and fans celebrated with their band. Dancing and jumping up and down, they filed into the visitors’ tunnel with heads held high.
For the second week in a row, the team ruined a ranked opponent’s night, and celebrations ensued.
“This win means everything,” said Jonah Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman who traveled from Tampa to watch the team play. “We beat Boise State, who was 25 last week. I tried to tell everybody we need to be ranked, and then we play the 13 Florida Gators, come into the Swamp and beat them like this.”
While the Bulls might try to sell you on how they will approach each team with the same mentality and how thankful they are to be supported by a fanbase willing to travel, it’s not the only takeaway.
USF embraces the odds stacked against it. They’re ready to upset your favorite team, and they’re happy to celebrate on your field even after your team has packed up.
“Going into a stadium and hearing all the boos fires me up,” Bulls linebacker Mac Harris said. “I love hearing it. It makes me excited. And I love especially coming into a big packed-out stadium like this, and getting the job done with my guys.”
Bianchi: Gators’ spit show against USF leaves Billy Napier’s seat on fire once again
GAINESVILLE — Sorry, Billy, but you know the drill.
This is going to hurt us a lot more than it’s going to hurt you.
I hate to do it, but you know where you have to go.
That’s right, we’re going to have to put you in a timeout again.
You’ve been a bad Billy.
It’s back on the hot seat for you.
UF fans boo head coach Billy Napier as he walks off the field after losing yo USF Saturday at the Swamp. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)That’s where Florida coach Billy Napier landed Saturday night after South Florida — yes, USF — strutted into the Swamp and left with an 18-16 upset victory that will live in Gators infamy. Losing to a lesser in-state program in Gainesville at the beginning of Napier’s fourth season is unacceptable, inexcusable and quite possibly irreparable.
The Bulls hadn’t beaten a ranked team on the road in 14 years, and it was Florida’s first defeat at home against a school from Florida — other than Florida State or Miami — since a loss to Stetson in 1938.
This was supposed to be a day of nostalgia, a celebration of Florida’s past greatness. It was billed as “Champions Reunion Weekend” — a gathering of Gators royalty. But instead of a coronation, it was Chumps Reunion Weekend, where the present-day team tripped over itself and face-planted in front of its own history.
You couldn’t script a crueler irony. On the 25th anniversary of honoring Steve Spurrier’s final SEC title team, Napier’s offense looked more like the Doug Dickey days of the 1970s — when offense was optional and Gators football was more punishment than party.
And then, as if to add insult to humiliation, the Bulls’ pivotal game-winning 87-yard drive was helped along when Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett was ejected for — wait for it — spitting in the face of USF’s Cole Skinner. Spitting! Two days after Philadelphia Eagles star and Apopka High alum Jalen Carter got tossed from an NFL game for the exact same thing. What are the odds? It was an embarrassment wrapped in a 15-yard penalty, gift-wrapped for the Bulls, and the beginning of the end for the Gators.
“When a guy does something like that, he’s compromising the team,” Napier said of the spitting penalty. “He’s putting himself before the team. Everything the game is about, you’re compromising.”
Nico Gramatica’s 20-yard chip shot as time expired sealed it for USF, but the chants that echoed as fans shuffled out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium were the real dagger: “Fire Billy! Fire Billy!”
The patience is gone. The goodwill Napier manufactured with that late-season four-game winning streak a year ago? Evaporated. Blown away like a cheap tailgate tent in a Gainesville thunderstorm.
On the same day Gators legend Billy Donovan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Billy Napier was indicted into UF football’s hall of shame.
Napier entered this season still fighting to prove he’s the man for the job, and by halftime Saturday, fans were already sharpening the knives. By the time he walked into the postgame media conference, reporters were openly asking whether he’s the right man to lead this program. That’s not just heat on the seat — that’s the chair combusting.
Fans on the radio call-in shows weren’t just angry. They were livid. They demanded he hire an offensive coordinator and blasted his play-calling.
“There’s no excuses here. I’m not up here to make excuses,” Napier said of the onslaught of incoming criticism. “We created it. We deserve it. If you play football like that, you’re going to be criticized. It comes with the territory.”
Asked if he’s the right man to lead UF moving forward, he replied: “That’s a big-picture question, and I think right now it’s more about today … and getting the football fixed because ultimately that’s going to decide how far we go around here.”
This isn’t the same Napier who swaggered into Gainesville back in 2021 with the catchphrase “scared money don’t make money.” He was supposed to be the fearless riverboat gambler. But so far, he’s looked more like Coupon-Clipping Billy, where scared money is losing money.
Show Caption1 of 51USF kicker Nico Grammatica (7) is hoisted by teammates after kicking the winnng field goal as time ran out during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Expand
Saturday proved it. The Gators managed just one touchdown, and even that came only after electric true freshman Vernell Brown III bailed them out with a 40-yard punt return, followed by a late-hit penalty on USF. That’s it. That’s the whole offensive highlight reel.
In the second half alone, Florida had seven possessions. The Gators punted six times. Six! Napier’s attack clunked and clanged like a dryer full of sneakers. The Gators were 18-point favorites and, yet, couldn’t even score 18 points.
Outcoached. Outclassed.
It was Alex Golesh and USF’s staff that looked smarter, sharper, hungrier. USF quarterback Byrum Brown, not Gators QB DJ Lagway, was the best player on the field, slicing Florida’s defense with his legs and his arm. He looked like a magician. Lagway, Florida’s supposed prodigy, looked like a freshman again — sailing passes, missing throws and struggling to make plays with his legs.
For a fan base that had crowned Lagway as the savior of the program, it was a sobering reality check. On this night, USF had the better quarterback, the better play-caller and the better composure.
Florida looked unprepared, undisciplined and flat-out overwhelmed. That’s not just a bad night. That’s a coaching indictment.
On the very weekend Florida honored two national championships and 15 conference titles, Napier’s Gators authored one of the most devastating defeats in recent Swamp history. As the final whistle blew, USF’s players and coaches hugged, danced and celebrated on the hallowed turf. Their chants of “U-S-F! U-S-F!” ricocheted through a stadium that, moments earlier, had been stunned into silence.
For three hours, the Gators were embarrassed in front of their legends, their rivals and their fans. And now they march into the most brutal stretch of their schedule — at No. 3 LSU, followed by showdowns with No. 5 Miami, No. 7 Texas and No. 19 Texas A&M. If Napier couldn’t figure out South Florida, what happens when he’s matching coaching wits with Brian Kelly and Steve Sarkisian?
The painful part is we’ve seen this movie before. Last season began with humiliating blowouts against Miami and Texas A&M. Napier’s job security was wobbling then, too. But he salvaged hope with that late-season rally, capped by a convincing win over Florida State. For a moment, fans believed maybe — just maybe — the vision was finally coming together.
That illusion vanished Saturday. Three sloppy hours against USF undid it all.
Where does Napier go from here? His players looked shaken. His fan base has turned. And his schedule is about to get much, much harder.
Napier needed this season to feel different. Instead, it feels like the same slow-motion car crash all over again.
And so, back on the hot seat he goes.
He can’t escape it.
Sorry, Billy, but you know the drill.
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my new radio show “Game On” every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen
Veltkamp bounces back with 5 TD passes, FAU routs FAMU
BOCA RATON — Caden Veltkamp matched his career high with five touchdown passes and Florida Atlantic cruised past Florida A&M 56-14 on Saturday night.
Veltkamp, the 2024 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year for Western Kentucky, bounced back after throwing four interceptions in a 39-7 loss at Maryland a week ago.
Against the FCS Rattlers, Veltkamp completed 27 of 39 passes for 309 yards. The Owls had a total of 360 yards passing. Gemari Sands rushed for 83 yards, leading a ground game that piled up 193 yards.
FAU led 39-0 at halftime but the Rattlers scored the only points of the third quarter on a 27-yard pass from RJ Johnson III to Jamar Taylor.
Johnson added a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Edwards in the fourth quarter.
Johnson completed 18 of 28 passes for 222 yards with the two touchdowns.
It was just the second time the two teams have met, FAU now having won both games.
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No. 5 Hurricanes cruise to rout against outmatched Bethune-Cookman
MIAMI GARDENS — The Hurricanes needed to avoid a let-down against a scuffling FCS opponent after beating Notre Dame last week.
No. 5 Miami (2-0) accomplished that, beating Bethune-Cookman (0-2) 45-3 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
“You still have to play your guys, you’ve got to come to these games full throttle,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “And our guys did a good job while they were in there, and they granted us the opportunity for the other guys to play, as well. So we got the best of both worlds.”
The Hurricanes wasted no time getting going. Miami forced a punt on Bethune-Cookman’s opening drive (though they lost linebacker Wesley Bissainthe due to a targeting penalty). The Hurricanes then rolled down the field on a five-play, 90-yard drive that culminated in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to CJ Daniels.
The scoring continued on the next drive, this time on the ground. Junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. capped a 74-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown run.
UM continued bowling over the Wildcats on the subsequent drive, with North Dakota State transfer Marty Brown punching in a 2-yard score.
Beck had one of the best starts to a game of any Miami quarterback, completing his first 15 passes. That broke the school record of consecutive completions to start a game; UM great Vinny Testaverde set the previous record of 14 against Oklahoma in 1986.
“It’s super cool, obviously, to perform at a high level and do things like that,” Beck said.
Beck threw his first incompletion of the night on his 16th pass, but moments later, he connected with Daniels for their second touchdown of the night. The score put the Hurricanes ahead 28-3 shortly before halftime.
“The biggest goal for me is to make plays for the quarterback.,” Daniels said. “Wherever you put it, my job is to hold it in (and) make his job easier. I just tell Carson, ‘Just put it around me. I’m a playmaker.’ I just want to make his job as easy as possible.”
Miami added another score on a 1-yard run by Fletcher, who scored two touchdowns in a single game for the fourth time in his career.
Aided by Hurricanes penalties, the Wildcats drove into Miami territory midway through the third quarter. But star defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. forced a fumble that UM recovered. The Hurricanes opted to put their backups in on the next drive.
After UM’s backups entered the game, freshman running back Girard Pringle scored his first career touchdown on a 30-yard run.
“It was a blessing,” Pringle said. “I couldn’t thank my O-line more. I couldn’t thank coach Cristobal for letting me get a chance to play tonight. It was all-around blessing to be able to do that in college.”
Five takeaways 1. Hurricanes take care of businessThe chances of Bethune-Cookman beating the Hurricanes were near zero when the game kicked off. The Wildcats are an overmatched FCS team. But one of Miami’s in-state opponents did not take care of business. Florida, who UM will face at Hard Rock Stadium in two weeks, dropped a home game to USF on Saturday.
The Bulls are much better than the Wildcats. But the Gators were still multi-touchdown favorites against USF, and they lost. Miami’s players talked about staying focused in the week leading up to this game, and they were up to the task. Now UM has to prepare for next week’s matchup against those Bulls, who will likely be ranked for the first time since 2018 entering the game.
2. Offense complements each otherThe Hurricanes’ offense rolled over Bethune-Cookman without a hitch. They did it with the passing game and running game clicking.
Beck set a UM record with his 15 consecutive completions to start the game, and he finished the contest 22 of 24 for 264 yards and a pair of scores. The Hurricanes’ running backs also performed well. Fletcher finished the game with 86 yards and two touchdowns, while Marty Brown notched 35 and a score.
Miami did not have a negative play while the starters were playing.
3. CJ Daniels a key findMario Cristobal wanted Daniels on his side when the receiver entered the transfer portal before the 2024 season. Daniels opted to go to LSU instead.
Cristobal got his man this offseason, and Daniels has repaid him with immediate production. The sixth-year receiver added another 73 receiving yards and two touchdowns after making one of the best catches of the season so far in Week 1.
4. Keionte Scott in the backfieldMiami defensive back Keionte Scott, who previously played at Auburn, lived in the Bethune-Cookman backfield on Saturday.
Scott had three tackles, all of which were for losses. Scott has four tackles this season.
“It’s definitely fun,” Scott said. “It’s something to do when coaches put me in that position to make that play, and I pride myself on being able to make those type of plays.”
5. Freshmen make an impactFreshman Malachi Toney made a big splash in his first career game against Notre Dame, and he and other members of his recruiting class had solid games this week.
Toney led the Hurricanes with six catches for 80 yards in the win over the Wildcats. Fellow freshmen Luka Gilbert, Brock Schott and Daylyn Upshaw all had their first career catches. Pringle scored his first career touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
On defense, freshman safety and Miami Columbus alum Bryce Fitzgerald picked off a pass in the end zone. Chaminade-Madonna alum defensive lineman Donta Simpson had half a tackle for loss. Freshman linebacker Kellen Wiley also had his first career tackles.
“All those guys are amazing,” Pringle said. “I feel like we’re going to be next up.”
Heat’s Arison speaks at Hall induction of initial ownership doubts, roses from Shaq, perseverance of Spoelstra
Micky Arison insisted that his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame would be about more than his three-decade tenure as owner of the Miami Heat.
So as he spoke Saturday night at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass., not far from the sport’s shrine, he remained true to that vow.
Instead, he put the focus on those who helped engineer the franchise success that led to three championships, seven NBA Finals appearances, seven Eastern Conference championships, 10 Eastern Conference Finals appearances and 16 division titles.
At the start, that meant words of appreciation for Heat President Pat Riley and Heat icons Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning, as those three sat alongside as his hand-selected presenters.
But there also were moments of candor and backstory that offered a window into the meaning of the moments and the relationships cultivated since taking over stewardship of the franchise in February 1995.
At the outset, even before he took over controlling interest, he said there were doubts about whether his father, initial franchise owner Ted Arison, should pursue such a business interest beyond the family’s Carnival cruise line.
The Hall of Fame is filled with HEAT legends, and there are many more to come pic.twitter.com/MMgtdGAkql
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 7, 2025
“In 1988, my father was part of the group that brought the Miami Heat to Miami. Ironically, when I found out that he was talking to David Stern, I tried to convince him not to get involved,” Arison said of that meeting with the late NBA commissioner. “We had tremendous success in the cruise business and valued our privacy. But the Miami Heat and the game of basketball quickly became an all-consuming passion for our family.”
And, Arison acknowledged, the Heat became family, as he related a story about Heat championship center Shaquille O’Neal.
“During the time,” he said of O’Neal’s Heat tenure, “my 90-year-old mother-in-law joined us for every single home game. Shaq sent her a red rose with a funny little note and had it delivered to her seat before every game.”
Never change, @SHAQ
USF, up next for Miami Hurricanes, stun No. 13 UF in Swamp
GAINESVILLE — Another early season no-show in the Swamp by the Gators.
Another season on the brink for Florida coach Billy Napier.
A week after UF was virtually flawless against an overmatched FCS foe, the No. 13 Gators fell apart Saturday night during an 18-16 loss to unranked USF that put Napier back in familiar spot — behind the 8-ball and on the hot seat.
A 20-yard field goal by USF sophomore Nico Gramatica silenced a sellout crowd of 89,909 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and sent the Gators (1-1) reeling before the season has even started — and will get only tougher.
“There’s no excuse here,” he said about his latest stunning loss at UF. “I’m not here to make excuses.”
When a 17.5-point home favorite doesn’t score even 17.5 points, there are problems.
Having been through it during each of his three previous season, Napier — now 20-20 at UF — said he’s prepared for an upcoming cacophony of criticism.
“We created it. We deserve it,” he said. “If you play football like that, you’re going to get criticized.”
UF coach Billy Napier, left, argues with head linesman Ralph Green during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)Napier and the Gators will have to block out the noise while addressing a laundry list of concerns. If Florida cannot find some answers quickly, a season filled with high expectations could end up in free-fall.
Next up is one of the toughest four-game stretches over five weeks in program history, beginning with trips to No. 3 LSU Saturday and No. 5 Miami on Sept. 20. After a Sept. 27 bye week, the Gators host No. 6 Texas Oct. 4 followed by a trip to Texas A&M.
The Gators will have to improve in every way to have a chance against any of them.
“We can do much better. We can coach better. We can play better.” Napier said. “We have to do much better.”
Show Caption1 of 51USF kicker Nico Grammatica (7) is hoisted by teammates after kicking the winnng field goal as time ran out during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Expand
Facing a Group of Five program visiting one of college football’s toughest environments, Napier’s Gators could not finish drives, committed costly penalties and struggled to get the Bulls offense off the field.
“I don’t want to discredit South Florida,” Napier said. “Give them some credit for hanging around and finding a way to win the game.”
Florida could do no wrong in Week 1.
Napier’s team didn’t commit a penalty during a 55-0 trouncing of Long Island University. But against USF (2-0), UF had 11 for 103 yards, including two costly flags on the game-winning drive. Starting from their 11-yard line, the Bulls went 87 yards in eight plays to earn their first win in five meetings with the state’s flagship university.
A second-down pass interference on Dijon Johnson first cost UF 13 yards. On the next play, officials flagged Baylor transfer defensive tackle Brendan Bett 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct after he spit on USF offensive lineman Cole Skinner.
“He made a mistake there,” UF QB DJ Lagway said. “That doesn’t identify his character at all. He’s such a nice guy. He was in there crying and stuff like that, feeling bad, talking to the coaches, talking to the players, and apologizing for it.”
On the next play, Alvon Isaac, a sophomore from Hawthorne just east of Gainesville, took a screen pass from quarterback Byrum Brown 29 yards to the Gators’ 39. A 12-yard completion to sophomore Joshua Port of Sebring put the Bulls well within Gramatica’s range.
USF picked up 18 more yards on four plays to set up a chip shot for Gramatica. The son of the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica came up several yards short from 58 yards with 2:52 remaining and USF going for the upset win.
The Gators, though, ran just 27 seconds off the clock. A third-down incompletion by Lagway throwing to true freshman Vernell Brown III of Orlando forced UF to punt to the Bulls with 2:25 remaining.
“We got ourselves into a good play,” Napier said. “We had a chance on third down to put the game away basically.”
Things had begun to look bleak when the third quarter ended with the Gators trailing 15-9. The “Won’t Back Down” tradition played before the fourth quarter rang hollow for a Florida team at that point on its heels.
Florida receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) comes down with a touchdown catch in front of USF cornerback De'Shawn Rucker (22) during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)But the Gators and the Swamp soon came alive.
Fresh off a breakout performance in his debut, Brown III again ignited his team and sellout crowd, this time with a 40-yard punt return that ended with a shove in the back out of bounds from USF punter Chase Leon to tack on another 15 yards to the USF 24.
Three runs totaling 16 yards by sophomore tailback Jadan Baugh set up Lagway’s 4-yard scoring pass to Tre Wilson, a Tampa native once recruited by USF.
UF promptly forced a three-and-out with a second-down pass break-up by Aaron Chiles and third-down tackle in the flat by Myles Graham.
The Bulls, though, did not fade away after stunning Group of Five heavyweight Boise State 34-7 last week in Tampa.
Florida did not make the key plays on a night when Lagway was so-so, going 23 of 33 for 222 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
“Got to make the plays when I need to make the plays and when my guys are counting on me,” he said. “So I put all that on me.”
Meanwhile, the Gators defense could not contain Brown, who finished with 263 passing yards — including a 66-yard touchdown to Keshaun Singleton for a 13-9 lead — and 66 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Four of UF’s seven second-half possessions ended in punts, another with an interception, another with a USF safety and only one with a touchdown, when Lagway found Wilson to give UF a 16-15 lead with 12:29 remaining.
But the Gators could not hold on to their slim lead to prevent another inexplicable loss for Napier and tough scene in the team’s locker room.
“We were definitely heartbroken, sad, mad,” Lagway said. “We could have played a lot better. We left a lot of points on the drawing board.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
Harper homers and NL East-leading Phillies beat Marlins 4-2
MIAMI (AP) — Bryce Harper homered, Brandon Marsh doubled twice and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 4-2 on Saturday.
Jesús Luzardo struck out eight over six innings of two-run ball for the NL East-leading Phillies. Luzardo (13-6) allowed five hits and walked four.
Phillies star slugger Kyle Schwarber went 0-for-3 and was hit twice. Schwarber remains at 49 homers since he went deep four times against Atlanta on Aug. 28. He hit a drive to the warning track in the ninth that was caught by centerfielder Jakob Marsee.
After winning three of four at the New York Mets Aug. 28-31, the Marlins have lost five straight.
Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto threw out Agustín Ramírez and Maximo Acosta on unsuccessful stolen base attempts in the second and sixth.
Harper gave the Phillies a quick lead with a two-run homer in the first. He drove a fastball from Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara over the wall in center for his 24th home run.
Philadelphia padded the lead in the fourth on Harrison Bader’s run-scoring single and Bryson Stott’s sacrifice fly.
Miami narrowed the deficit in the bottom half, when Eric Wagaman doubled and Javier Sanoja added an RBI infield single.
David Robertson and Matt Strahm followed Luzardo with scoreless innings each before Jhoan Duran closed for his 27th save.
Alcantara (8-12) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out four.
Key momentAfter he issued walks to Wagaman and Sanoja, Luzardo ended his outing by retiring Troy Johnston on a flyout for the third out in the sixth.
Key statHarper has 33 RBIs over his last 50 games.
Up nextRHP Taijuan Walker (4-7, 3.92 ERA) will start the series finale for the Phillies on Sunday while the Marlins have not announced a starter.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Jaden Nixon’s career night powers UCF past North Carolina A&T
Jaden Nixon looked skyward as a slow rain pitter-pattered its way onto the field at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium.
Among the drops of rain falling from the black sky was a football, which quietly landed into Nixon’s arms before the talented UCF running back took one step, then another and another as the redshirt senior picked up speed.
He dodged one tackle and then another and soon the only thing in front of Nixon was green grass and open space. Thirteen seconds and 96 yards later, he found himself in the end zone for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.
It was the first of what would be three touchdowns on the night for Nixon, whose big performance led UCF to an impressive 68-7 win Saturday over North Carolina A&T.
It’s the third consecutive year in which UCF has opened a season 2-0.
It was Nixon’s second career kickoff return for a touchdown and the first kickoff return for a touchdown by the Knights since Mike Hughes achieved the same feat on Nov. 24, 2017.
Show Caption1 of 24UCF Knights fans show their resilience on the night of a rain delayed football game against North Carolina A&T Aggies at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) Expand
Ironically, Scott Frost was the head coach at UCF during the last kickoff return for a touchdown.
“It looked eerily similar. I actually thought about it instantly when he came up the hash and broke left and ran about the same track as Mike did back in the day,” said Frost. “It was a little bit of deja vu for me, but it’s a good way to start the game.”
“I had one before, but I’ve been wanting to go get another one ever since then and now I want to go get another one after that,” Nixon added jokingly. “I know the guys on the team feel the same way, so we’re going to keep putting in the work even after this week.”
UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson earned his first start of the season on Saturday, leading the Knights to a 68-7 win over North Carolina A&T. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)Tayven Jackson took his first snaps as the starting quarterback, leading the Knights on an 8-play, 64-yard scoring drive that was highlighted by a 49-yard completion from Jackson to receiver Duane Thomas Jr. at the goal line. Two plays later, Jackson burst through the NCAT defense for a 1-yard score.
Jackson earned the start in place of Cam Fancher, who missed the game after suffering an injury early in the second quarter in the team’s 17-10 win over Jacksonville State a week ago Thursday.
“There was some good and there’s some bad,” Jackson said of assessing his performance. “We could be better at some things and as a team, we want to be great, so we’re going to go in the film room and fix what we did wrong, but also enjoy the win, because it’s hard to win football games.”
With UCF facing a bye week before hosting North Carolina on Sept. 20, Frost wasn’t willing to commit to any one quarterback moving forward.
“We’ve got a bye week to think about it, see who’s healthy and who’s available and we’ll talk as a staff, but I don’t think it’s going to be tough,” Frost indicated.
After an interception by UCF linebacker Jayden McDonald on the Aggies’ next possession, Jackson scampered 4 yards for another touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
Severe weather in the area delayed the start of the game by an hour. This marked the second consecutive game for the Knights to experience a weather delay. Their opener against Jacksonville State had been pushed back by more than two hours due to nearby lightning.
UCF Knights wide receiver Marcus Burke (3) can’t hold onto the pass during the college football game against North Carolina A&T Aggies at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)UCF’s defense got in on the scoring as well, as edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly forced a fumble after sacking NCAT quarterback Champ Long in the end zone. Defensive end Rodney Lora recovered it for a touchdown.
It was the first fumble recovery for a touchdown since Demari Henderson’s 87-yard return for a score against Baylor on Sept. 30, 2023.
The Knights held the NCAT (0-2) to just 200 yards of offense, while forcing an interception and a fumble.
“We talked about getting turnovers all week,” said Kelly, who finished with 4 tackles, a sack, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble. “We talked about starting fast early. So it was a blessing that we were able to get interceptions early and get two sacks early.”
Nixon added an 87-yard touchdown run at the start of the second quarter that pushed the lead to 34-0. It was UCF’s third-longest run from scrimmage, tying him with Kevin Smith (2007) and Adrian Killins (2016).
Noe Ruelas added a pair of field goals (34 and 36 yards).
Nixon added another touchdown run — a 66-yarder midway through the third quarter — to push the UCF advantage to 47-0. He finished the game with four carries for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Jackson went 12 of 21 for 189 yards with a pair of rushing touchdowns. He was replaced in the second half by Jacurri Brown, who added a pair of rushing touchdowns.
UCF, meanwhile, finished with a season-high 560 yards of offense, fueled by 356 rushing yards. It was the most rushing yards by the Knights since totaling 384 against Sam Houston State last season.
Find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
FSU honors Ethan Pritchard and his dad during and after Saturday victory
Father Earl Pritchard and Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard were honored during and after FSU’s 77-3 victory over East Texas A&M on Saturday.
The younger Pritchard was shot this past Sunday in Havana, a town about 16 miles northwest of Tallahassee. Ethan Pritchard remains stable but in critical condition at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, where he had surgery for a gunshot to the back of the head.
Seminole LB Ethan Pritchard stays true to mother he never knew, commits to FSU
On Saturday, Earl Pritchard was on the sidelines during the Seminoles’ victory, decked out in a gold FSU jersey with Ethan’s No. 35 and Pritchard embroidered across the back. After the win, Earl Pritchard was honored with being the one to break the victory “rock” in the FSU locker room, a traditional custom after FSU victories.
In the locker room, coach Mike Norvell told his players before handing Earl Pritchard the game ball: “Ethan’s dad came to spend the day with us. He told me the other day this is where his boy wants him to be. We got it done for him,” Norvell said, handing the game ball to Earl. “I want you to take that to him.”
Norvell has been trying to keep his players abreast of Ethan’s situation and had this to say on Tuesday:
“I talked to Ethan’s dad this morning. I’m trying to check on him, check on Ethan. I was able to go by yesterday for a short period of time with limited visitation, just getting a chance to be there for a handful of minutes. It was good to be with him,” Norvell said.
Seminole High coach Karl Calhoun set up a GoFundMe page for the Pritchard family and as of Saturday at 5 p.m., $116,552 had been raised.
Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.
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