UCF and Arizona State enter Saturday’s matchup with identical records and high stakes.
Both football programs hold 5-4 overall records and 3-3 conference marks in the Big 12.
“You guys guys agree it’s all pretty close watching the games this year? I hope you do,” UCF head coach Scott Frost stated, according to Yahoo Sports.
“You’ve got to play well that week,” Frost added, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
“Turnovers become even more important, and penalties and playing a clean game.”
“The biggest differentiator, to me, is quarterback play,” Frost concluded regarding the upcoming game.
The two teams feature starkly different levels of experience under center for the contest.
Redshirt senior Alonza Barnett III leads the Knights after transferring from James Madison.
Freshman Jake Fette anchors the opposing offense and prepares for his third career start.
UCF is coming off a thrilling 33-32 victory against Kansas that snapped a 12-game road losing streak.
Barnett engineered a clutch drive and threw a game-winning touchdown pass with one second remaining.
Meanwhile, Arizona State enters the matchup following a strong performance against Colorado.
Freshman running back Taevion Swint aims to handle an increased workload for the Knights’ offense.
“Staying in the training room, building my body back up, getting back right, stay ready when your number gets called,” Swint explained, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
“If one goes down, somebody else has got to step up,” Swint emphasized to local reporters.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando.