ORLANDO — Scott Frost cocked his head to the side and asked for clarification.
“Is that right? I didn’t know that,” UCF’s head football coach said after learning BYU is the highest-ranked team to ever visit the Acrisure Bounce House.
Fresh off their 28-24 coming-out party over previous No. 2 Notre Dame, the Cougars rose to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll. They will replace Texas, who was No. 6 in 2007, as the highest-regarded squad to play at UCF.
Not only that, Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. showdown will get national television treatment. It will air on Fox.
“That’s actually a blessing,” defensive back Antione Jackson said. “As a little kid, you dream of moments like this. The human nature, it’s a different feeling. You’re very excited to play games like this. But at the end of the day, you attack it like it’s just another game.”
It won’t be an entirely new mood for the Knights.
Before their bye week, they faced then-No. 20 Houston and No. 18 Oklahoma State in back-to-back road contests. UCF built a 17-0 lead against Houston in the second half and trailed OK State 24-21 after three quarters but faded down the stretch and frittered away both chances.
Now arrives the biggest opportunity yet.
The Knights are 0-3 all-time against top-10 programs at the Bounce House.
“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Frost said. “I think the environment is going to be great. It’s homecoming. I have to fill out a top-25 (ballot) every week, and it’s just been moving parts the entire time, just constantly changing. I think that’s college football right now. Anybody can beat anybody any week. That was obvious Saturday.”
Frost watched BYU’s victory over Notre Dame on TV. He stated the Cougars deserve the current adulation.
He called them the best of the Big 12 bunch and labeled Bear Bachmeier one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
“It’s an awesome opportunity for us on homecoming to go shoot our shot,” Frost said. “I think our kids will be excited.”
Certainly.
Jackson and offensive lineman Preston Cushman agreed. The motivation provides itself.
Before the tall task on a historic day at the Bounce House, Cushman laid down a challenge for his team and its supporters.
“I think more than ever, Knight Nation, y’all play a big part in this, too,” Cushman said. “It’s home-field advantage. We’ve had a test on the road for a long time. We’re home now, so if Knight Nation shows up and gets loud, that is a huge factor for offenses on the road. I know we don’t like noise ...
“My challenge for Knight Nation and for us is to put a full 60 minutes together.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: No. 2 BYU visits UCF football as highest-ranked opponent in Bounce House history