Cole Pepper
Scott Frost makes his second debut as the head coach at UCF Thursday night as the Knights host Jacksonville State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
The Knights finished last season with a record of 4-8, leading to the exit of head coach Gus Malzahn, who joined the staff in Tallahassee as the Florida State Seminoles’ offensive coordinator.
Reenter Frost, who guided UCF to 19 wins in two seasons, including a 13-0 season in 2017, which included the program’s highest ranking, No. 6 in the AP poll.
After four seasons plus three games at his alma mater, Nebraska, Frost is back to guide the Knights. He has a dramatically overhauled roster to work with. There are 63 new players on the roster this season, including 36 transfers from other FBS programs.
UCF has won 10 straight season openers dating back to Frost’s first game, a 38-0 win over South Carolina State in 2016.
Jacksonville State begins the season where the program’s season ended last year. The Gamecocks played in the Cure Bowl in Orlando. Jacksonville State has a new coach as well. Charles Kelly begins his first season as head coach after serving as an assistant at 10 stops, including two at Auburn, where he was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach last season.
There are major questions about UCF’s roster due to several new additions. Redshirt senior Cam Fancher is expected to start at quarterback. The former Florida Atlantic and Marshall player has thrown 27 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in four seasons of college football.
Among the skill positions are three Florida natives who have transferred back to the Sunshine State: Jacksonville native running back Myles Montgomery (Cincinnati transfer) and wide receivers Marcus Burke (Florida) and Duane Thomas Jr. (Charlotte), the latter of whom is a Miami Gardens native.
