After an over two-hour lightning delay, the UCF Knights commemorated coach Scott Frost’s first game back in Orlando with a close win over Jacksonville State Thursday night, 17-10.

It was a learning experience for the Knights, with so many new faces playing their first college football game together, but here are three key takeaways that encapsulated what made it as close as it was.

With most of the ballgame being spent tied between the two teams, two defensive plays from the Knights that kept the play tied proved crucial to give the offense room to work.

There was the fact that Jacksonville State could have gotten on the board first to close out the first half, but a leaping block from linebacker Kelli Lawson blocked it, keeping it scoreless at the break.

However, the biggest example of this was late in the game, when defensive back Jayden Williams stopped Jax State running back Cam Cook for no gain on fourth and short at the UCF 36-yard line. A first down there would have given the Gamecocks a chance to get into the red zone. Instead, with the game still tied up, 10-10, the Knights forced a turnover on downs and took the ensuing drive to the endzone on a 33-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tayven Jackson to wide receiver DJ Black, which ended up being the game-winning score.

This does not even mention the pass breakup and interception by defensive back Jayden Bellamy on the final drive that sealed the game for the Knights.

The game was as close as it was in the first place, thanks to a few early scoring opportunities getting squandered. Before the lightning delay, after reaching midfield from their own three-yard line on their second drive, starting quarterback Cam Fancher did not connect on a backwards pass, which the Gamecocks recovered.

Then, after the rain delay, Jackson found running back Myles Montgomery for a 64-yard catch to get into the red zone, with the Knights capitalizing to make it to the goal line, but a false start penalty forced them back far enough that they had to settle for a field goal.

Even late in the fourth quarter, after Jackson completed a pair of double-digit yard passes to get to the Jax State 28, the Knights allowed a sack, which put kicker Noe Ruelas far enough back that he missed the 43-yard field goal attempt.

Frost said this week for the Knights not to worry about making mistakes, but the mistakes they made Thursday night proved costly. All told, the referees flagged the Knights nine times for 80 yards, but it was not just how many times it happened, since the Gamecocks were flagged seven times for 60 yards, but when it happened.

Whether it was a false start near the goal line or a chop block that pushed them out of field goal range, UCF left points on the table thanks to penalties, which made this season opener closer than it otherwise could have been.

The Knights will have a chance to improve next week as they host North Carolina A&T on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.

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