College Football · FINAL

UCF 17 · Houston 27

October 3, 2026 · TDECU Stadium

TDECU Stadium · 2026-10-03

The final score was UCF 17 · Houston 27. The breakdown below uses this game’s figures, separate from season averages.

UCF Knights

Houston Cougars

The scoring path

Q1UCF +7point differential in this period

Q3HOU +7point differential in this period

Q4HOU +13point differential in this period

Quarter scoring
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
UCF Knights	7	3	7	0	17
Houston Cougars	0	0	14	13	27

This game · football box score
Measure	UCF Knights	Houston Cougars
First downs	13	23
Total yards	332	393
Passing yards	259	239
Rushing yards	73	154
Third-down conversions	4-14	8-16
Giveaways	1	1
Possession time	26:38	33:22

Third-down conversion is shown as its own measure. It is not a substitute for overall play success rate. A dash means the source did not supply that field.

The Lab’s result test

Houston Cougars won by 10 points. Q4 supplied the largest scoring swing in the winner’s favor, a +13-points period. The chart shows the result’s path; the box score helps explain what created it.

UCF Knights produced 332 total yards; Houston Cougars produced 393. Yardage describes how much ground was gained, not whether the most valuable drives were finished.

Houston Cougars committed 1 giveaways against the opponent’s 1. The giveaway counts were level, so that total alone does not separate these teams.

The next test is repeatability. Separate staying on schedule from long gains, then examine field position and drive finishing. A large yardage total can coexist with missed scoring chances; a short field can make a modest drive valuable.