MANHATTAN, Kansas — It was not the debut that UCF had hoped to make in its Big 12 opener.
The atmosphere was electric as a near-sellout crowd at Bill Snyder Family Stadium welcomed the Knights to their new conference. But the hospitality only lasted a few minutes as Kansas State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead as the Wildcats bullied their way to a 44-31 win on Saturday night.
Tailback DJ Giddens ran roughshod over UCF’s defense with 107 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as KSU built a 21-10 lead. He finished with 207 yards and 4 TDs on 30 carries.
Timmy McClain led a second-half comeback starting with a 46-yard touchdown strike to receiver Kobe Hudson in the first 1:20 of the third quarter that helped the Knights retake the lead, 24-21.
Kansas State tied things up with a 30-yard field goal by Chris Tennant.
But UCF (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) couldn’t overcome self-inflicted mistakes, with the Knights turning the ball over twice — an interception by McClain and a fumble by running back RJ Harvey — and costly penalties that gave the Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) new life in the second half.
The announced crowd of 51,912 made their voices heard, forcing three delay-of-game penalties, two on a crucial drive in the fourth quarter.
The Knights allowed more than 450 yards of total offense for the first time since giving up 648 yards to Tulane in last year’s American Athletic Conference championship game.
The loss was disappointing for UCF, which was looking to make an immediate impact in its first game in the Big 12. Instead, the Knights must wait a week for their next chance when Baylor comes to FBC Mortgage Stadium next Saturday (3:30 p.m., FS1 or FS2).
Standouts
UCF
Timmy McClain: The quarterback went 14 of 24 for 264 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception in his second start with the Knights.
Johnny Richardson: The senior running back had 132 all-purpose yards.
Kobe Hudson: The senior wide receiver had 138 receiving yards on 5 catches, including a 69-yard touchdown catch on a flea-flicker late in the second quarter and a 46-yard score in the third.
Kansas State
Will Howard: The senior quarterback went 27 of 42 for 255 passing yards with an interception in the first half. He also had 64 rushing yards and scored 2 TDs.
DJ Giddens: The sophomore running back cracked the 100-yard threshold in the first half, rushing for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns to help spark a 21-17 halftime advantage. He added another touchdown late in the fourth quarter and finished with 207 rushing yards on 30 carries.
Noteworthy
– UCF’s first points in the Big 12 came with 9:08 in the first quarter when kicker Colton Boomer connected on a 29-yard field goal.
– Knights cornerback Corey Thornton stepped in front of Kansas State receiver Keagan Johnson to intercept a Howard pass in the second quarter. It was the fourth straight game in which UCF registered an interception and the second consecutive game that Thornton has come away with a pick.
– McClain threw a screen pass to tailback Harvey, who raced 27 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter. It was McClain’s 3rd touchdown of the season and the 2nd receiving touchdown for Harvey.
Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.