ORLANDO — Gus Malzahn kept repeating the same word.
“Spark.”
That’s what the UCF Knights’ head coach wanted by making a quarterback change against the Cincinnati Bearcats Saturday.
For the first time this season, someone other than KJ Jefferson started behind center. Freshman EJ Colson received the nod. He played three drives, including the first two of the game, before redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown took over.
Brown led all three of the Knights’ scoring drives during their third straight loss, 19-13 at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
“With the team we have, I just felt like we needed a spark,” Malzahn said. “That’s what we did. KJ, he’s a winner. There’s no doubt. But I just felt real strong that we needed a spark and to make changes. There were sparks at times (Saturday).”
EJ Colson gets the start
Jefferson, a sixth-year Arkansas transfer, captained UCF’s offense during the first five contests. He completed 59% of his throws — his lowest mark since 2020 — for 1,012 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 193 yards and two scores on 61 carries.
So Malzahn flipped to a 17-year-old.
He said Colson earned the start based on his last few weeks of practice. The Byron, Georgia, native arrived on campus in June. Originally a three-star member of the Knights’ 2025 recruiting class, he reclassified in December, signing a year early.
“He has that ‘it’ factor,” Malzahn said.
Jacurri Brown leads all three UCF scoring drives
However, UCF planned to use both Colson and Brown.
Brown reached the college scene as a highly touted recruit, too, ranking as a four-star prospect when he committed to Miami. After two years and nine appearances in Coral Gables, Brown hit the portal.
Against the Bearcats, he finished 13 of 20 for 207 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers. His scoring strike came via a 15-yard pass to Kobe Hudson in the third quarter. It knotted the game at 10.
“I thank God for giving him a chance and letting him go out there and showcase his skills,” Hudson said. “It’s a blessing for him and also a blessing for us to just get behind him and trust a new guy. I feel like he did a pretty good job with what he could do.”
One reason Malzahn stuck with Brown from the second quarter through the second half was his legs.
Cincinnati squeezed the middle against RJ Harvey (17 carries for 94 yards). As an electric athlete, Brown presented another rushing option for the Bearcats to fret about. He ran 16 times for 84 yards, including a long of 28.
Jefferson’s longest sprint of the year was 23 yards.
“He was really calm,” Malzahn said. “He handled himself really well on the sideline and everything that goes with it. He made some plays. He extended plays on third down. There were two big third-down runs he had. He’s a run threat. But EJ did some good things when he was in there early, too.”
Colson connected on one of his four attempts, a swing pass to Johnny Richardson, who fumbled it to the Bearcats inside the UCF 10-yard line. That led to Cincinnati’s first field goal. It never trailed afterward.
Colson’s final line: minus-6 passing yards and three carries for six yards.
Brown fell just a couple of plays short of reigniting the Knights’ 2024 flame. Twice, they stalled out in the red zone, leading to field-goal attempts instead of touchdowns.
And after marching UCF to the Bearcats’ 25 with three seconds left in regulation, Brown was prepared for a heave to the end zone, but Cincinnati’s Jared Bartlett sacked him as time expired.
“I think, at this point, we have to evaluate everything,” Malzahn said. “We have to find a way to manufacture more points.”
It won’t be easy next week — or really any week for the remainder of the Big 12 slate. Seven days ahead of a date with undefeated Iowa State, Malzahn declined to name a starter.
But he did offer this.
“I really expect us to improve greatly on offense the second time out with everything that goes with (a new quarterback),” he said.
So by the sounds of it, it won’t be Jefferson in Ames next Saturday. Colson and/or Brown will see a second time, a second opportunity to relight a season that desperately needs another spark.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: Inside QB change to EJ Colson, Jacurri Brown
