UCF Quarterback Ruled Out Against West Virginia

UCF Knights quarterback Cam Fancher is out for the Knights' homecoming game on Saturday against West Virginia, according to the team's first player availability report on Wednesday night.

The development comes contrary to what coach Scott Frost said on Monday, who said he expected to have "all hands on deck" when it came to quarterbacks against West Virginia. Fancher was coming off his first start since the Knights' season opener last weekend. He completed 28 passes for 222 yards and ran 20 times for 108 yards and a touchdown, leading UCF's rushing attack.

"He earned a lot of people's respect for how hard he played," Frost said on his weekly radio appearance on 96.9 The Game on Wednesday night. "He was a warrior out there. You know, we left some plays out there that we could have made, but you certainly can't question his commitment and toughness."

It is the latest of several injuries to befall the Knights' signal callers this season. Frost also said during his radio interview that Tayven Jackson, who was only available in an emergency capacity against Cincinnati, was "healthy now" and that the program was "trying to get Jacurri [Brown] back healthy." Both of these statements were backed up by the player availability report, with Brown listed as "questionable" and Jackson not listed.

Fancher was one of six Knights ruled out for Saturday's homecoming contest, which includes defensive end Sincere Edwards, one of UCF's leading tacklers for loss, who now misses his second straight game.

"When [Edwards] first got here, and we was doing bench press, and I forgot to do one rep, he got on me," defensive end Nyjalik Kelly said on Monday. "I just feel like he's hungry, he's willing to learn, he's willing to teach, and that's the type of player you need on your team, one that listens, one that talks, and one that's ready to fight."

As for defensive back Jayden Williams, Saturday marks his fourth consecutive missed game and fifth of the season overall. Frost said his absence would "probably be another couple weeks." He revealed Williams sustained a broken thumb, but the surgery to fix it "failed on him," so he had to get a pin in it.

Aside from Brown, offensive lineman Paul Rubelt was the only other Knight ruled "questionable" on Wednesday night.

Further player availability reports are released on Thursday and Friday at 10 p.m. and then 90 minutes before the Knights' kickoff against West Virginia at 1 p.m. on Saturday.