As UCF prepares to take the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium to face No. 11 BYU on Saturday, the weather forecast for Provo, Utah, predicts a chilly 40 degrees with a chance of snow. Weather conditions can pose challenges for any team, especially for a team from a warmer climate like the Knights. However, coach Scott Frost remains unfazed by the cold’s potential impact on his squad. “I love playing in the snow,” said Frost, who grew up on the plains of Nebraska. “It’s supposed to be a high of 40. That’s not cold. I played in Green Bay one year and I don’t think I saw 20 [degrees] for six weeks. That’s cold. This isn’t cold and I’m not going to let the guys even think that way. It’s fun when there’s a little snow coming out of the sky.” For some players, the weather shouldn’t be much of a concern. “I’ve never played in snow, but I actually did play in cold weather,” said freshman receiver Waden Charles, a Florida native. “I went to Tennessee for a 7-on-7 tourney and it snowed a bit. That was the first time I’ve seen snow.” Added redshirt junior cornerback Jayden Bellamy, who grew up in New Jersey: “I don’t really mind it. I’ve been playing in the cold my whole life, since I was young. I’d probably be out there with no shirt on in warm-ups.” While UCF isn’t concerned about the weather, altitude is another issue as Lavell Edwards Stadium is 4, 649 feet above sea level. “It’s now scientific, I guess that the less time you spend at altitude, the better,” Frost said. “I’ve played in altitude before and it’s like you get winded in warm-ups and then you never notice it again. We just need to ignore all those things and go play football.” “It was kind of hard to breathe at Texas Tech, being that their air is so thin, but I’ll be fine,” said Bellamy. How does UCF plan to handle the early kickoff time? Weather and altitude aren’t the only challenges UCF will face this weekend. Saturday’s game is at 11 a. m. MST, the third road contest that the Knights have kicked off before noon ET this season. Each of those games ended in losses. “We’re going to stay on East Coast time, so we’ll get to bed earlier and hopefully it’ll feel later to us when we wake up,” said Frost. “Kansas State was early and there was a lot going on in the program that week and I didn’t feel like we hit the turf with quite the same juice that we had before. “So we’ll do everything we can to try to get the guys ready to be at full speed and at their top level execution.” What are the impressions of BYU? Frost knows the Knights will face a considerable challenge, facing a BYU team that could clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship and keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. “It’s a good team,” said Frost. “They’re probably the biggest team we’ve played up front and their linebackers are big. They just have a lot of grown men on the team because of their age and body types. That’s what they’re recruiting to. We’ve got to be ready for a physical game.” The Cougars rank second in the conference in rushing offense (201 yards per game) and their defense is third in total defense (327 ypg.). UCF in must-win situation at No. 11 BYU with postseason hopes on the line “BYU is a disciplined team,” added Bellamy. “They’re big, they’re fast and they’re strong.” What has Scott Frost learned in return to UCF? With Frost’s first season back at UCF winding down, the 50-year-old coach recently reflected on what he’s learned upon his return to college coaching. “One thing that’s apparent to me is how much more there is on a head coach, even now, than there was even five years ago,” said Frost. “We’ve got to keep finding resources to try to build the team. We’ve got to be worried about the transfer portal a lot earlier than we used to be. There are team culture things to worry about. When you add the fact that some coaches are heavily involved in offensive or defensive scheming, game planning, and calling the game, it’s a lot. “I love every aspect of it. You get a little worn down, but I’ve surrounded myself with a lot of really good people. That’s got to be really important, that you trust the people that are around you to take things off your plate. I’m really excited about this game, then I’m excited about the future beyond that.” What’s UCF’s approach to Signing Day? Recruiting takes center stage next week with the Early Signing Period set for Wednesday. UCF’s 2026 recruiting class has 12 commitments and is currently ranked No. 84 according to the composite rankings compiled by 247Sports. It’s the first whole recruiting class since Frost’s return last December. “It’s hard to admit, but if you only have a year to recruit, you’re still a little behind,” Frost explained. “A lot of kids are making decisions earlier. I feel good about where we are. “As much as we can build our program through kids we recruit and bring in the [transfer] portal, we at least need a core of those [high school] kids. We’re excited that we have some kids that we think have a ton of potential and we’re excited that they can fill in those gaps.”.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/25/ucf-burning-questions-how-do-the-knights-plan-to-handle-cold-weather-at-byu/
UCF Q&A: How do Knights plan to handle cold weather, snow at BYU?
