ORLANDO, Fla. — Sidney High School product Isaiah Bowser rushed 172 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown with a little over four minutes remaining, and UCF rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Boise State 36-31 on Thursday night in a game that began almost three hours late because of lightning-caused delays.
The Knights and Broncos were scheduled to start their game at 7:05 p.m., but multiple lightning strikes that appeared within an 8-mile radius resulted in a 9:45 p.m. kickoff.
“I think we learned that no matter what adversity we come through, we can come back, fight back, and win,” said Bowser, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound senior who joined UCF as a graduate transfer from Northwestern. Bowser commited to Miami after graduating from Northwestern but landed at UCF after former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was hired in February.
Excited for the opportunity! #ChargeOn⚔️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/qhxouI0wV3
— Isaiah Bowser (@zaybowser) March 12, 2021
Boise State stormed out to a 21-0 lead before UCF cut the margin to 24-14 by halftime and scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to take its first lead.
Bowser’s 8-yard TD run with 4:16 to play capped the 10-play, 75-yard winning drive.
Bowser finished his high school career with 5,482 yards rushing and 75 TDs.