The scoreboard told one story. The postgame comment told the truth. After a 68–7 loss for North Carolina A&T at UCF, HBCU head coach Shawn Gibbs didn’t spin the reality of playing in a “money game.” “I mean, honestly, for our team, I don’t think it’s worth it. We got 60 plus points put on us, and we lost three quarterbacks,” he said. “Good environment, great platform. But is that worth it? I don’t know.”
This is the dilemma facing HBCU football programs in 2025. Guarantee checks from Power Four programs help budgets, facilities, and non-revenue sports. But nights like this can shred depth charts and derail seasons before they start.
Aggies Struggle Through Injuries and Blowout
A&T’s QB carousel spun in real time. Redshirt freshman Braxton Thomas exited early, Champ Long followed after an injury, and true freshman Jy Walls finished a game that was out of hand before halftime. North Carolina A&T leaned on the ground game late, with junior back Shimique Blizzard ripping a 44-yarder and punching in A&T’s lone score from 17 yards.
UCF, meanwhile, looked every bit like a Big 12 bully from the opening kick. Jaden Nixon took the first return 96 yards to the house and added an 87-yard sprint. He finished the game with 156 yards and two scores on just four carries. The Knights stacked a 28-point first quarter, led 40–0 at half, and smothered any Aggie hopes amid a 75-minute weather delay that did nothing to cool the fireworks.
UCF Coach Shows Respect, Notes Resource Gap
If you want the other side of the coin, UCF’s head coach Scott Frost provided it in the postgame presser.
He praised A&T’s effort and noted, “We have more resources and just had some more horses than they did. ” Frost emphasized the value of depth, development, and getting younger players reps in a game like this…