Zemaiah Vaughn Picks Off UCF, Makes It A House Call

ORLANDO – Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn picked off an errant throw from UCF and took it all the way back for six.

All it took was one juke to get past the only player standing in his way and then there was nothing but open field.

PICK SIX UTES 🙌@Utah_Football‘s defense jumps all over the mistake by UCF 🔒 pic.twitter.com/TNV4ORKkc7

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 30, 2024

In the first half against UCF, Vaughn posted four solo tackles, one pass breakup, and a pick-six.

The play gave Vaughn the third interception of his career and his first of the season.

It was also the first touchdown of his college career.

House call 📸 https://t.co/YtzwYh7MXj pic.twitter.com/vliqv05R6R

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 30, 2024

The defensive score came at a great time for the Utes.

The offense had struggled, only having a field goal and three punts on their first three drives.

Unfortunately, the touchdown woke up the Knights as they marched down the field on the ensuing drive to get into the end zone for their first time as well.

The Utes’ Inaugural Big 12 Season

Coming in as the favorite in a new conference, the 2024 season is far from what Utah Football was expecting.

After starting with four straight wins, things started going downhill against the Arizona teams. From there, the Utes lost seven straight.

A big reason for the struggles is the same reason that has plagued Utah in recent years – injuries. The list is unfortunately a long one for the Utes and features some common names like quarterback Cam Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe.

Heading into the UCF matchup, Utah sits near the bottom of the Big 12 with a 4-7 (1-7 conference) record. The Knights are just one spot above the Utes at 4-7 (2-6). A relatively even matchup in the final game of the season means Utah has a decent shot at ending its losing streak.

Utah Football 2024 Season Results:

• Utes defeat Southern Utah, 49-0
• Utes defeat Baylor, 23-12
• Utes defeat Utah State, 38-21
• Utes defeat Oklahoma State, 22-19
• Utes fall to Arizona, 23-10
• Utes fall to Arizona State, 27-19
• Utes fall to TCU, 13-7
• Utes fall to Houston, 17-14
• Utes fall to BYU, 22-21
• Utes fall to Colorado, 49-24
• Utes fall to Iowa State, 31-28

The Rest Of The Utes’ 2024 Schedule:

• Utah Football @ UCF Knights on Friday, November 29

Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com. Follow Chandler on X for Utah Jazz and Locals In The NFL updates.

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