Keyone Jenkins helped off as UCF faces Baylor

It happened on a routine-looking 3rd-down throw that fell incomplete. Jenkins stayed down, and the trainers came running.

Matt Murschel

@osmattmurschel

#UCF QB Keyone Jenkins is down on the field writhing in pain. Trainers are looking at him.

Seconds later the first read on the injury came in. Jenkins looked to be grabbing at his lower body, possibly the left leg. That's a worse sign than a shot to the head or a stinger, because leg injuries tend to keep a quarterback on the bench for a while.

Andrew Cherico

@Andrew_Cherico

Keyone Jenkins is hurt bad on the field after an incompletion on third down. Seems to be grabbing at his lower body potentially his left leg.

This is a gut punch for a guy who was playing the best football of his season. Jenkins wasn't supposed to be the starter at all. Alonza Barnett III won the job, then hurt his hamstring against Pitt on September 12 and hasn't played since. Jenkins took over, went 3-2 as a starter coming into Friday, and his last game was the big one: 25-of-41 for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus a rushing score, in UCF's upset of No. 2 BYU.

That's why the next thing anyone saw on the sideline mattered so much. With Jenkins helped off, Barnett was up and getting loose.

Andrew Cherico

@Andrew_Cherico

TRENDING: Alonza Barnett III Warming up on the sideline after Keyone Jenkins got helped off the field with injury. t.co/VfBQtnEcXm

Barnett being ready is the big question here. Scott Frost said this week he was pleased with Barnett's progress but didn't know whether he was 100% yet. So UCF might be choosing between a starter coming off a hamstring injury who hasn't taken a game snap in about 7 weeks, and whoever's next on the depth chart. Neither option is what Frost wanted on Space Game night.

Next up is the actual diagnosis. If Jenkins has something serious in that left leg, the Knights' quarterback room goes right back to where it was in September, only now they've just knocked off BYU and have a lot more riding on it. Watch for Frost's postgame update and whether Barnett actually goes in, because both answers decide how UCF's season goes from here.