I find it hard to understand the culture among young athletes these days, where they feel the need to taunt their opponents after making a good play instead of staying focused.

UCF was driving late in the second quarter, with the score at 17-7. They were pushing down the field and were in a great position to make it a 3-point game just before halftime, with the opportunity to get the ball back after the half.

They were facing a 2nd and 10 at the BYU 15, and Jacurri Brown made a strong run, gained decent yardage and delivered a solid hit on Wakely out of bounds, which would have set up a manageable 3rd and short. But instead of heading back to set up for the next play, he chose to stand over Wakely as if he’d done something spectacular, resulting in a 15-yard penalty.

UCF was unable to convert the long 3rd down due to Brown’s passing limitations and had to settle for a field goal instead. They also left BYU with 59 seconds, which they used to drive down the field and score a touchdown before halftime.

In my opinion, the taunting behavior led to an 11-point swing. With a bit more discipline, Jacurri could have helped UCF score a touchdown, keeping BYU from a last-minute scoring drive and setting his team up for a far more favorable start to the second half.