ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF Knights coach Gus Malzahn said all week that every game is a must win as he tried to downplay the Knights' battle with No. 20 Cincinnati and the potential standings implications in a tight AAC.

It was still hard to ignore the importance of this game as both the Knights and the Bearcats jockey for position in the conference and prepare for their exit to the Big 12. There was a lot of focus on this matchup between the two conference powers and what it could mean for the rest of the season.

There was a bit of catharsis then when the Knights walked off the field with a 25-21 lead, bouncing back from a surprising loss to East Carolina last week and putting UCF back in control of their own destiny to reach the AAC title game.

"Real proud of our team," Malzahn said. "Huge win for us. Sometimes it's how you win that can really help you move forward."

RJ Harvey had a 17-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds remaining to secure the win. Harvey’s go-ahead TD capped a seven-play, 75-yard march directed by Mikey Keene. The backup quarterback was 4 for 4 for 57 yards on the drive, playing in place of John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee left the game in late in the first half with an apparent head injury. He was 7 for 11 for 71 yards with 31 rushing yards before leaving the game.

Harvey had 18 carries for 84 yards for UCF. The Knights finished with 258 yards on the ground and 247 through the air.

Cincinnati (6-2, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) took a 21-18 lead with 3:04 remaining. Ryan Montgomery scored on a 39-yard touchdown run, and the Bearcats added the 2-point conversion on a Ben Bryant pass to Tyler Scott.

UCF (6-2, 3-1) took a 10-6 lead into halftime on the strength of a 26-yard touchdown run by Harvey. The Knights added a safety in the third quarter when Josh Celiscar sacked Bryant in the end zone.

"Important. It was really important to win like that and play like that," Celiscar said. "Give us the confidence moving forward and we feel like we could win the conference championship."

UCF now sits at 3-1 in the AAC, tied with Cincinnati and Houston for second place behind unbeaten Tulane. The Knights have beaten Cincinnati and will face Tulane on the road in two weeks. That puts the Knights in firm control of their destiny within the conference.

But first UCF will head to Memphis next week.