GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
TV Talents: Trent Rush, Spencer Tillman
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Radio Talents: Marc Daniels, Gary Parris, Scott Adams
Spanish Radio: UCFKnights.com, YouTube.com/UCFKnights
Live Stats: click here
A WIN WOULD...
- Give UCF its fourth top-10 win in program history and the first since the 2017 Peach Bowl against No. 7 Auburn
- Give the Knights their second Big 12 win of the season and second on the road
- Give the Black and Gold a ranked win for the third consecutive season
- Give UCF its 299th all-time win as a program
- Give UCF head coach Gus Malzahn his first win against Iowa State in his first meeting against the program.
- Be better than a loss
FIRST AND 10
• UCF and Iowa State will meet for the first time in the history of the program’s Saturday night at Jack Trice Stadium. Kickoff is set for a 7:30 p.m. on FS1. Trent Rush will handle play-by-play, while Spencer Tillman will be the analyst.
• The Cyclones are fifth of seven first-time opponents on the Knights’ 2024 schedule.
• Saturday’s matchup will feature the Big 12 Conference’s best offense (UCF) and the best defense (ISU), as the Knights lead the league and rank 13th nationally with 473.8 yards per game and the Cyclones are 15th in the nation and top the conference allowing 285.3 yards per game to opponents.
• The Knights are looking for their fourth top-10 win in program history and the first since 2017 Peach Bowl victory against Auburn. Additionally, the win would mark the first top-10 road win since the 2013 Louisville game.
• The Knights have now rushed for 1,608 yards with 15 touchdowns on the ground through the first six games of the season. The Knights are fourth in the nation with 268.0 rushing yards per game, which is 20 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Tennessee 246.2).
• UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in 18 of its last 19 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 12 times and 250 plus six times.
• UCF leads the nation in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 56 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold pace the league and rank fourth nationally in most offensive plays of 20 or more yards with 41.
• Running back RJ Harvey leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally with 23 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. His nine rushing touchdowns are the most in the conference and 10th nationally.
• In contrast, UCF’s defense has been strong against the run, allowing just 91.2 rushing yards per game. That mark is second in the Big 12 and the 12th-fewest nationally. The Knights have yielded just 15 rushing plays of 10 yards or more - the fewest in the league and eighth-best among FBS programs.
• Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 68 wins, tied for the 11th-most nationally by an FBS program and the most by a team from the state of Florida. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, 9-4 in 2021, 9-5 in 2022 and 6-7 last season. The Knights join Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Michigan, Appalachian State, LSU, Oregon and Penn State as the only programs to win at least 68 games since 2017.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
• Iowa State is one of the nation’s 11 remaining unbeaten teams in FBS, as the Cyclones are 6-0 and 3-0 in Big 12 play. ISU earned a 28-16 victory against West Virginia in their last game on Saturday.
• Now in his ninth season with the program, head coach Matt Campbell has a 59-48 record at Iowa State and a 94-63 overall record in his 13th season as a head coach. Saturday’s contest will be the first meeting between Campbell and Gus Malzahn as head coaches.
• Iowa State is one of the least penalized teams in the nation. The Cyclones rank No. 2 nationally and top the Big 12 in fewest penalty yards per game (27.7).
• They’re averaging 30.67 points per game, while opponents have scored 11.0 ppg.
• The Cyclones are bowl eligible for the seventh time in nine seasons under Campbell.
HISTORY VERSUS TOP-10 TEAMS
UCF is looking for its fourth top-10 win in program history, as the Knights last defeated No. 7/8 Auburn, 34-27, in the 2017 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. UCF also beat a pair of top-10 teams during the 2013 season, taking down No. 8/6 Louisville, 38-35, and No. 6/5 Baylor, 52-42.
The Louisville game was the last time UCF earned a top-10 victory in a true road game, as the Black and Gold rallied from a 28-7 deficit to secure the win. Quarterback Blake Bortles, who was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the third pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, led the comeback for the Knights and running back Storm Johnson was selected in the seventh round by the same organization. Bortles completed 21-of-32 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns, while Johnson rushed 18 times for 109 yards with a TD and caught four passes for 79 yards with another score.
YOUNGEST TO DO IT
True freshman quarterback EJ Colson became the youngest quarterback (17Y, 10M) to start at QB for UCF in Saturday’s game against Cincinnati. He also is the eighth true freshman in the Knights’ FBS era (since 1996) to start under center.
Colson also became the youngest player to start in an FBS game this season.
Colson joins a storied line of UCF true freshman quarterbacks to start for the Knights since 1996: Mikey Keene (2021), Dillon Gabriel (2019), McKenzie Milton (2016), Bo Schneider (2015), Jeff Godfrey (2010), Rob Calabrese (2008), Kyle Isreal (2004) and Steven Moffett (2003).
MALZAHN VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
Gus Malzahn-coached teams have been at their best against the toughest competition, as Malzahn has recorded 23 wins against ranked opponents in his 13-year tenure as a head coach. Saturday’s game marks the first ranked opponent that the Knights will play this season.
At UCF, Malzahn is 3-3 versus ranked opponents as the Knights dominated their last matchup against a ranked foe, taking down then-No. 15 Oklahoma State, 45-3, in the program’s annual space game last season.
2012: 0-2
2013: 5-2
2014: 3-4
2015: 1-3
2016: 2-4
2017: 3-3
2018: 2-3
2019: 3-4
2020: 1-4
2021: 0-1
2022: 2-1
2023: 1-1
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
UCF leads the Big 12 Conference in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 49 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold pace the league and rank fourth nationally in most offensive plays of 20 or more yards with 41.
Running back RJ Harvey leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally with 23 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. His nine rushing touchdowns are the most in the conference and 10th nationally.
In addition, the Black and Gold own 24 explosive passing plays of at least 20 yards this season. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson’s 11 receiving plays of at least 20 yards are the third most among league players.
UCF has run 32 plays that have amassed 20+ yards, tied for the third most in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech (38), Oklahoma State (33) and tied with Baylor (32).
In contrast, UCF’s defense has been strong against the run, allowing just 91.2 rushing yards per game. That mark is second in the Big 12 and the 12th-fewest nationally. The Knights have yielded just 15 rushing plays of 10 yards or more - the fewest in the league and eighth-best among FBS programs.
29 AND COUNTING
Wide receiver Kobe Hudson has recorded at least one catch in 29 consecutive games, dating back to the SMU game in 2022, which is tied with Ranell Hall for eighth all-time in UCF history for most consecutive games with a reception.
Hudson recorded his third 100+ yard receiving game against the Bearcats on Saturday, hauling in seven catches for 114 yards and one touchdown.
The Pine Mountain, Georgia, native’s 477 receiving yards this season lead the Knights and rank among the conference’s top 10. Hudson’s 20.7 yards per catch average is the best in the league and 18th nationally.
EXTENDED ACTION FOR BROWN
In his first extended action in a UCF uniform, quarterback Jacurri Brown passed and ran for career highs in both categories. He completed 13-of-20 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown and rushed 16 times for 84 yards.
Brown found Hudson for his first TD pass of the season on a 15-yard reception.
FIRST CAREER INTERCEPTIONS
He had appeared in 44 games during his tenure as a Knight, but in his 45th career game, senior cornerback BJ Adams tallied his first career interception. After numerous pass breakups, the Atlanta native reeled in his first pick in the first quarter of the Cincinnati game.
Similarly to Adams, defensive back Ladarius Tennison secured his first career interception in the 54th game of his career, stepping in front of a pass in the second quarter.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
The Knights have scored more points (72) in the third quarters of games this season than any other quarter and have held opponents to just 27 points. The 45-point difference is also the largest delta in any quarter this year.
RUNNING WILD
After ranking among the nation’s top 10 in rushing offense the past two seasons, UCF is in the midst of another strong year on the ground in 2024. UCF has now rushed for 1,608 yards with 15 touchdowns on the ground through the first six games of the season.
The Knights are fourth in the nation with 268.0 rushing yards per game, which is nearly 20 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Tennessee 246.2).
The Black and Gold rushed for 454 yards in the season opener against New Hampshire, the second most in program history. Additionally, UCF’s 8.4 rushing yards per carry were the second most in a single game in program history.
The Knights were fourth nationally in rushing offense with 228.2 rushing yards per game last season. UCF rushed for 200 or more yards in nine of its 13 games in 2023 and has picked up where it left off, rushing for at least 200 yards in three of its five games of 2024.
HARVEY CLIMBING THE PROGRAM RECORD BOOKS
After scoring a rushing touchdown at Florida, UCF running back RJ Harvey has taken over sole possession of fourth (30) on UCF’s career rushing touchdowns list. UCF Hall of Famer Latavius Murray is third on the list with 37.
In addition, Harvey has 2,909 career rushing yards to rank fourth all-time behind Willie English with 3,131.
Harvey tied the program record and set a career high with four rushing touchdowns in the Knights’ 45-14 victory against Sam Houston on Sept. 7 and has continued to etch his name in the Knights’ record books. The Orlando native finished with 126 rushing yards on 19 carries, finding the end zone four times – the first UCF player to do so since Isaiah Bowser in 2021.
THAT'S NEW
The Black and Gold’s first four opponents of 2024 (New Hampshire, Sam Houston, TCU and Colorado) are all first-time opponents. Additionally, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn is also facing those four opponents for the first time in his 13-year head coaching tenure. In total, the Knights’ 2024 slate features seven first-time opponents (Iowa State, Arizona and Utah).
NEW LOOK SCHEDULE
Despite being in its second year in the Big 12 Conference, UCF only plays two opponents that it played in 2023 – Cincinnati and West Virginia. That mark is tied with BYU (Kansas and Oklahoma State) for the fewest among returning Big 12 teams.
ALL OF THE NEWCOMERS
UCF is the only team in the Big 12 that will play each of the four newcomers to the league. The Knights host Colorado (Sept. 28), Arizona (Nov. 2) and Utah (Nov. 29), while traveling to Arizona State on Nov. 9.