UCF to Open Big 12 Home Slate Under the Lights vs. KansasUCF to Open Big 12 Home Slate Under the Lights vs. Kansas

UCF to Open Big 12 Home Slate Under the Lights vs. Kansas

by Ken Landis
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GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 4
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
TV Talent: Lowell Galindo (PxP), Aaron Murray (Analyst), Lauren Sisler (Sideline)
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Radio Talent: Marc Daniels (PxP), Gary Parris (Analyst), Scott Adams (Sideline)
Spanish Radio: UCFKnights.com, YouTube.com/UCFKnights
Live Stats: click here

Week 6
Orlando, Fla. | Acrisure Bounce House

Week 6

UCF Knights
UCF Knights

3-1 (0-1 Big 12)

VS
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks

3-2 (1-1 Big 12)

A WIN WOULD...

  • Be better than a loss
  • Be the second straight season starting 1-1 in Big 12 play
  • Make 2025 the best start to a season since 2022 (4-1)
  • Be UCF's first over Kansas
  • Be UCF's first over a team from the state of Kansas (0-5 all time)

FIRST AND 10

FELL SHORT IN BIG 12 OPENER
  • UCF fought until the end in its 2025 Big 12 Conference opener, but fell 34-20
  • The Kansas State lead grew to three scores on multiple occasions during the second half but UCF remained in it until the finish, cutting the deficit to 11 with 9:34 remaining
  • Both of UCF's touchdowns were greater than 50 yards, with Jacurri Brown connecting for 82 yards with DJ Black to make it a 10-7 contest late in the first half; the other was a 54-yard touchdown run by Jaden Nixon near the end of the third quarter, cutting the Wildcat lead to 31-17
  • The Black and Gold have started each of their three Big 12 slates on the road
BIG GAIN RUNNING GAME
  • Running back Jaden Nixon has three runs of 50+ yards this season
  • Two of his long runs came in UCF's 68-7 victory over N.C. A&T, ripping off 87- and 66-yard touchdown runs, his third came at Kansas State, a 54-yard TD
  • Nixon joins Justice Haynes of Michigan, Cam Edwards of UConn and Robert Henry Jr. of UTSA who also have three runs of 50+ yards this season
  • Additionally, Myles Montgomery earned two long runs at Kansas State, scampering for 45 yards, his longest rush as a Knight, and later running for 44 yards for his highest career rushing total of 119 yards on 10 carries
  • UCF is the only Big 12 team to boast three different players to have 100-yard rushing performances. Nixon, Montgomery and Jacurri Brown have all earned 100 rushing yards in a game this season. Arizona State leads the league in total 100-yard rushing outings, tallying four between two players while Baylor and BYU join UCF with three 100-yard rushing performances.
NO FLY ZONE
  • The Knights have the sixth-best ranked passing defense in the country when it comes to yards allowed, surrendering just 129.8 yards per game thus far
  • UCF leads the Big 12 in fewest passing plays allowed of 20+ yards or more, surrendering just six; BYU, Houston and Utah are the closest league foes to UCF with eight. In all of FBS, UCF ranks tied for fifth in the category, sitting behind Nebraska (0), James Madison (4), Alabama and Oklahoma (5). The Knights are tied with Indiana and Texas (6).
  • The Knights have been equally as solid in the redzone, ranking 14th in the nation in red zone defense, earning three stops with their backs against the wall
  • The UCF defense has compiled five interceptions through four games, including 13 pass breakups and eight sacks of the quarterback
  • UCF's 40 passing yards allowed against N.C. A&T was the fourth-lowest in the Knights' FBS history (since 1996)
STRONG DEFENSIVE STARTS
  • UCF's defense has put together strong starts in each game this season, holding its opponent scoreless in each first quarter.
  • The Knights didn't allow a touchdown in the first half of the first three games of the season; Kansas State broke that trend with two in the second quarter of UCF's Big 12 opener.
  • UCF has shut out its opponent in eight of 16 quarters this season
  • Prior to Week 4's results, UCF was one of three FBS teams to not allow a point during the first half, the other two also had their streaks broken (TTU, BYU)
BOUNCE HOUSE AFTER DARK
  • UCF is set to play its first Big 12 Conference game on a Saturday night since becoming members of the league in 2023
  • Since 2016, home field at night has powered UCF to a 19-6 clip in games at Acrisure Bounce House that start at 7 p.m. or later, including 8-4 on Saturday nights.
FLAWLESS START ON FOURTH DOWN
  • UCF started the season a perfect 8-for-8 on fourth downs through the first three games, but saw the flawless start snapped at Kansas State, going 0-2.
  • The Knights were one of 11 FBS teams that were perfect on fourth down leading up to week five, and had converted the most fourth downs of the perfect teams.
  • Currently, UCF's eight conversions on fourth down is tied for 10th most in FBS
FROST'S WINNING STREAK SNAPPED
  • With UCF's first loss of the 2025 season, Coach Frost's 16-game winning streak as head coach of the Knights was snapped at the hands of Kansas State. It was the longest active streak by an FBS coach at one institution. The 2017 Knights, piloted by Frost, were the only team to finish that season unbeaten as they earned 13-straight victories, setting up the streak.
  • The victory over North Carolina tied Frost with Nick Saban of Alabama and Lincoln Riley with Oklahoma; Saban pieced together 16 straight wins from Jan. 1, 2017 - Dec. 29, 2018 while Riley did it from Oct. 10, 2020 - Oct. 30, 2021
POINTS SINCE 2017
  • The Knights sit seventh in the FBS in most points scored since 2017, putting 3,961 points on the scoreboard.
  • UCF's points are the most by a current Big 12 program over that time, the next closest is Oklahoma State who sit 19th with 3,480. Other opponents on UCF's schedule this season in the top 25 in points since 2017 include Texas Tech (3,443) and North Carolina (3,418), sitting 21st and 23rd, respectively.
  • The Black and Gold sit behind Alabama (4,646), Ohio State (4,435), Oklahoma (4,286), Georgia (4,151), Memphis (4,094), and Clemson (4,071).
  • UCF is tied for sixth in points from touchdowns with Oregon, registering 521 touchdowns during the span.
NEW VS. NEW
  • The Knights are one of 30 FBS programs that have a new head coach; 28 of which are completely new while the other two were elevated from interim.
  • UCF began the season with four scheduled games vs. teams with new head coaches, but now will have five after Oklahoma State's leadership change.
  • The Knights have gone unbeaten thus far against teams with new coaches in 2025, beating Jacksonville St. with Charles Kelly, N.C. A&T (FCS) with Shawn Gibbs and North Carolina with Bill Belichick. All games were at home.
  • UCF will face West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez (Oct. 18) and Oklahoma State and interm head coach Doug Meacham (Nov. 22), both at home as well.
  • Of the new crop this year, Frost and Rodriguez are the only pair of FBS head coaches to have coached at a school, leave, and return as head coach again.
REMEMBERING COACH SHAWN CLARK
  • Offensive line coach Shawn Clark, 50, passed away the evening of Sep. 21 at a local hospital unexpectedly, with his wife, Jonelle, by his side. He was admitted on Tuesday, Sept. 9, after experiencing a medical emergency and remained in stable condition before passing away.
  • A veteran coach with more than two decades of experience, Coach Clark joined UCF in December 2024 following a successful tenure as head coach at Appalachian State, where he compiled a 40-24 record across five seasons. His App State tenure was highlighted by a 10-win season in 2021 and three bowl wins. Coach Clark’s teams earned multiple Sun Belt East Division titles and developed some of the nation’s top offensive line units, with his 2018 and 2019 groups ranked among the best in the country.
  • The Knights will honor Coach Clark with a decal on the back of their helmets

 ADDITIONAL NOTES

...READY FOR IT?

  • 14-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift is set to release her 12th studio album this week, and while it has no link to UCF football, the Knights historically perform well following a new Swift album, going 32-11 after a fall album debut through the end of that particular season. Most recently, UCF finished the 2023 season 3-2 following the 1989 (Taylor's Version) release on Oct. 27 and going 4-2 after Midnights arrived on Oct. 21, 2022.
  • The Knights average nearly five touchdowns a game (4.7) in contests immediately following a fall album release. When counting up wins and losses following only new album releases (doesn't include "Taylor's Version" re-records) UCF is 4-3 while Kansas holds a 1-5 record.

WINS SINCE 2017

  • The Knights have compiled the most wins since 2017 than anyone in the Big 12 Conference, posting 72 victories from 2017-present. Fellow league mates Cincinnati (68), BYU and Utah (67) and Iowa State (66) join the top 25 in wins since 2017.
  • The Black and Gold are tied for 15th nationally in wins since the start of the 2017 season, level with Iowa who also has 72 and one behind Texas with 73. UCF got the streak going by posting 13 wins in 2017, 12 victories in 2018 and 10 in 2019.
  • The Knights slot in among the nation's elite, as Georgia leads the way with 100, followed by Alabama (99), Ohio State (96), Clemson (92), Notre Dame (89), Oklahoma and Oregon (82), Michigan (80), Penn State (79), LSU and Boise State (78), Memphis (77), Appalachian State (74), Texas (73), while sitting tied with Iowa. UCF is ahead of Louisiana (70), Army and Washington (69), Cincinnati, Fresno State and SMU (68), BYU and Utah (67) and Iowa State (66) to round out the top 25. The Knights are also ahead of Marshall, Oklahoma State and Toledo (66), NC State, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Troy (65), and Miami, Missouri, Ohio, Ole Miss and TCU (64).

About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.