Football Rallies Back To Claim Senior Knight Victory Over Oklahoma State, 17-14Football Rallies Back To Claim Senior Knight Victory Over Oklahoma State, 17-14

Football Rallies Back To Claim Senior Knight Victory Over Oklahoma State, 17-14

by Franki Noble
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ORLANDO – After being held scoreless for the entirety of the first half, the Knights flipped the script, rallying back to secure a 17-14 Senior Knight victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday night at Acrisure Bounce House.

The Knights celebrated 25 seniors ahead of the contest. Five of the six captains were seniors, as Paul Rubelt, Myles Montgomery, Jaden Nixon, Malachi Lawerence and Nyjalik Kelly represented the Knights’ senior class for the coin toss. Junior RJ Jackson Jr. joined them as well. Rubelt and Lawrence, playing in their final game at Acrisure Bounce House, spent their entire collegiate careers in the Black and Gold, with Rubelt’s first season coming in 2020 and Lawrence in 2021.

UCF’s offense was fueled by a career-best performance from Dylan Wade, who hauled in 145 receiving yards, outgaining the Cowboys’ entire passing attack by more than 20 yards on his own.

"He got a game ball tonight. That’s two games at home where we needed a spark, and we were on fumes, and he made a huge play for us. He made two tonight. He’s a big part of this. He’s become one of our best weapons, and he can keep improving, and he knows that. But the plays he made out there gave us seven and set us up for the winning one, and that was a key part. Kind of guy you want to build a program with."

Head Coach Scott FrostOn Dylan Wade

Oklahoma State drove the length of the field on the opening drive of the contest, finishing the 75-yard march with a five-yard pass to take a quick 7-0 lead. It was just the third time an opposing team had scored on the first drive of the season against the Knights.

The Cowboys found paydirt again near the end of the first half, capping a 77-yard drive with a six-yard scamper by quarterback Zane Flores, putting his squad up, 14-0.

UCF responded with a strike fresh out of the halftime locker room. Tayven Jackson connected with Dylan Wade on a fade for an 83-yard pass on the first offensive play of the half. The play was the longest of Jackson and Wade’s careers, and the reception tied the sixth-longest in program history. It was the fifth time this season UCF opened the second half with a score.

Jackson once again found Wade in a clutch moment, connecting on fourth down to cap an eight-play, 45-yard drive that brought the game even. Wade’s second touchdown of the day not only leveled the game but also marked the first multi-touchdown performance of his career.

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With less than a minute remaining, kicker Noe Ruelas closed his Senior Knight in fitting fashion, drilling a field goal to push the Knights ahead to earn his first ever game-winner. Moments later, Braeden Marshall sealed the 17-14 victory by intercepting Oklahoma State’s final pass of the day.

The Knights hit their stride in the second half, completely taking control and shutting out the Cowboys the rest of the way to seal the victory. The defensive unit dominated down the stretch, limiting the Cowboys to just 27 total yards to close out the game.

“At the end of that game, I had confidence in two things. One was our kicker, because he’s done an unbelievable job all year, and the other was our defense, the way they played the entire second half. We didn’t get aggressive in that situation, and our defense won it for us.”

Head Coach Scott FrostOn key components of today's game

With today’s result, Head Coach Scott Frost notched the 40th win of his career, while the squad gave UCF more wins than they earned last season.

UP NEXT
The Knights travel to Provo, Utah to take on the No.11 BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Kickoff and broadcast information to be announced Sunday.

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.