STILLWATER, Okla. – The UCF football team battled No. 18 Oklahoma State on Saturday, going toe-to-toe with one of the nation’s best offenses, but ultimately saw the Cowboys capitalize down the stretch, posting a 42-28 victory over the Knights.
Forcing a fumble on Oklahoma State’s second play on its opening drive, Antione Jackson punched the ball loose, and Isaiah Nixon recovered it to give the Knights an early takeaway. The Black and Gold have kept opponents off the scoreboard on their opening drives in each game this season, setting the tone defensively.
UCF took advantage of forcing the turnover on the opening drive and struck first. Now a Knight after spending last season at Oklahoma State, Grayson Brousseau’s number was called from the one yard line as he hauled in a touchdown pass from Keyone Jenkins to put the Knights on the board. The score further extended the Black and Gold’s streak of scoring a touchdown on their opening possession to the fourth-consecutive game and in five of six games this season.
Oklahoma State responded to tie the game, but the Knights quickly regained the advantage. With just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, UCF found the end zone again, taking a 14-7 lead and scoring touchdowns on its first two offensive possessions. This time, Josh Derry got the rock on a jet sweep, going from right to left for the score.
The Cowboys answered early in the second quarter to even the score at 14-14. UCF’s defense continued to battle, with Tackett Curtis helping disrupt Oklahoma State’s push toward the end zone. Both teams traded punts as the second quarter progressed, keeping the game tied.
Oklahoma State took its first lead of the afternoon with a touchdown late in the first half, moving ahead 21-14.
The Knights engineered an impressive scoring drive to close the first half. With 16 seconds remaining in the half, Jenkins connected with Waden Charles for a 26-yard gain to move UCF inside the 5-yard line. On the next play, Jenkins found freshman Tyren Hornes for a 3-yard touchdown reception. Hornes’ first collegiate touchdown tied the game at 21-21 heading into the locker room at halftime.
Oklahoma State opened the second half with a field goal to regain the lead, 24-21. After the Knights missed a field goal to tie the game, the Cowboys extended their advantage with another field goal late in the third quarter, making it 27-21.
Driving down the field on the ensuing possession, UCF continued to look for a response, but Oklahoma State capitalized on a backwards pass that was ruled a fumble early in the fourth-quarter, scooping and scoring for the touchdown. A two-point conversion pushed the Cowboys’ lead to 35-21.
The Cowboys added another touchdown to widen the gap, after a failed fourth-down conversion with 8:55 to play resulted in another Oklahoma State touchdown.
The Knights added a late opportunity into points as Jenkins found Caden Piening for a 4-yard touchdown pass cutting the deficit to 42-28, where the final score stood as the Cowboys secured the victory.
UP NEXT
The Knights enter their bye week before returning to the Acrisure Bounce House on Oct. 24 for its Homecoming game against BYU.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2026 campaign are on sale and can be purchased here! Be sure to be a part of all the action as the Knights play their 20th season in Acrisure Bounce House.
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.