It all began when a few fans climbed to the top of the north side of Acrisure Bounce House Stadium during the second quarter of UCF’s home finale against Oklahoma State. More fans soon joined them, taking off their shirts and waving them defiantly. What started as a small group quickly turned into a wave of shirtless supporters. The trend had taken hold in Orlando and was in full swing on Saturday afternoon. Whatever the cause, this display ignited a spark in a struggling UCF team as the Knights rallied to secure a 17-14 win over the Cowboys on Senior Day. Kicker Noe Ruelas connected on a 34-yard field goal with 57 seconds left for the win. Safety Braeden Marshall intercepted Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores to seal the win for the Knights. UCF (5-6, 2-7 Big 12) snapped a three-game losing streak while moving one game closer to being bowl eligible for the first time since the 2023 season. The victory is also the 40th career win for Scott Frost in 8 seasons. Oklahoma State (1-10, 0-8 Big 12) did not resemble a team ranked No. 122 in total offense as the Cowboys efficiently moved down the field on their opening possession. Flores connected with receiver Gavin Freeman in the flat for a 5-yard touchdown, giving them a quick 7-0 lead. It was the third time in the last four games that UCF allowed a touchdown on the opponent’s opening possession. The Knights’ opening possession didn’t go as planned, as pre-snap penalties continued to be a downfall for the team. A false start penalty turned what could have been a manageable 4th-and-1 into a challenging 4th-and-6, ultimately forcing UCF to punt instead of seizing the opportunity to go for it. The defense stepped up on OSU’s next possession, stopping the Cowboys on a 4th-and-1 at the UCF 39 and forcing a turnover on downs. But quarterback Tayven Jackson’s pass to Carl Jenkins Jr. was tipped and intercepted by Oklahoma State cornerback Cam Smith. It was Jackson’s seventh interception of the season and the fifth consecutive game in which he’s thrown a pick. UCF failed to score in the first quarter for the sixth time this season, trailing 7-0. Oklahoma State tacked on an additional touchdown late in the second quarter as Flores scampered six yards into the end zone with 50 seconds left in the half. Jackson was intercepted for the second time on UCF’s next possession as the Knights went into the half scoreless for the first time since the season opener against Jacksonville State on Aug. 28. The redshirt junior redeemed himself a bit to start the second half, finding tight end Dylan Wade wide open racing down the sideline for an 83-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 14-7. It was the longest touchdown pass of the season for the Knights and the second straight game with a touchdown for Wade. It was a back-and-forth affair after that, as both teams struggled to get much going offensively. UCF drove inside Oklahoma State territory, getting to the Cowboys’ 2. But facing a 4th-and-2, Jackson found Wade for his second touchdown of the game, tying things up at 14 apiece with 9: 12 left. It’s been a rough month for UCF. The Knights entered this weekend averaging just 13 points per game in November, scoring just four touchdowns over those three games. On defense, UCF was allowing 36 points per game and 12 touchdowns. UCF wraps up the regular season on the road with a trip to face No. 12 BYU in Provo, Utah, next Saturday. It’s the first time the Knights have ended a season away from Orlando since the 2022 campaign.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/22/ucf-needs-second-half-heroics-to-push-past-oklahoma-state/
