Arizona State and UCF are back on the same field for the first time since 2024, and this one comes with a lot on the line. Both teams enter Saturday at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in Big 12 play, with bowl eligibility hanging in the balance for the winner in Orlando.
The Sun Devils are making their first trip to Orlando and only their third meeting ever with the Knights. Arizona State has taken the first two matchups, including a 35-31 win last season that helped kick off a huge November run for ASU.
Saturday’s game is set for November 14 at 1:30 p.m. AZ Time, which is 3:30 p.m.
EST, at Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando. The game will air on ESPN2, with Chuckie Kempf on play-by-play and Dustin Fox as the analyst.
For listeners, the Sun Devil Radio Network broadcast will air on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Tim Healey will call the action alongside former Arizona State quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst, with Kevin Turner reporting from the sideline. The game will also be on ESPN 620 AM and the Arizona Sports App.
The history between these teams is short, but it has already produced a couple of memorable ASU finishes. Twenty-four years ago, UCF came to Tempe for the first time and led 13-10 at halftime of a non-conference game. Arizona State flipped the script after the break, erupting for 29 points in the third quarter and rolling to a 46-13 win.
The second meeting came 22 years later at Sun Devil Stadium, this time as conference opponents. Arizona State had won three of its previous four and had just picked up a road win at Oklahoma State behind Cam Skattebo, but Skattebo was unavailable against UCF.
That put more on Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson, and they delivered. Leavitt threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Tyson, as ASU survived a 35-31 shootout.
That win was the start of an undefeated November for Arizona State, which went on to win six straight on its way to the Big 12 title and a CFP bid.
In Other News...
Arizona States Orlando Trip Just Got More Complicated At The Worst Time
Arizona States trip to Orlando hit an unexpected snag on Friday when the teams charter plane was delayed by a nationwide FAA ground stop ordered for safety reasons. What should have been a routine travel day suddenly turned into a waiting game, with the delay now threatening to push the Sun Devils departure to around 9 p.m. local time.
For a team trying to stay on schedule ahead of an upcoming game, the timing could hardly be worse. The disruption is not limited to Arizona State, either, as other college football teams are dealing with the same ground stop and its ripple effects could even touch the slate of games on Nov. 14. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Brings A Major Offensive Concern Into Arizona State Game
UCF is heading into its matchup with Arizona State carrying a few notable offensive questions, starting with the absence of running back Duke Watson because of injury. The Knights also listed wide receiver Waden Charles as doubtful and tight end Caden Piening as questionable, which leaves their skill group in a less certain spot than they would prefer against a Sun Devils defense that will be paying close attention.
There is at least some encouraging news on the other side of the ball, with linebacker Lewis Carter probable to return after missing multiple games. Even so, UCF still has several defensive backs sidelined, so the roster picture remains a little uneven as the Knights try to sort through their availability before facing Arizona State. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Brings A Familiar Arizona State Test At The Worst Time
Scott Frosts name still carries a little extra weight around Arizona State, even years after his Nebraska days and long before he took over at UCF. He was part of that memorable 1996 loss to the Sun Devils as a quarterback, and now hes back in the picture from the other sideline, adding another layer to a matchup that already has some history attached to it.
Kenny Dillingham knows Frost well enough to appreciate the competitive overlap. Their paths crossed again in the 2017 AAC Championship game, when Frosts Memphis team beat the side Dillingham was with at the time, and both coaches have spoken with clear respect for one another since then. Theres no bad blood there, just a familiar challenge showing up at an inconvenient moment for Arizona State. [Read more 🡒]