With UCF coming off its first loss of the 2026 season, the Knights’ schedule watch shifts into focus. Every week matters in the College Football Playoff conversation, and so does what the opposition keeps doing. Here’s where three of the Knights’ future opponents stood after Week 2.
Georgia State took care of Kennesaw State, winning 31-17 and never really letting the game drift back into doubt after grabbing the lead. The first quarter was all field goals, with Panthers kicker Samer Layous drilling two, including a 41-yarder, while Kennesaw State answered with one of its own.
Once Georgia State found the end zone early in the second quarter, the Owls never got it back within one score. Layous added a 43-yard field goal in the fourth.
The Panthers leaned hard on the ground game. Lanear McCrary Jr. led the charge with 101 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Dennis Murray Jr. and quarterback Cameran Brown each added nine carries and a rushing score.
Brown also finished 16 of 23 for 253 yards, though an interception dragged his quarterback rating down to 74.7. Georgia State’s defense got in on the action too, with defensive back Deuce Lee picking off Kennesaw State quarterback Rickie Collins.
UCF hosts Georgia State at the Acrisure Bounce House on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Oklahoma State delivered the shocker of the weekend, bouncing back from its opening loss to Tulsa by knocking off No. 6 Oregon, 39-31.
The Cowboys had to survive some self-inflicted damage from quarterback Drew Mestemaker, whose two interceptions both turned into touchdowns for the Ducks. Even so, Mestemaker made plenty happen on his own, throwing for 317 yards and two scores on 26-of-43 passing and adding 109 rushing yards and another touchdown on six carries.
Caleb Hawkins also did his part, piling up 110 yards and a touchdown on 23 rushes. Oklahoma State’s offense wasn’t clean, but Oregon couldn’t capitalize enough outside those turnover gifts.
The Ducks managed just 17 points in Stillwater apart from the two pick-six-related touchdowns, and they failed on all three of their second-half fourth-down tries. The run game told the story, too: Oklahoma State averaged 5.9 yards per carry, while Oregon managed only three.
The Cowboys will host UCF in Stillwater on Oct. 10.
Iowa State’s trip to Iowa turned into a grind, and the Cy-Hawk Trophy stayed with the Hawkeyes after a 17-14 finish. The Cyclones held a lead heading into the fourth quarter, but neither offense could separate in a game defined by defense and field position. The teams combined for 10 three-and-outs, and each side found the end zone only once.
That left the kickers in the spotlight. Iowa’s Caden Buhr hit the game-tying and game-winning field goals in the fourth quarter, while Iowa State’s Kyle Konrardy nailed the longest kick of the day from 51 yards.
The Cyclones leaned on the run game most of the afternoon. Jalen Raynor threw only 19 passes, completing 10 for 117 yards and a touchdown, while Aiden Flora helped Iowa State outrush Iowa 138-93.
UCF is scheduled to host Iowa State on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.
In Other News...
UCF Has A Bigger Worry Than The Loss To Pitt
UCF came out of the loss to Pittsburgh with more than just another frustrating offensive performance to sort through. The Knights had trouble moving the ball in miserable weather, especially on the ground, and head coach Scott Frost said the conditions made even the basics more difficult, with a wet play sheet complicating the flow of play-calling. It was the kind of game that already left the offense looking out of sync before the bigger concern arrived.
Alonza Barnett IIIs injury has now pushed the quarterback situation back into the spotlight, and that is the last thing this program needed after a run of setbacks. UCF has spent much of the season trying to find stability at the position, and Barnett's exit adds another layer of uncertainty to an offense already struggling to establish rhythm. For a team trying to move past a string of disappointments, the bigger question now is how long it can keep absorbing blows like this and still function on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Just Reignited The Same Road Frustration Fans Feared
UCF went into Pittsburgh looking for a clean response on the road, and instead came away with another reminder of how stubborn that problem has become. The Knights fell 12-7 to the Panthers in their 2026 season game, a result that kept the offense bottled up enough to leave the margin thin and the frustration familiar.
The defense did its part by limiting Pittsburgh in the second half, but the Knights never found enough on the ground to tilt the game back in their favor. Alonza Barnett III carried much of the offense with his passing and rushing, yet the attack kept losing momentum at key moments as UCF continued to search for answers away from home. [Read more 🡒]