Georgia State isn’t changing its defensive script for Saturday night at UCF, even with the news that Knights starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III is expected to sit out because of a hamstring injury.
That was the message from Panthers head coach Dell McGee this week as Georgia State prepares for its trip to the Acrisure Bounce House. The game plan, McGee said, stays the same because UCF still brings plenty of problems elsewhere - especially in the run game.
“I don't think anything changes,” McGee said of his defensive game plan after the news of Barnett's injury broke. “I know the two guys behind Barnett, they're a little bit limited in experience.
But Coach Frost does a good job. He's an ex quarterback.
He has a big hand in the offense. They have a really good running back who's from Georgia, Mary Persons High School, Duke Watson, who's very explosive, can break tackles.
I mean, he's a big play every time he touches the ball. So we have to play really good, sound defense, play with better eyes, and have great eye discipline in the back end.
They got really fast receivers that can make plays, and they got a all-conference tight end that's very good in blocking and running after the catch, big catch radius, makes tough catches. So we definitely have our work cut out for us.
They're very talented and they got our full attention.”
Georgia State arrives at 2-0 after rolling past North Carolina A&T, 59-10, and beating Kennesaw State, 31-17. Through those two games, the Panthers have been sturdy on defense, giving up 270.5 yards per game and only 78 rushing yards a night.
The Panthers are also chasing bigger milestones. They’re looking for their first win over a Power Conference team since 2024, when they beat Vanderbilt, and they’ve never beaten a Big 12 opponent.
Still, McGee said he isn’t spending much time on what a 3-0 start would mean for the program he has spent the last two years trying to rebuild.
“Our job this week is just to prepare our guys mentally, physically, and then allow those guys to play and play the best version of themselves, on Saturday night.”
UCF and Georgia State kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ Saturday night.
In Other News...
TCU Gets Timely Boost As UCF Enters Big 12 Opener Shorthanded
TCU is set to get a useful piece back just as Big 12 play begins, with wide receiver Jordan Dwyer expected to return from a foot injury when the Horned Frogs meet UCF. Dwyer missed the first three games of the season, so his availability gives TCU a timely lift as it looks to open conference play with some momentum.
UCF, meanwhile, enters the matchup dealing with a significant change under center. Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III is sidelined by a hamstring injury, and the Knights are expected to turn to Keyone Jenkins in his place. For a team trying to settle in quickly against a conference opponent, the timing of those injury updates adds another layer to a game already carrying plenty of early-season importance. [Read more 🡒]
UCF's Offense Just Created A Tough Big 12 Decision
UCFs offense looked a lot different in the win over Georgia State, and that was the point. With Alonza Barnett III sidelined, backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins stepped in and the Knights leaned hard into the run game, a formula that helped them control the day and leave with a 44-30 victory. Duke Watson was at the center of it, and the ground attack carried much of the load while UCF kept the ball in Jenkins hands enough to complement what was working.
The bigger question now shifts to the Big 12 opener against TCU, where the Knights will have to decide whether the same approach can travel against a tougher league opponent. Scott Frost has already settled the quarterback side of it, naming Jenkins the starter for next week, so the discussion is more about how much UCF can keep leaning on that rushing identity and whether the offense can keep finding answers with a limited passing volume. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Got The UCF Response He Needed Before Big 12 Play
UCF left the field Saturday with more than a nonconference win, it left with a reminder of what a composed second half can look like. After falling behind at halftime, the Knights settled in and pulled away from Georgia State 44-30, a result Scott Frost pointed to as evidence the team handled adversity the right way before Big 12 play begins. He highlighted the defense and run game as the areas that steadied things after the break, which mattered as much as the final score for a team still looking to define itself early in the season.
Duke Watson gave that turnaround a real jolt with a career day on the ground, and Keyone Jenkins added three scores even if the passing game was uneven at times. The bigger picture for UCF is that the pieces looked more connected when the pressure tightened, which is exactly the kind of response Frost wanted to see before the schedule gets more demanding. There are still questions to sort through, but the Knights at least showed they can absorb a punch and finish with some force. [Read more 🡒]