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...
Iowa State Found One Big Reason For Hope After Iowa Loss
The disappointment of losing to Iowa in a tight 16-13 game is going to linger for Iowa State, but the Cyclones did leave the field with something they can build on. Their defense held up well against a rivalry opponent that rarely gives much away, and the effort from linebackers Sullivan Schlimgen and Carson Willich stood out in a game where every stop mattered.
For a team looking for reasons to feel better after a frustrating result, the way Iowa State competed on that side of the ball mattered. The offense did not do enough to turn those stops into a win, but the defensive showing suggested the Cyclones still have a backbone in place as they move beyond the loss and into the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Tamin Lipsey Could Change Iowa States Biggest 2026-27 Question
Tamin Lipsey has become part of a lawsuit that could shape one of Iowa States biggest questions for the 2026-27 season, as he and other student-athletes challenge the NCAAs decision to leave Class of 2022 athletes out of a proposed fifth year of eligibility. The case centers on the Five-for-Five model, with the plaintiffs arguing for a path that would restore eligibility for that group and keep them available for another season of competition.
For Iowa State, the situation carries obvious stakes because Lipseys status could influence the shape of the roster beyond the current cycle. The case is still moving through court, and both sides have been ordered to submit legal findings by Sept. 17, 2026, leaving the issue unresolved for now and plenty of interest in how it might affect the Cyclones plans down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa States Cy-Hawk Loss Left Fans With One Brutal Debate
The Cy-Hawk game delivered the kind of ending that lingers long after the final whistle, and Iowa State got the painful side of it in a 16-13 loss to Iowa on a late 42-yard field goal. There was enough there to make the result sting even more, because the Cyclones had chances to make the rivalry tilt their way and instead walked off with another debate about what might have been.
Jaylen Raynor threw for 117 yards and a touchdown, while Aiden Flora turned in a career-high 89 yards on 19 carries, giving Iowa State some real signs of offensive life even in defeat. Around the Big 12, Week 2 also brought Missouris win over Kansas and Oklahoma States upset of Oregon, but for Cyclone fans, the aftermath of this one is still centered on the same brutal question: how close was Iowa State to owning the moment? [Read more 🡒]