STILLWATER, Okla. - UCF kept hanging around early, then watched the game slip away again after halftime.
The Knights played No. 18 Oklahoma State nearly even for 30 minutes on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, but the Cowboys pulled clear in the second half and handed UCF a 42-28 loss. Drew Mestemaker scored three times as Oklahoma State finished the job.
UCF is now 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12 after its second straight defeat. The loss also pushed the Knights’ road losing streak to 12, which is the second-longest in program history behind a 15-game run from the 2003 through 2005 seasons.
The night started well for UCF on defense. On the second play, cornerback Antione Jackson jarred the ball loose from Oklahoma State running back Caleb Hawkins, and edge rusher Isaiah Nixon recovered it at the OSU 25. It was UCF’s 11th takeaway of the season.
The Knights turned that turnover into points right away. On third-and-goal from the 1, Keyone Jenkins faked a handoff to Landon Chambers and hit former Oklahoma State transfer tight end Grayson Brousseau alone in the end zone. That made it four straight games in which UCF scored on its opening drive.
Oklahoma State answered with a 75-yard march, capped by Mestemaker’s 11-yard run, his second rushing touchdown of the season. UCF then struck quickly again when Jenkins connected with Josh Derry on a jet sweep, and Derry cut his way into the end zone from 12 yards out to put the Knights ahead 14-7.
The Cowboys kept pushing. Mestemaker led another efficient drive, and tight end Morgan McPhaul finished it with a 1-yard scoring run to tie the game. UCF’s offense, by contrast, went quiet in the second quarter, managing two possessions without crossing midfield and punting both times.
Oklahoma State grabbed its first lead when Mestemaker found Justin Bowick for an 18-yard touchdown, his 12th touchdown pass of the season. UCF had one last chance before halftime and used it well, moving to the OSU 3 in the final two minutes. With 16 seconds left, Jenkins hit Tyren Hornes on a quick pass for the tying score.
The game tilted after the break. Oklahoma State opened the second half with a punt from UCF, then marched deep into Knights territory before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Sam Keltner after a failed third-and-10. That made it 24-21.
UCF answered with a long, deliberate drive that took more than six minutes and more than 12 plays, but Will Stone missed a 45-yard field goal. It was his first miss of the season.
Keltner added a 29-yard field goal to push the Cowboys’ lead to 27-21 with 12:11 left. Then came the back-breaker: Jenkins threw a screen pass that landed behind the line of scrimmage, safety Evan Jackson grabbed it and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown, and Oklahoma State added the two-point conversion to go up 35-21.
After UCF came up short on fourth-and-1, the Cowboys struck again. Wyatt Young caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Mestemaker to make it 42-21.
Jenkins closed the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Caden Piening with less than four minutes remaining. That was Jenkins’ fourth touchdown of the day, making him the first UCF quarterback to throw four touchdowns in a game since John Rhys Plumlee did it against Temple on Oct. 13, 2022.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Has A Chad Weiberg Problem It Still Wont Address
Oklahoma States recent run of good energy around its athletic programs has been interrupted by something far more awkward in Stillwater: uncertainty at the top of the department. Athletic director Chad Weiberg has become the subject of reports suggesting his future could be in jeopardy, with talk circulating around whether he could be fired or shifted into a different role. For a school trying to build on momentum, the silence around the situation has become almost as notable as the speculation itself.
What makes the matter linger is how little clarity has followed the initial reporting. Weiberg has not received any public statement of confidence or no-confidence from the university administration, leaving the question hanging in the open while the rumors continue to swirl. Until Oklahoma State decides to address it directly, the athletic department is left operating under a cloud that could eventually prove more disruptive than any on-field setback. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Just Got A Big Opening Against UCF
Fridays availability reports gave Oklahoma State a cleaner-looking path heading into Saturdays meeting with UCF. The Cowboys had two players moved up to probable, a small but useful sign as they head into a game where health could matter on both sides of the ball, while the Knights report pointed to a roster that may be stretched in some key spots.
UCFs list of unavailable players was long enough to raise real questions about depth, especially up front and at quarterback. For Oklahoma State, that kind of injury report can change the tone of a matchup quickly, because it suggests opportunities to pressure the line of scrimmage and force a team already dealing with personnel shortages to piece things together on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Survived UCF With A Warning Sign Fans Can't Ignore
Oklahoma State kept rolling with a 42-28 win over UCF, stretching its winning streak to four games and leaning on a defense that made several timely plays. The Cowboys got key stops when they needed them, and the unit helped turn a competitive matchup into a comfortable result as the offense did enough to keep control of the game.
UCF arrived shorthanded and tried to slow things down with a ball-control approach, which made the night feel tighter than the final score might suggest. The Cowboys still found a way to separate, helped by a defensive touchdown from safety Evan Jackson that swung the momentum firmly their way and gave the team a cushion it would not give back. [Read more 🡒]