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...
Oklahoma State Finally Has The Breakthrough Cowboy Fans Desperately Needed
For Oklahoma State, a win like this has been a long time coming. The Cowboys knocked off No. 6 Oregon 39-31 in a result that instantly reset the mood around the program, with the kind of energy inside the stadium that had been missing for far too long. The celebration turned appropriately unruly afterward, as fans tore down a goal post and sent it into a pond, a scene that matched the size of the moment.
What made the breakthrough feel even bigger was how the Cowboys got it done. Drew Mestemaker was at the center of everything, using his arm and legs to keep Oklahoma State in control against one of the nations top-ranked teams. The victory also snapped a brutal run that had hung over the program, and it left Cowboys fans with a rare feeling they had been waiting on for quite a while. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States Fearless Fourth Quarter Play Changed Everything Against Oregon
Drew Mestemakers role in Oklahoma States upset of No. 6 Oregon went well beyond managing the offense. The quarterback helped finish a grinding fourth-quarter march that covered the field in 12 plays, 75 yards, and he capped it by taking the ball in himself from 10 yards out. It was the kind of fearless, physical moment that can flip a game, especially against a ranked opponent with the kind of speed and depth Oregon brought into the matchup.
Mestemaker said he could feel the impact of the play, and the collision seemed to carry over to the other side of the ball too. The hit that came with the run left Oregon defender Carl Williams IV briefly unconscious before he eventually walked off under his own power, and the sequence gave Oklahoma States defense an extra jolt as it closed out the win. For a Cowboys team that needed something to change the game in a hurry, the fourth quarter delivered exactly that. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Suddenly Has Two Young Names Fans Need To Watch
Coming off a win over Oregon, Oklahoma State turns its attention to Murray State with the usual veteran-heavy approach still shaping the depth chart. That can make it tough for true freshmen and sophomores to carve out real roles, but the Cowboys have at least two younger players starting to make the staff take notice. Lewis has been getting more involved in the passing game, while Pozzobon has given the special teams unit a steady option when the ball comes off his foot.
Lewis recent uptick matters even more because the receiving group has had to adjust around an apparent second-half injury to Chris Barnes against Oregon. On the other side of the ball, Pozzobon has quietly been effective as a punter, keeping Oregons return game from getting much of a chance to get started. For a team built around experience, those are the kinds of developments that can change how quickly younger players move from depth pieces to names worth tracking every week. [Read more 🡒]