Knights face No. 18 Oklahoma State in another noon Top 25 matchup

Photo courtesy of Aryah Britt

The Knights are on the road against a ranked opponent for the second straight week as they prepare to take on the No. 18-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys this Saturday at noon at Boone Pickens Stadium.

The Knights (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) are coming off a disappointing road loss to No. 20 Houston last week, where they surrendered 27 unanswered to extend their road losing streak to eleven.

The Knights have won both previous matchups against the Cowboys (3-1, 1-0 Big 12), with Saturday’s game marking the third meeting between the two programs and UCF’s first on the road.

The two programs met last season, when UCF hosted Oklahoma State in their annual Senior Knight on Nov. 22, 2025. The Knights narrowly won 17-14 over the Cowboys.

For the Knights, head coach Scott Frost told reporters on Monday that this weekend presents another opportunity amid their road struggles.

“We got another unbelievable opportunity against a really good team this week,” Frost said. “It’s hard to win on the road in this league, and I think everybody in the games I’ve watched has had an advantage and played a little better than they have on the road.”

While the team has struggled on the road, the team’s resilience remains strong.

“These guys aren’t going to fracture, they’re close-knit,” Frost said. “If anybody’s discouraged or anything, I’d be shocked. We got another big challenge this week, we got to go give it everything we have.”

The chance will come against a Cowboys team that has flipped the script from last year. After ending the 2025 season 1-11, the Cowboys are now the 18th-best team in the nation with a 3-1 record.

Much of the turnaround is due to former North Texas head coach Eric Morris, who brought along transfer quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who has thrown for 200 yards or more in 19 straight games, the longest active streak in the FBS.

However, while the Cowboys have found success in their strong passing offense, they have a 32 percent third-down conversion rate on 50 attempts, the third-lowest in the Big 12.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch praised Mestemaker as a poised, elite decision-maker who presents a tough challenge.

“You got a quarterback that can direct it,” Grinch said. “He doesn’t get rattled, he doesn’t get sacked, he’s got an arm that can probably rival anybody.”

As for the offensive side of the ball, offensive coordinator Steve Cooper stressed that the offense cannot let its foot off the gas in critical fourth-quarter situations.

Up 17-0 against Houston midway through the third quarter, the offense could not build momentum, extend the lead, or find continuity.

“You can’t take the foot off their throat,” Cooper said. “When we get to the fourth quarter, it’s just to finish, and I think a big part of it is not letting the momentum guide and dictate how the game’s going to go.”

He also emphasized the importance of pushing the ball downfield in explosive plays; however, he said the only way those opportunities come about is if the offense earns them.

Sophomore wide receiver Waden Charles explained that the upcoming matchup is more about UCF meeting its own standards than trying to prove something to outsiders.

“We have to just prove it to ourselves,” Charles said. “We know the talent we have. Going into this game, it is going to be a challenge for us, but we’re going to go out there and do what we do.”

A win for the Knights this Saturday would be UCF’s first win over a ranked opponent since Nov. 11, 2023, when they defeated No. 15 Oklahoma State 45-3 in the Bounce House.

The Knights will hope to improve as they head to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to take on the No. 18-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys this Saturday at noon at Boone Pickens Stadium.