No. No. 9 Iowa State narrowly remained undefeated at 7-0 with a last-minute 38-35 win over UCF in Ames on Saturday night.
Quarterback Rocco Becht scored on a one-yard run to give the Cyclones a 36-35 lead with 30 seconds left. Becht then made a two-point conversion attempt for a 38-35 margin.
Iowa State’s game-winning drive started with just 1:47 left on the clock, and they went 80 yards in 11 plays. A pass interference call on UCF defenseman B.J. Adams gave the Cyclones a first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Three plays later, Becht scored the go-ahead goal.
Becht threw for 274 yards and completed 20 of 46 passes with a touchdown and two picks. He added 97 yards rushing and two scores on 20 carries. Carson Hansen also rushed nine times for 91 yards, and Jaylin Noel had eight receptions for 153 yards.
The Knights were lifted by big plays throughout the game. The dagger appeared to be an interception returned 70 yards by Braeden Marshall. Amazingly, Marshall thought he scored a touchdown, but dropped the ball before crossing the goal line.
Repeat reviews destroyed the score. However, no one from either team recovered the ball after Marshall dropped it, so UCF retained possession and had first and goal from the 1-yard line. Running back RJ Harvey scored on the next play to give the Knights a 35-27 lead.
UCF scored on its first possession, driving 75 yards in just six plays, highlighted by a 46-yard run by Harvey. Quarterback Jacurri Brown capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run.
That was just the beginning for the senior running back, who rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in the first half. In the process, he became the fourth UCF rusher to amass 3,000 yards in his career.
Harvey added an 80-yard touchdown in the second quarter, tying the score at 14–14. He finished with 196 yards and two scores on 25 rushes. Brown added 151 yards rushing and two more TDs on 12 carries.
Iowa State remained tied with BYU atop the Big 12 and will carry its 7-0 record into next week. Next up, the Cyclones face Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are tied for second in the Big 12 with a 3-1 conference mark (Cincinnati and Colorado are also 3-1).
