A Gridiron Clash: Unveiling the Iowa State vs. UCF Football Story

The college football landscape is ever-evolving, with new matchups and rivalries constantly emerging. In this spirit, we delve into the nascent history between the Iowa State Cyclones and the UCF Knights, two programs charting unique courses in the modern era of the Big 12 Conference. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of their initial encounter.

First Encounter

UCF and Iowa State are set to clash for the first time in their respective program histories. This inaugural matchup is scheduled for a Saturday night showdown at Jack Trice Stadium. Saturday’s contest will be the first meeting between Campbell and Gus Malzahn as head coaches. The Cyclones are fifth of seven first-time opponents on the Knights’ schedule.

Broadcast Details

The game will be broadcast on FS1, with Trent Rush providing play-by-play commentary and Spencer Tillman offering his analysis.

Tale of the Tape: Offense vs. Defense

This game presents a fascinating contrast in styles, pitting UCF's high-octane offense against Iowa State's stingy defense. UCF boasts the Big 12 Conference's top offense, averaging 473.8 yards per game, ranking 13th nationally. In contrast, Iowa State leads the conference and ranks 15th nationally in defense, allowing only 285.3 yards per game to their opponents.

Knights Aim for Top-10 Upset

UCF is seeking its fourth top-10 victory in program history. A win would give UCF its fourth top-10 win in program history and the first since the 2017 Peach Bowl against No. 7/8 Auburn, 34-27. The Louisville game was the last time UCF earned a top-10 victory in a true road game, as the Black and Gold rallied from a 28-7 deficit to secure the win. Additionally, the win would mark the first top-10 road win since the 2013 Louisville game. UCF also beat a pair of top-10 teams during the 2013 season, taking down No. 8/6 Louisville, 38-35, and No.

UCF's Rushing Prowess

The Knights have established themselves as a dominant rushing team. The Knights have now rushed for 1,608 yards with 15 touchdowns on the ground through the first six games of the season. The Knights are fourth in the nation with 268.0 rushing yards per game, which is 20 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Tennessee 246.2). UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in 18 of its last 19 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 12 times and 250 plus six times.

UCF leads the nation in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 56 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold pace the league and rank fourth nationally in most offensive plays of 20 or more yards with 41. Running back RJ Harvey leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally with 23 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. His nine rushing touchdowns are the most in the conference and 10th nationally.

Stout Run Defense

In contrast, UCF’s defense has been strong against the run, allowing just 91.2 rushing yards per game. That mark is second in the Big 12 and the 12th-fewest nationally. The Knights have yielded just 15 rushing plays of 10 yards or more - the fewest in the league and eighth-best among FBS programs.

Iowa State's Undefeated Start

Iowa State is one of the nation’s 11 remaining unbeaten teams in FBS, as the Cyclones are 6-0 and 3-0 in Big 12 play. ISU earned a 28-16 victory against West Virginia in their last game on Saturday.

Matt Campbell's Tenure at Iowa State

Now in his ninth season with the program, head coach Matt Campbell has a 59-48 record at Iowa State and a 94-63 overall record in his 13th season as a head coach.

Discipline: Iowa State's Strength

Iowa State is one of the least penalized teams in the nation.

UCF's Recent History

Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 68 wins, tied for the 11th-most nationally by an FBS program and the most by a team from the state of Florida. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, 9-4 in 2021, 9-5 in 2022 and 6-7 last season.

Malzahn Against Ranked Opponents

Gus Malzahn-coached teams have been at their best against the toughest competition, as Malzahn has recorded 23 wins against ranked opponents in his 13-year tenure as a head coach. At UCF, Malzahn is 3-3 versus ranked opponents as the Knights dominated their last matchup against a ranked foe, taking down then-No.

Young Talent at Quarterback

True freshman quarterback EJ Colson became the youngest quarterback (17Y, 10M) to start at QB for UCF in Saturday’s game against Cincinnati. In his first extended action in a UCF uniform, quarterback Jacurri Brown passed and ran for career highs in both categories.

Milestones and Achievements

In his 45th career game, senior cornerback BJ Adams tallied his first career interception.

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Second Half Surge

The Knights have scored more points (72) in the third quarters of games this season than any other quarter and have held opponents to just 27 points.

Rushing Dominance: A Program Staple

After ranking among the nation’s top 10 in rushing offense the past two seasons, UCF is in the midst of another strong year on the ground. The Black and Gold rushed for 454 yards in the season opener against New Hampshire, the second most in program history. Additionally, UCF’s 8.4 rushing yards per carry were the second most in a single game in program history. The Knights were fourth nationally in rushing offense with 228.2 rushing yards per game last season.

Harvey's Record-Breaking Performance

After scoring a rushing touchdown at Florida, UCF running back RJ Harvey has taken over sole possession of fourth (30) on UCF’s career rushing touchdowns list. Harvey tied the program record and set a career high with four rushing touchdowns in the Knights’ 45-14 victory against Sam Houston on Sept. 7 and has continued to etch his name in the Knights’ record books.

Fresh Faces

The Black and Gold’s first four opponents of 2024 (New Hampshire, Sam Houston, TCU and Colorado) are all first-time opponents. Additionally, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn is also facing those four opponents for the first time in his 13-year head coaching tenure.

New Conference Mates

Despite being in its second year in the Big 12 Conference, UCF only plays two opponents that it played in 2023 - Cincinnati and West Virginia. UCF is the only team in the Big 12 that will play each of the four newcomers to the league. The Knights host Colorado (Sept. 28), Arizona (Nov. 2) and Utah (Nov. 29), while traveling to Arizona State on Nov.

Iowa State's Perspective: Learning from the Past

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said Tuesday. “We’ve been in these moments. We’ve been in some of these opportunities where Iowa State football has been creeping up and doing really powerful things in a positive way. “We’ve handled it positively, and we’ve handled it negatively. What you try to do is use history and your history, and just be able to share why you either were successful handling some of these things and maybe why you weren’t.”

Iowa State may not have been here - undefeated through six games - in his tenure, but they’ve been here - nationally relevant and pushing toward the Big 12 championship game - multiple times with Campbell at the helm. There are times when they’ve been unable to sustain the momentum. There are lessons there for the 2024. That heart can take you far. That it takes a whole roster to reach these heights. That talent can’t do it alone.

Even with that unprecedented buy-in, even with that wealth of talent that we can still see play on Sundays four years later, the Cyclones weren’t good enough to win the Big 12. Being really good and being completely bought in sometimes isn’t good enough. If that team couldn’t get over that championship hurdle, it’s instructive of just how all-consuming the pursuit must be.

Game Prediction

UCF (3-3, 1-2) vs. No. CT; FS1; Iowa State favored by 13.5 pointsWhere UCF has the edge: The Knights are the Big 12 leaders in total offense, but the Cyclones are the league's best at total defense. UCF's success Saturday will probably have to come on the ground. It has the league's top rushing attack at 268 yards per game while the Cyclones are in the middle of the pack in stopping the run. If the Knights can get the running game going - which includes the quarterback - they may have a chance to give Iowa State its first defeat.Where Iowa State has the edge: The Cyclones are superior in all three phases of the game, but it will be most pronounced when they have the ball.

A Look Back at UCF Football History

The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida in the sport of American football. UCF first fielded a varsity football team in the fall of 1979 as an NCAA Division III program and subsequently completed their ascension to Division I-A, now known as the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), in 1996, becoming the first program in NCAA history to have played in all four divisions of football (and the only one until James Madison joined FBS in 2022). As a Division I-AA program, the Knights made the 1990 and 1993 playoffs, and were picked as the preseason No. The Knights have made 15 postseason appearances since joining the FBS, including winning one Bowl Championship Series bowl, the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, and one New Year's Six bowl, the 2018 Peach Bowl.

The UCF football program can be traced back to a speech given by the university's second president, Dr. Trevor Colbourn, in January 1979. Colbourn believed that a successful athletics program would bring the university greater renown, and tasked Dr. One day during a practice, O'Leary pulled the team aside and unveiled the template for uniforms of "The Fighting Knights". He would reveal a template that would follow the team into the 21st century: black jerseys, gold pants and gold helmets. Less than one year after Colbourn had envisioned a football program for the university, UCF played its first game on September 22, 1979, against St. Leo University. The Knights would prove victorious with a 21-0 shutout, and less than a week later, the Knights would win their first home game by defeating Ft.

McDowell would the lead the Knights to their first winning season since 1979, with a 6-5 record in 1986. Also that year, Ted Wilson became the first UCF player to be selected in the 1987 NFL draft, being picked by the Washington Redskins in the 10th round. Following an 8-3 regular season record in 1987, the Knights earned their first trip to the Division II playoffs, where they earned a 1-1 record. After starting the 1988 season with five straight wins, UCF would be ranked No. 2 in Division II. During a game against the defending D-II national champions Troy at the Citrus Bowl, UCF fans were so loud at one point that the Trojans quarterback Bob Godsey couldn't call plays. Godsey complained to the referee about the crowd noise, but instead of helping Troy, the referee called a delay of game penalty on the Trojans. The "Noise Penalty" game is legendary at UCF, and the win over Troy thrust the Knights into the position as the No.

During McDowell's tenure, the program moved up to Division I-AA in 1990. In their first year in the division, the Knights earned a 10-4 record, a program best, and a trip to the I-AA playoffs. UCF would make it to the semifinals, and became the first school in history to qualify for the I-AA playoffs in its first season of eligibility. The Knights would finish the 1991 and 1992 with winning seasons as well. In 1992, Dr. John Hitt, UCF's fourth president, announced that the program would make the move to Division I-A in 1996, and he hired Steve Sloan as the university's new athletic director. Earning their eighth winning season in 1993, the Knights would again make the playoffs. During the season, the team won their first game over a Division I-A team, a 38-16 victory at Louisiana Tech. After another impressive season, UCF was selected as the preseason No. 1 to start the 1994 season. The 1994 season would prove disappointing however, as the Knights would finish the season ranked No. 20 with a 7-4 record. During the team's final season in Division I-AA, the Knights were reinvigorated by freshman sensation Daunte Culpepper. On September 1, 1996, UCF officially made its foray into Division I-A. At that time, the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions (III, II, I-AA and I-A). In their first two seasons in Division I-A, the Knights posted identical 5-6 records behind Culpepper. Kruczek guided the team as a Division I-A independent until 2002. After six difficult years as an independent, UCF played its much-anticipated first season as a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference in 2002. They finished runner-up in the East division with a 6-2 conference record. An increased travel burden, lack of competitiveness, and lack of natural rivals within the midwest-based MAC saw UCF begin to explore the possibility of a different conference affiliation after just a couple years in the conference.

Following the disappointing 2003 season, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator and former Georgia Tech head coach George O'Leary was named UCF's head coach in 2004. This was a controversial and bold hire because O'Leary - who left Georgia Tech after the 2001 season - had been named the head coach at Notre Dame. The 2004 season was UCF's final year in the MAC. During this transitional period, the team hit rock bottom, going 0-11. But before long, O'Leary would turn the program around. He brought UCF to their first division title, first appearance in a conference championship game, first conference championship title, first bowl appearance (and first bowl victory), as well as a victory in a BCS bowl game. In 2005, UCF began their first season as a member of Conference USA. Not expected to improve much over 2004, they surprisingly won their first intra-conference game against Marshall, ending the school's 17-game losing streak, then the nation's longest such streak. UCF fans celebrated by storming the field and tearing down the goal posts. Students came back to the campus and celebrated further by jumping into UCF's Reflection Pond (a practice normally reserved for Spirit Splash). UCF finished 8-5 (7-1 in C-USA) winning the East Division and hosting the first ever C-USA Championship game.

The team rebranded in 2007 in preparation for its move to its new on-campus stadium. They permanently dropped the "Golden" from their name, becoming the "UCF Knights". UCF notched their second victory over an AQ school (NC State), then inaugurated their new stadium by hosting No. Running back Kevin Smith set an NCAA record with 450 rushing attempts and rushed for 2,567 yards, placing him 2nd on the all-time single season rushing list behind only Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders. Smith became UCF's first consensus All-American.

On March 18, 2008, running back Ereck Plancher collapsed shortly after a conditioning drill, and was then transported to a nearby hospital where he died approximately one hour later. ESPN's Outside The Lines program on November 2, 2008, interviewed players who were at the training session at which Plancher became ill, and which after he died, and stated that the session was longer and far more rigorous than O'Leary and other UCF Athletics officials have admitted to publicly. They also alleged that O'Leary and other coaches had initially warned players off from providing assistance to Plancher when he became visibly distressed. After a 14-day trial in 2011, a jury found the UCF Athletics Association guilty of negligence in the death of Plancher.

After a lackluster 4-8 season in 2008, UCF bounced back with an 8-5 record in 2009, Among those wins was their first victory over a nationally-ranked team, beating then No. 12 Houston on November 14 by a score of 37-32. UCF finished with a 45-24 loss to Rutgers in the St. The Knights would go on to win the 2010 C-USA championship game, defeating SMU 17-7. Following the win, UCF entered the BCS standings for the first time in program history, ranking No. The 2011 season proved disappointing as UCF finished with a 5-7 record and they were not bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. Both Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles battled for playing time at the quarterback position. Godfrey planned on transferring after the season, but instead decided to transition to the wide receiver position. In 2012, the Knights finished 10-4 and won their fourth C-USA East Division crown.

On December 7, 2011, UCF was invited to join the Big East Conference. However, within a year's time, the breakup of the Big East resulted in UCF ultimately becoming a member of the successor conference known as the American Athletic Conference (AAC or The American) in all sports beginning in 2013. In the meantime, UCF was facing investigation into recruiting violations by previous athletic director Keith Tribble during 2011. The appeal would prove crucial, as in 2013, O'Leary led the Knights to their first twelve-win season (12-1), first perfect intra-conference record (8-0), first win against a Big Ten opponent (Penn State), first win against a Top-10 team (No. 8 Louisville), and won the inaugural AAC Championship. Ranked No. 15, UCF secured a berth in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day against No. 6 Baylor. As a 16½ point underdog, the game was one of the biggest upsets of the BCS era. The Knights defeated the Bears 52-42 behind three touchdown runs by Storm Johnson and three touchdown passes by game MVP Blake Bortles. UCF was ranked No. UCF finished 9-4 in 2014, finishing as co-champions of the AAC. The Knights kicked off the season at the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland against Penn State. The Knights lost to the Nittany Lions 26-24, by a field goal as time expired. After starting 0-2, the Knights won nine of their next ten games. The regular season ended in dramatic fashion as UCF defeated ECU on a last-second Hail Mary pass. O'Leary's Knights accepted a bid to the St. The 2015 season, which began with high hopes, would be a shocking failure. George O'Leary was named interim athletic director, briefly holding both the head coach and AD positions.

Frost won his UCF debut with a 38-0 shutout over FCS opponent South Carolina State, which snapped a 13-game losing streak. Just hours after winning the AAC, sources confirmed that Frost would be taking a seven-year, $35 million deal to become Nebraska's new head coach. Frost and his staff returned for one last game in the 2018 Peach Bowl. The No. 12 ranked Knights faced No.

In Heupel's first season, UCF rode its high-powered offense to start the season 12-0 and extend its winning streak to a school-record 25 games. In their rivalry game at South Florida, star quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a serious knee injury, eventually requiring multiple surgeries to save the leg. Milton was out for the season, and never played another down for UCF, eventually transferring to Florida State. Back-up quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. took over and guided the Knights to win that game as well as the Conference championship game a week later against Memphis. The undefeated and 8th-ranked Knights were once again not selected for the College Football Playoff, instead facing LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. In Heupel's second season, Dillon Gabriel emerged as the new starting quarterback. After a 3-0 start, UCF snapped a 27-game regular season winning streak with a last-second loss at Pitt. UCF dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in two years. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Heupel's Knights again started the season ranked, but dropped out of the Top 25 after two consecutive losses. UCF snapped a 21-game home winning streak, but still posted a winning record for the fourth straight year. They finished 6-4 after a lopsided loss to BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl.

On January 21, 2021, UCF athletic director Danny White left the university to become the new athletic director at the University of Tennessee. On February 15, 2021, new athletic director Terry Mohajir named Gus Malzahn as UCF's new head football coach. The two had previously worked together at Arkansas State, and Malzahn made a name for himself with a 68-35 record at Auburn (2013-2020), including three wins over Alabama in the Iron Bowl, an appearance in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, and two New Year's Six bowl appearances. His Auburn team lost to UCF in the 2018 Peach Bowl. In 2021, Malzahn won in his debut with the Knights, a come-from-behind win over Boise State. The season was nearly derailed by a rash of injuries, including to starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel. In his second season (UCF's final year in the AAC), Malzahn's Knights started off 8-2 with wins over #20 Cincinnati and #17 Tulane. Ranked #20, they suffered a stinging loss against Navy, which prevented them from hosting the AAC Championship Game. The Knights lost the conference championship in a rematch to Tulane 45-28.

In 2023, UCF officially moved into the Big 12 Conference. In doing so, the Knights became the first NCAA football program to play at every sanctioned level: Division III, Division II, Division I-AA, Division I-A (Independent), Group of Five, and Power Five. In 2024, UCF started the season 3-0 including a 21-point comeback conference win at TCU. However, the Knights lost 8 of their last 9 games, falling to 4-8 and failed to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2015. This was also Malzahn's first season failing to make a bowl game as head coach in his career. After a brief coaching search, UCF re-hired Scott Frost, who coached the Knights football team in 2016-2017. After a dismal five-year tenure at Nebraska, Frost was briefly working as a senior analyst at the Los Angeles Rams. He began a rebuild with new players at almost every skill position. In 2017 UCF completed a 13-0 perfect season. The Knights were not selected for the College Football Playoff, instead completing their season with a New Year's Day win in the Peach Bowl over No.

On January 9, 2018, the Colley Matrix, an NCAA-recognized Major Selector, and an algorithm used as part of the BCS computer rankings in 2011, ranked UCF No. 1. Alabama won the CFP and eleven of the twelve NCAA-recognized major selectors. UCF won one of the twelve NCAA-recognized major selectors. Under head coach George O'Leary, the Knights won two Conference USA Championships (2007, 2010). Both of these resulted in an berth to play in the Liberty Bowl. At the time, the C-USA champion customarily received a berth to play in the Liberty Bowl against a member of the SEC. O'Leary also led the Knights to the American Athletic Conference championship in their first year in that league (2013), earning the conference's automatic berth to a BCS bowl game. In 2013-2014, The American did not contest a conference championship game, rather the champion was determined as the team(s) with the best intra-conference record. The American Athletic Conference, known since the 2025 season as the American Conference, adopted a conference championship game beginning in 2015, and the Knights made three appearances. The Knights won the conference…

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