Summer Schedule Preview: Oklahoma State Closes 2025 Road Slate at UCF

The Cowboys will head to Orlando for their final road game. Hopefully, things will go better than last time.

Oklahoma State hits the road for its penultimate game of the regular season to take on UCF. The Cowboys and Knights finished at the bottom of the Big 12 last season and both teams are looking to bounce back after major changes within their coaching staffs. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up on our other previews: Noncon | Baylor | Arizona | Houston | Cincinnati | Texas Tech | Kansas | Kansas State

Week 13: UCF | Nov. 22 | Orlando, Florida

Series history: 0-1

Last meeting: UCF 45, OSU 3 (2023)

In a statement that will sound like ancient history to Cowboy fans, the Knights broke No. 15 OSU’s five-game win streak two seasons ago, handing the Pokes their second conference loss.

The Cowboys committed four total turnovers and were down 24-zip at halftime, and the Knights never let up. It was the only game of the season in which OSU didn’t score a touchdown.

UCF in 2024: UCF fans suffered through a disappointing 2024. OSU fans can relate.

After back-to-back nine-win seasons under Gus Malzahn in the American, UCF combined to go 10-15 in the first two years after joining the Big 12. Now Malzahn is out and in to replace him is a nostalgic hire in Scott Frost.

In 2024, the Knights, like the Cowboys, started out 3-0 before absolutely falling off a cliff. UCF averaged 46 points in those first three wins, including an early Big 12 opener over TCU. Then the Knights finished 1-8, landing just above the Cowboys for the second-worst finish in the Big 12. They landed in the bottom half of the league in both scoring offense and defense.

UCF’s Offense in 2025: The Knights have themselves a three-man battle for the starting QB spot after KJ Jefferson was awarded a seventh year of eligibility and promptly entered the transfer portal. Tayven Jackson, Jacurri Brown and Cam Fancher are in the hunt for starter’s snaps as of writing.

Speaking of journeymen, former OSU running back Jaden Nixon will be in the hunt for the RB1 role after transferring from Western Michigan. Nixon rushed for 919 yards and 12 scores last season. He’ll look to push Myles Montgomery for the spot to replace RJ Harvey, a second-round pick of the Denver Broncos.

UCF’s Defense in 2025: If the Knights do make a bowl this year, it will probably rest on the strength of UCF’s defense. As bad as they got burned at times last season, they boast a lethal pass rush with defensive ends Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly returning. The Knights ranked third in the league in rushing defense and fourth in total defense in 2024. But they could bend only so far before they broke.

Of note: This past offseason, UCF exemplified the fickle and incestuous nature of college coaching.

Despite the subpar start in the Big 12, it was Malzahn who made the decision to leave Orlando, at least officially. He resigned to take the OC position in Tallahassee and actually owed the university $6 million for breaking his contract. UCF welcomed back Scott Frost, who captained the Knights to a 13-0 season in 2017 before taking the job at Nebraska.