UCF loses its fourth straight loss to No. 9 Iowa State in heartbreaking fashion

AMES, Iowa – UCF thought it had earned its first win in over a month by ending a three-game losing streak in a surprising matchup against No. 9 Iowa State.

But the Cyclones had other ideas as Rocco Becht drove his team 80 yards in 1:01 to come from behind for a 38-35 win on Saturday night. Becht's 1-yard touchdown run capped the incredible comeback.

“Our guys fought hard and were disappointed that we had a chance to win this game against a top-10 team on their home field and we didn’t do it,” coach Gus Malzahn said.

The loss is the fourth straight for the Knights (3-4, 1-3 Big 12), who have lost 11 of their last 17 games since moving to the Big 12. The loss also dropped UCF to 3-14 against top 10 teams since 2000.

The last win against a top-10 team came against then-No. 7 Auburn, ironically coached by Malzahn, in the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Iowa State improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1938.

Jacurri Brown started at quarterback for UCF, giving the redshirt sophomore his first start since joining the Knights when he transferred from Miami midway through the year.

The 6-foot, 220-pound Brown looked calm and confident on his first possession, leading a six-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 6-yard quarterback scramble for a touchdown. It was Brown's first rushing touchdown of the season and gave UCF an early 7-0 lead.

But it didn't take long for Iowa State to tie the score thanks to a 57-yard run by Cyclones running back Chasen Hansen.

The sophomore wasn't done yet, scoring a 5-yard touchdown run on ISU's next possession.

Not to be outdone, RJ Harvey found a hole on the first play of UCF's fifth possession and sprinted untouched 80 yards for a touchdown that tied the game at 14.

The Knights took their first lead with 36 seconds left on Sept. 14 against TCU when cornerback BJ Adams stepped in front of a pass intended for receiver Tyler Moore and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown.

“The quarterback made a bad decision. Well, I don't think it was a bad decision. I just sat on it,” Adams said. “From now on, every game I have to do something to influence this game, so I just took my chance.”

It was the first pick-6 by a UCF player since Richie Grant against Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 23, 2019.

Becht was 20 of 46 for 274 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed for 97 yards and scored two scores, including the game-winner with 30 seconds left.

UCF led 21-14 at halftime, its first halftime lead since a 24-7 lead over Sam Houston on Sept. 7.

Brown continued his hot play in the second half, turning a quarterback draw into a 67-yard touchdown run that increased the lead to 28-14.

Iowa State rebounded with consecutive touchdown drives to cut the score to 28-27, but Chasen Johnson blocked Kyle Konrardy's attempt at an extra point. Quarterback Rocco Becht was responsible for both scores, with a 1-yard quarterback sneak and a 12-yard pass to Jayden Higgins.

In the fourth, UCF scored another Harvey touchdown, but a strange play occurred.

Safety Braeden Marshall intercepted Becht and returned the ball 70 yards, but before the sophomore crossed the goal line, he dropped the football. Luckily for UCF, it wasn't recovered by the Cyclones and the Knights were able to recover it and convert it into a score.

Harvey finished the season with a season-high 196 yards rushing, his first 100-yard rushing performance since UCF's 35-34 win at TCU.

Brown finished the season with a season-high 154 yards and two touchdowns, but struggled in the passing game. He was just 8 of 20 for 62 yards, his lowest passing total since UCF managed just 49 yards in a 27-10 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 24, 2022.

Matt Murschel can be reached at [email protected]