Another night, another undefeated Big 12 team survived a last-minute comeback at home. Friday night, it was No. 13 BYU scores with 10 seconds left to topple Oklahoma State In a 38-35 victory. On Saturday, no. 9 iowa state Reached the end zone with 30 seconds left to win 38–35. ucf,
Two games, same final score and two top-15 teams remained clean in dramatic fashion.
iowa state quarterback Rocco Becht Scored the game-winning one-yard run to complete an 11-play, 80-yard drive with just 1:18 minutes of game clock left. The Cyclones overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to post a 7–0 record (4–0 Big 12), equaling their 1938 season’s best undefeated start in program history.
Rocco Becht scores a TD and Iowa State takes the lead!!!!! @CycloneFB pic.twitter.com/K4ZbrE7JPP
– Fox College Football (@CFBONFOX) 20 October 2024
ISU remains on top of Big 12 standings BYU And will probably climb into AP top 10 after this Loss to No. 7 Alabama On Saturday.
The Cyclones are the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 and entered Saturday as the No. 4 seed athleticcollege football playoff predictorThe odds will also improve – with a 51 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 31 percent chance of winning the conference.
ISU responded with 324 of its 530 yards of offense in the second half, with Becht completing 20 of 46 for 274 passing yards (13.7 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. He added 97 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to offset two interceptions.
wide receiver Jaelyn Noel Led all pass catchers with 153 yards passing and running backs carson henson Ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter.
UCF, now losing four in a row, jumped out to the lead with big runs and momentum-swinging turnovers. The Knights (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) rushed for 354 of the 416 yards, with running back RJ Harvey having an 80-yard run and quarterback running back 67-yard run. Jakurri Brown,
Defensively, UCF added a pair of massive interceptions: the first was a 63-yard pick-six. brandon adamsAnd the other was a 70-yard return and almost-pick-six. Braden Marshall Dropped just before crossing the goal line.
The ball remained with UCF as there was no recovery after the play and Harvey scored from a yard out on the next play.
How did Iowa State bounce back?
UCF’s 35 points were the most points scored by any team at Iowa State this season, and the Knights averaged 9.1 yards per carry on 39 attempts. But ISU’s defense forced some turnovers and held UCF to 0 of 4 on third down in the second half.
After blowing a 14–7 Iowa State lead in the first quarter, ISU punted on six of its next seven drives, including five three-and-outs. (The only other drive that did not end in a punt during that time was Adams’ pick-six.)
Becht then led back-to-back touchdown drives of 75 and 76 yards in the third quarter, and the Cyclones scored 11 unanswered points in the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter. Becht threw for 226 of his 274 passing yards in the second half.
Big 12 Championship, impact on CFP race
Iowa State remains tied with BYU as the only undefeated teams in Big 12 play and overall. Neither team faced each other in the regular season. Have a bye next week before hosting the Cyclones texas tech on Nov. 2, and the Cougars will play at UCF the following Saturday.
BYU entered the morning with a 28 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. athletic’s Projection, and a 17 percent chance of winning the league after Friday night’s return.
There was chaos elsewhere in the Big 12, as Texas Tech suffered its first conference loss boiler A surprising 59–35 upset at home. number 17 kansas state, cincinnati And colorado Everyone won, taking the score to 3-1, which was out of the first game. Cincinnati plays at Colorado next week.
Updated status at the top of the Big 12
- BYU (4-0)
- Iowa State (4-0)
- Kansas State (3-1)
- Texas Tech (3-1)
- cincinnati (3-1)
- Colorado (3-1)
essential reading
(Photo: Reese Strickland/Imazon Images)
(TagstoTranslate)UCF Knights(T)Iowa State Cyclones(T)College Football