Welcome back to our weekly check-in on the rest of the UCF Knights' 2026 opponents!
While Scott Frost and the Knights were busy against No. 18 Oklahoma State, three of their other opponents in the AP Top 25 also took the field over the weekend:
UCF Opponent | Opponent's Opponent | Result | UCF Opponent's Record |
|---|---|---|---|
Bethune-Cookman | Alabama A&M | Lost, 55-17 | 3-3 (1-1 SWAC) |
No. 25 Pittsburgh | North Carolina | Lost, 21-17 | 5-1 (2-1 ACC) |
Georgia State | BYE | N/A | 4-1 (1-0 Sun Belt) |
TCU | BYE | N/A | 2-3 (0-2 Big 12) |
No. 22 Houston | Kansas State | Win, 35-16 | 5-1 (2-1 Big 12) |
No. 10 BYU | Iowa State | Win, 24-10 | 5-0 (3-0 Big 12) |
Baylor | BYE | N/A | 4-1 (2-0 Big 12) |
Kansas | No. 12 Utah | Lost, 41-24 | 2-2 (0-1 Big 12) |
Arizona State | Hawai'i | Won, 30-12 | 3-2 (1-1 Big 12) |
Iowa State | No. 8 BYU | Lost, 24-10 | 3-3 (1-2 Big 12) |
Colorado | BYE | N/A | 2-2 (0-1 Big 12) |
Note: AP rankings reflect the position teams were in at the time of the game
Below are three games that provide the most insights on the strength of the Knights' 2026 schedule:
- UCF's Next Opponent
- No. 25 Pittsburgh Blows Early Two-Score Lead Against North Carolina
- No. 22 Houston Takes Care of Business in Manhattan
1. UCF's Next Opponent
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier put No. 8 BYU's offense on his back on Friday as he led the Cougars to a 24-10 victory over Iowa State.
Not only did Bachmeier have an efficient day through the air, completing 22 of his 30 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns, but he also ran nine times for 109 yards, accounting for 61.9% of the Cougars' total rushing yards for the game.
Despite their defense stopping BYU three times on fourth down, Iowa State's offense could not produce enough offensive production to keep up with the Cougars' one score per quarter pace. Running back Aiden Flora did manage 86 yards on 17 carries, but quarterback Jalen Raynor, despite completing 16 of his 29 passes, could only muster 98 yards through the air.
While the Cyclones’ running back found some success on the ground, the Cougars’ backs could not. With their star running back LJ Martin out for four to six weeks due to a lower body injury, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, BYU turned to three other options at running back throughout the night. However, of the 17 rushing attempts from those three running backs, they gained just 54 yards.
The Cougars, still ranked No. 8 in the nation, face a tough test next week, hosting No. 2 Notre Dame, before coming to Orlando on Oct. 24 to take on the Knights.
The Cyclones are also set to visit the Bounce House on Nov. 20.
2. No. 25 Pittsburgh Blows Early Two-Score Lead Against North Carolina
Despite another impressive showing from its rushing defense, No. 25 Pittsburgh had its season-opening winning streak snapped by North Carolina Saturday, 21-17.
With the Tar Heels’ rushers only managing a net gain of 20 yards, it was up to quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to create production for coach Bill Belichick’s offense. He ended up finding wide receiver Shamar Easter for a 75-yard go-ahead touchdown catch that won the game for North Carolina. It was his only catch of the day.
The Panthers initially had that upper hand, getting out ahead 10-0 in the second quarter. However, a pair of interceptions from quarterback Holden Geriner, stepping up in place of an injured Mason Heintschel, ended some of Pittsburgh’s drives early, not giving them the opportunity to widen their lead.
The Panthers, who ended up dropping from the AP Top 25 following this loss, also allowed a net gain of just 20 rushing yards when they played the Knights back in Week 2, winning 12-7.
3. No. 22 Houston Takes Care of Business in Manhattan
Fresh off its comeback win over UCF the prior weekend, No. 22 Houston responded by taking an early lead on the road against Kansas State and never letting it go, winning 35-16.
The connection between quarterback Conner Weigman and tight end Patrick Overmyer was on full display in Manhattan, with Overmyer leading the team with eight receptions for 83 yards, half of which ended in touchdowns. Put another way, all but one of Houston’s touchdowns were passes from Weigman to Overmyer.
Despite their success through the air, the Cougars were still productive on the ground as well, amassing 233 rushing yards compared to Kansas State's 117 rushing yards. A majority of that came thanks to running backs Re'Shaun Sanford II and Makhi Hughes, who combined for 168 yards on 34 carries. Hughes also scored the lone rushing touchdown of the day.
Kansas State deployed a roughly equal number of pass plays and run plays on offense, but quarterback Avery Johnson could only get 182 yards out of 30 total passes, only 16 of which were completed.
The Cougars were elevated two spots to No. 20 in the AP Top 25 following this win.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
B.T. Breakdown: Three Reasons Why UCF Couldn't Keep Up With No. 18 Oklahoma State
What UCF's Offensive Line Has Gotten Right (And Wrong) in 2026
What Riley Kugel Could Bring to the 2026-27 UCF Knights
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