What Breaking a 12-Game Road Skid Means for UCF

Alonza Barnett III marched the UCF Knights downfield and, with one bullet left in the chamber, found Caden Piening for the game-tying touchdown against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday.

Kicker Will Stone converted the game-winning field goal to avoid a second-half meltdown, 33-32. The Knights snapped a 12-game road losing streak that spanned 785 days since their 35-34 win over the TCU Horned Frogs on Sept. 6, 2024.

It's a bit poetic that both road wins were one-point thrillers.

Barnett silenced the loyal Jayhawk fans and pointed to his play-sheet wristband, doing the famous "ice in my veins" celebration. Coach Scott Frost recruited the star transfer for those late-game moments.

"I'm too old for this," Frost joked as he jogged to the locker room and delivered a heartwarming post-game speech.

He's made history in his second season back at UCF. His squad also upset the then-No. 2 BYU Cougars on Oct. 24, the highest-ranked victory in program history.

Saturday's win lifts the heavy burden on the Knights' shoulders and inches them one win closer to bowl eligibility. It's an arguably season-defining comeback victory.

Road games have been the program's Achilles heel. A winless campaign away from the Acrisure Bounce House last season doomed its bowl hopes.

UCF, sitting at 5-6, traveled to Provo, Utah, to face Kalani Sitake and then-No. 11 BYU. The team opened the quarter with a surprising jab.

Frost's squad shocked with a 14-0 lead after the first. The Cougars outscored the Knights 41-7 from the second onward and sent them back to Orlando.

Now at 5-4 with three games remaining, their chances look favorable. They have back-to-back home games against the Arizona State Sun Devils and Iowa State Cyclones, then end the season on the road against coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.

ESPN's matchup predictor favors UCF to win against Arizona State (53.6%) and Iowa State (68.1%). Frost would have seven wins if the predictor holds, and could finish with eight against Colorado.

Arizona State could be the toughest of the final three. The Sun Devils are 5-4 coming off a 20-10 win over the Buffaloes, and wide receiver Reed Harris leads the Big 12 with 907 yards.

Iowa State is 4-5, and Colorado is 3-6. UCF's schedule may look favorable, but it all comes down to execution throughout 60 minutes.

The Knights' performance is too erratic. They upset BYU, suffered their worst loss of the season to the Baylor Bears, 41-9, and held a 19-point third-quarter lead before the Jayhawks scored 25 unanswered.