LAWRENCE, Kan. — It’s been two years, two months and 25 days since UCF last won on the road.

In that time, the Knights have had a coaching change, started eight different quarterbacks and renovated the Roth Tower at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium, all while mired in a 12-game road losing streak.

The misery away from home, though, is over. UCF knocked off Kansas, 33-32, at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Knights didn’t do it the easy way, however.

UCF built a 26-7 lead in the third quarter, squandered it to fall behind 32-26, then rallied for the winning score at the very end of the game.

Alonza Barnett III found tight end Caden Piening for a 6-yard scoring pass with 3 seconds remaining to tie the game at 32-32. To add to the tension and excitement, the play was subjected to a replay review before the call on the field was upheld. Will Stone’s extra point gave the Knights the win.

It was a thrilling finish for UCF (5-4, 3-3 Big 12), which scored 26 unanswered points before surrendering 25 straight points to Kansas (4-5, 2-4 Big 12). The Jayhawks had taken the lead with 1:06 left to play on a 2-yard run by Dylan Edwards and a successful two-point conversion.

It was the Knights’ first road win since defeating TCU, 35-34, on Sept. 14, 2024.

Barnett, making his first start since Sept. 12 in Pittsburgh, completed 18-of-31 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Receiver Josh Derry led the team with 143 yards on seven catches, highlighted by a 44-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Things didn’t start well for the Knights.

Barnett dropped back to throw on the Knights’ first possession, only to be crushed by Kansas defensive lineman Blake Herold. The ball got knocked free. Jayhawks linebacker Trey Lathan intercepted the ball and returned it 10 yards before fumbling it, but defensive tackle Marcus Calvin recovered it and took it down to the UCF 3.

On fourth-and-1, KU quarterback Isaiah Marshall dipped under the defensive push to capitalize on the early turnover with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Will Stone’s 37-yard field goal capped a 46-yard drive on the Knights’ next possession, cutting the lead to 7-3.

Barnett returned to action last week, stepping in for backup Keyone Jenkins, who suffered an ankle injury early in the second half of UCF’s 41-9 loss to Baylor. Jenkins was ruled out for Saturday’s game and didn’t travel to Kansas, per a team source.

Injuries remained a concern for the Knights as running back Duke Watson left the game midway through the first quarter on a cart. Backup Taevion Swint has been on the mend with an ankle injury and was used psraingly out of the backfield, leaving Landen Chambers and Agyeman Addae to pick up the slack.

UCF found the end zone for the first time in the second quarter when receiver Duane Thomas Jr. took a handoff and slipped through the Kansas defense for a 10-yard touchdown. It was Thomas’ first career rushing touchdown, but Stone’s extra point attempt went wide.

It was Stone’s first missed extra point in 30 attempts.

UCF’s defense settled in, forcing Kansas to punt on three straight possessions.

The Knights, meanwhile, settled for another Stone field goal (23 yards) after their next offensive possession stalled at the Jayhawks’ 2-yard line.

Both teams traded turnovers after Kansas running back Dylan Edwards fumbled the ball to UCF cornerback Antione Jackson. But two plays later, Chambers fumbled the ball back to the Jayhawks.

UCF failed to convert at the end of the first half as Stone’s 54-yard field goal attempt was short and wide, sending the Knights into the locker room with a 12-7 advantage.

Swint started the second half with an impressive 43-yard kickoff return, setting UCF up with great field position, and the Knights capitalized. He finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 19-7 with 11:58 remaining in the third quarter.

The touchdown marked the redshirt freshman’s third of the season.

The defense secured its second turnover when UCF safety Jayden Williams forced a fumble from Kansas running back Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman. Fellow safety Braeden Marshall recovered it at the Kansas 46.

Two plays later, Barnett threw a 44-yard pass to Derry for a touchdown, taking a 26-7 lead.

Kansas responded with its longest drive of the game, going 75 yards and capped by a 30-yard run by Marshall.

The Jayhawks weren’t done, as Marshall engineered another drive that ended with a 34-yard field goal by Martin Connington, cutting the UCF lead to 26-24 before their late score to take the lead before UCF’s winning drive, which took 10 plays and 73 yards.

Marshall returned to the lineup after missing the Jayhawks’ 22-16 loss at TCU last Saturday with a lower leg injury.

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram at @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

Source: Yahoo Sports