UCF at Kansas State

Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas

When: Saturday, Noon

TV: FS1

Weather: 72 degrees with a 0% chance of precipitation

Latest line: Kansas State by 6.5 points

Coaches: Scott Frost, 3rd season at UCF, 22-7 (38-38 overall); Chris Klieman, seventh season at Kansas State, 49-31 (121-44 overall).

Quick slant: This marks the third meeting between the two programs, with KSU leading the series with a 2-0 record. Their last encounter saw KSU secure a 44-31 victory during UCF’s Big 12 debut on Sept. 23, 2023. … Frost and Klieman previously worked together as assistant coaches under head coach Mark Farley at Northern Iowa from 2007-08.

About UCF (3-0, 0-0 Big 12): Quarterback Tayven Jackson, who earned his second straight start, scored two touchdowns and the defense forced a pair of takeaways as the Knights improved to 3-0 with an impressive 34-9 win over North Carolina last Saturday. It was the 16th straight win by UCF under Frost, going back to the 2017 season.

About Kansas State (1-3, 0-1 Big 12): Kansas State is coming off an open week after a rough 1-3 start. The Wildcats opened Big 12 play with a stunning 23-17 loss at Arizona. It was the fourth consecutive one-possession game played by the team, the most in the nation. The last time KSU began a season with a 1-3 record was in 1989, coinciding with Bill Snyder’s first year as head coach, during which the Wildcats finished the season with a disappointing overall record of 1-10.

3 things to watch

1. UCF hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the first half this season. The Knights have held opponents to a total of 26 points through the first three games, allowing 8.67 points per game. That’s the lowest total through the first three games since the start of the 2011 season.

2. Kansas State ranks last in the Big 12 and 119th in the nation in rushing offense this season. The Wildcats are averaging just over 108 yards per game and haven’t had a 100-yard rusher since Dylan Edwards rushed for 196 yards in KSU’s 44-41 win over Rutgers in last season’s Rate Bowl.

3. UCF leads the Big 12 in opponent red zone conversions and is tied for second in the nation with Penn State after allowing opponents to score at a 50% (3 of 6) rate. Only Ohio State (0%) has a better conversion rate. Kansas State is converting red zone opportunities at an 88.9% (8 of 9) rate.

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

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