UCF wraps up its home schedule with a showdown with Oklahoma State on Saturday. It’s also Senior Day for the Knights, who technically are still in the hunt for a possible postseason bid.

The Sentinel spoke with Eric Bailey of the Tulsa World to gain a deeper understanding of the Cowboys. Here is an edited version of the conversation:

What’s stood out about Oklahoma State’s season so far?

Eric Bailey: “It’s been such a tough year with all the transition to lose Mike Gundy after Week 3 and then defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, it’s just been a year of transition. The toughest thing is the roster, because when they fired Gundy, it opened up the transfer portal for 30 days. Oklahoma State is one of the last teams that this will impact because, in October, players can’t enter the transfer portal until the school hires or announces a new [coaching] hire. So the rule really impacted Oklahoma State and they had a mass exodus. Doug Meacham, the interim head coach, told me that they probably have about 60 players who can impact a game and that that’s really a low number for college football. So it’s just been working with limited means.”

Were you surprised by Mike Gundy’s firing?

Bailey: “Not really. Maybe the timing. When they had the loss at Oregon, when it was 69-3, you got a feeling that it could happen. But this was a move they probably should have made after last season. There was talk after last season that they might make a change, but they allowed Mike to coach another year, and Mike pretty much cleaned house on the coaching staff. He brought in new coordinators and position coaches, but the timing caught me off guard because it happened in Week 3, which gave Oklahoma State a runway to hire a new coach. But it really didn’t help the kids, because they had to go through so much, both on and off the field, with the coaching transition at the top, with the defensive coordinator [being fired], even the play-caller on offense, Kevin Johns, the quarterbacks coach, took over play calling from Doug Meacham early in the season as well and that that changed things. So, it’s just been a difficult year across the board.”

UCF Q&A: What are Knights’ plans with slew of injuries at QB and RB?

The quarterback position has been a carousel throughout much of the season. What is its status heading into this game?

Bailey: “The quarterback that started the season opener was Hauss Hejny and they had high hopes for him, but he only played one quarter of the season opener before suffering a broken foot. So then they had to go to Zane Flores, who had been on campus for three years but had never taken a snap or thrown a pass. Zane played through the Arizona game until he got hurt, and then you had to put Sam Jackson, a wide receiver who had played quarterback at Cal. He took over at quarterback and the offense had to really adjust to him and his style of play.

“Oklahoma State played a true freshman in Banks Bowen, who is the son of Clint Bowen, the defensive coordinator. He’s a true freshman who played at Lawrence High in Kansas last year. He’s taken some snaps as well as Noah Walters, who was a UCF student last September. Oklahoma State found him and asked him to come to Oklahoma State and he’s actually gotten some playing time this year as well. So it really has been a revolving door of quarterbacks, and that’s really hurt the offense continuity.”

Who else should UCF pay special attention to?

Bailey: “Wide receiver Gavin Freeman started his career at Oklahoma and was an impact player at OU, but wasn’t getting a lot of balls thrown his way. He’s a former walk-on at OU and he made a Bedlam transfer. He went from Oklahoma to Oklahoma State, played only four games last year and then chose to redshirt after those four because he wanted to get a little stronger. He’s led the team in receptions this year. He’s got 41 catches for 395 yards. Has a team high of three touchdowns. Oklahoma State has only six passing touchdowns all year. Gavin has three of the receptions.”

“Someone who can be a playmaker defensively is Parker Robertson, a young man who was also a former walk-on. He is an outstanding, hard-hitting safety who has really impressed this year, because, of course, the year hasn’t gone the way that anyone expected. This is his final year. He’s a senior and he’s going out strong. He’s led the team in tackles the last couple of games. I’ve been impressed with him more on and off the field. He’s really taken a leadership role on that defense and he commands a lot of respect from his teammates.”

What do you see as a challenge for Oklahoma State against UCF?

Bailey: “It’s just moving the football. This is an offense that just hasn’t put up any points this year. They’ve really struggled finding the end zone. They’ve only had 14 offensive touchdowns through 10 games. They only average 14 points a game, which [ranks] 132 out of 136 in the country. The offense is the one thing that’s going to hurt. They’re playing a really good UCF defense. You look at the defense, and especially in the passing game, the secondary, UCF is really good. And that’s something that Oklahoma State has been able to do lately, which is throw the football around. So I think the challenge will be moving the football through the air. They may have to go to their run game a little more, and that’s been an up-and-down challenge all year.”

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.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/18/ucf-knights-five-questions-about-oklahoma-state/