No. 9 Iowa State stages a 14-point comeback, outlasts UCF and remains undefeated

Another night another undefeated Big 12 team survived with a last-minute comeback at home. On Friday night, it was No. 13 BYU that beat Oklahoma State for a 38-35 victory with 10 seconds left. On Saturday, No. 9 Iowa State reached the end zone with 30 seconds left to beat UCF 38-35.

Two games, the same final results and two top 15 teams remain dramatically flawless.

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht scored a game-winning one-yard run, capping an 11-play, 80-yard drive in just 1:18 of game time. The Cyclones erased a 14-point second-half deficit to post a 7-0 record (4-0 Big 12). Like the 1938 season, they tied for the best undefeated start in the program's history.

ROCCO BECHT scores a TD and IOWA STATE TAKES THE LEAD!!!!! 😱🙌 @CycloneFB pic.twitter.com/K4ZbrE7JPP

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 20, 2024

ISU remains tied with BYU at the top of the Big 12 and will likely move into the AP Top 10 after a loss to No. 7 Alabama on Saturday.

The Cyclones are the top-ranked team in the Big 12 and entered Saturday as the No. 4 seed The athletes College Football Playoff prediction, with a 51 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 31 percent chance of winning the conference – the odds will also improve.

ISU struck back with 324 of its 530 yards of offense in the second half, with Becht completing 20 of 46 yards for 274 passing yards (13.7 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. He added 97 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to offset the two interceptions.

Wide receiver Jaylin Noel led all pass catchers with 153 yards, and running back Carson Hansen ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter.

UCF, which has now lost four in a row, took the lead with big runs and dynamic turnovers. The Knights (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) rushed for 354 of 416 yards on offense, including an 80-yard run by running back RJ Harvey and a 67-yarder by quarterback Jacurri Brown.

Defensively, UCF added two massive interceptions: the first was a 63-yard pick-six by Brandon Adams, and the second was a 70-yard return and a near-pick-six taken by Braeden Marshall just before crossing the goal line dropped.

The ball stayed with UCF as there was no recovery after the play and Harvey scored from one yard away on the next play.

How Iowa State made the comeback

UCF's 35 points were the most scored by any Iowa State team this season, and the Knights averaged 9.1 yards per carry on 39 attempts. But ISU's defense forced two turnovers and held UCF to 0 for 4 on third down in the second half.

After Iowa State took a 14-7 lead in the first quarter, ISU punted on six of its next seven drives, including five three-and-outs. (The other drive that didn't end in a punt on this stretch was the Adams Pick-Six.)

Then Becht led back-to-back touchdown drives of 75 and 76 yards in the third quarter, and the Cyclones scored 11 unanswered points in the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter. Becht threw 226 of his 274 pass yards in the second half

Impact on the Big 12 Championship and CFP races

Iowa State ties BYU as the only undefeated team in Big 12 play and overall. Neither team faces each other in the regular season. The Cyclones have a bye next week before hosting Texas Tech on Nov. 2, and the Cougars play at UCF next Saturday.

BYU entered the morning with a 28 percent chance of making the playoffs The Athletics Predictions and a 17 percent chance of winning the league after Friday night's comeback.

Elsewhere in the Big 12, chaos reigned as Texas Tech suffered its first conference loss at home to Baylor in a surprising 59-35 upset. No. 17 Kansas State, Cincinnati and Colorado all won to improve to 3-1, a game without a lead. Cincinnati plays Colorado next week.

Updated rankings at the top of the Big 12

• BYU (4-0)
• Iowa State (4-0)
• Kansas State (3-1)
• Texas Tech (3-1)
• Cincinnati (3-1)
• Colorado (3-1)

Required reading

(Photo: Reese Strickland / Imagn Images)