Yes, it is only because these two teams have played twice in their history, but it's refreshing to see the Jayhawks not be dominated over the last 10 games against yet another Big 12 opponent. And in a season where KU will need every win it can get, they will hope their 2-0 record against the UCF Golden Knights gets pushed to three wins.
The last time these teams met, it looked like the start of something new
The first time KU met UCF, it was in the midst of one of the brightest moments in recent Jayhawk history, as Lance Leipold’s squad squashed the Knights in a resounding 51-22 victory, en route to a 9-4 season.
The second time they met, things were starkly different. Through the first five games of the 2025 campaign, Kansas had notched a decent 3-2 record; however, in those two losses, the Jayhawks’ defense stuck out like a sore thumb, giving up 42 points against Missouri and 37 against Cincinnati.
So when they made the trip to the middle of the Sunshine State and immediately gave up 20 points in one half against the Knights, it looked like the same old, same old. However, in the second half, Kansas’ defense stepped up like no one expected, and out of nowhere the Jayhawks locked down nearly every play Scott Frost’s side tried, and while it wasn’t always pretty, the Jayhawks’ offense mustered enough firepower to push their fourth win to the board.
Of course, we all know that Kansas’ season flattened after that win as they finished the year with a 5-7 record, as their defense could never quite showcase the same resolve as it did against the Knights.
For Frost, his first season back, where he made his name as a head coach, ended with a 5-7 record; while obviously disappointed to not make a bowl game, there were still several positive signs that UCF was trending upwards.
Over the offseason, Frost and Co. attacked the portal to ensure bowl eligibility
UCF reeled in a whopping 32 transfers, and while not all were deemed eligible, there is no room for doubt that the Knights aren’t committed to making themselves a contender for the upper echelon of the Big 12.
One of the leaders of the 2026 iteration of this squad is JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett III. Through two true seasons in the Sun Belt, Barnett took over the conference, going for 49 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, along with 5,404 passing yards. Barnett added 22 rushing scores as well during his final two seasons. Barnett was rated as the nation’s 719th-best player in the portal and the country’s 45th-best quarterback.
As Frost showed in his first tenure, he can change things quickly, and they have the playmaking capabilities in someone like Barnett, but this is a new era of college football, and Frost hasn’t completely convinced that he can compete in that era, and until he does, this is a must-win for the Jayhawks.
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