No. 9 Iowa State remains undefeated with a 38-35 win over UCF, scoring a touchdown with 30 seconds left

No. 9 Iowa State remained narrowly unbeaten at 7-0 with a last-minute 38-35 win over UCF in Ames on Saturday night.

Quarterback Rocco Becht scored on a one-yard run to give the Cyclones a 36–35 lead with 30 seconds to play. Becht then made a two-point conversion attempt for a 38-35 lead.

Iowa State's game-winning drive began with just 1:47 left and they gained 80 yards in 11 plays. A pass interference call against UCF defensive back BJ Adams gave the Cyclones a first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Three plays later, Becht scored the go-ahead goal.

Becht threw for 274 yards and completed 20 of 46 passes with one touchdown and two picks. He added 97 yards rushing and two scores on 20 carries. Carson Hansen also ran nine times for 91 yards and Jaylin Noel had eight receptions for 153 yards.

The Knights were able to make big plays throughout the game. The dagger appeared to be an interception that Braeden Marshall returned from 70 yards out. That would have been UCF's second pick 6 of the game, with Brandon Adams' 63-yard TD just before halftime. Amazingly, Marshall thought he had scored a touchdown, but dropped the ball before it crossed the goal line.

Repeat assessments negated the result. However, neither team was able to recover the ball after Marshall dropped it, so UCF retained possession and scored first from the 1-yard line. Running back RJ Harvey scored on the next play, giving the Knights a 35–27 lead.

UCF scored on its first possession and went 75 yards in just six plays, highlighted by a 46-yard run by Harvey. Quarterback Jacurri Brown finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run.

That was just the beginning for the senior running back, who rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in the first half. He became the fourth UCF rusher to reach 3,000 yards in his career.

Harvey added an 80-yard touchdown in the second quarter that tied the score at 14-14. He finished with 196 yards and two scores on 25 carries. Brown added 151 yards rushing and two more TDs on 12 carries.

Iowa State remains tied with BYU at the top of the Big 12 and takes its 7-0 record into a bye next week. The Cyclones will then face Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are 3-1 in their conference standings in a three-way battle for second place in the Big 12 (Cincinnati and Colorado are also 3-1).