Enemy Insider: Critical Questions Oklahoma State Football Fans Must Know Answered by a UCF Expert
In this story:
The Oklahoma State Cowboys return to the field for the first time since moving into the AP Top 25 when they host the UCF Knights on Saturday.
The Cowboys (3-1, 1-0 in Big 12) have never hosted the Knights (3-2, 1-1), who have beaten them twice in Orlando since joining the Big 12 Conference.
UCF On SI publisher Bryson Turner was kind enough to carve out a few minutes of his week to answer a handful of questions ahead of this Big 12 opener.
The QB Situation
So what’s the quarterback situation? Will Alonza Barnett III play? How is Keyone Jenkins? Is there anything more to him cramping up in the Houston game? Why didn’t head coach Scott Frost go with Rocco Marriott in a pinch against Houston? And how has this impacted the offense?
Turner: During his Monday presser, coach Scott Frost said he did not think Alonza Barnett would return in time for Saturday’s game. On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Steve Cooper praised Keyone Jenkins’ toughness. So, if there was anything more to the cramping, he was able to play through it.
Thanks to the Knights being the 13th-oldest team in the nation by average age, the phrase “played a lot of football” has become an often-used description for Frost when talking about players. He’s seemed to have leaned toward prioritizing in-game experience more often than not. For example, redshirt freshman Jacob Maiava did not start the season as the Knights’ starting center; instead, it went to a returner, Conner Meadows. However, an injury caused a reshuffling of the offensive line, which led to Maiava taking over as starting center, and the unit improved; following his injury during the Houston game, the change at center was noticeable.
I say all that because I believe that is the reason why Frost elected to trot out Kaleb Annett over Rocco Marriott. Neither may have taken a snap in a college game at the time, but Annett is a redshirt sophomore who’s been in a college environment since 2024, while Marriott is a true freshman who is in his first season of college football. Additionally, considering Marriott has the opportunity to play five years, it would not be wise to risk him getting injured and putting a roadblock in his development just to temporarily fill in for more experienced options (Barnett and Jenkins) that can still come back and play this season.
Beyond having to flip plays to account for a righty or lefty quarterback, the changes did not affect what the offense’s plans were since Annett was attempting short passes on his one drive that Jenkins had been doing all day.
Duke Watson and The Run Game
I was able to watch the Houston game, and I was impressed with Duke Watson, UCF’s talented running back. I know he hasn’t gotten many carries in Big 12 play (just 22 in two games). Is that a mistake on UCF’s part or are teams loading up on the run? It felt like Houston was doing that.
Turner: Houston’s rushing defense is one of the best in college football, ranking sixth in the nation. So is Pittsburgh’s, ranking sixth. The Knights ended up leaning heavily on the passing attack in both games. On Monday, Frost said he thinks the Knights are a better offense when the ball can go to different places depending on the defensive look. So, if the defensive look is making the run not look like the best option to move the ball, then it’s going to be a pass, and that’s what happened during those two games.
Whether this is a mistake or not is up to interpretation. Given how much flexibility Frost is giving the offense, the lack of runs could easily just be the result of a series of spur-of-the-moment calls that resulted in passes. They went well against TCU, so if the Cowboys are taking away the run, it would not be too big of a leap to try leaning on a different aspect of the offense that worked well the week before.
Wide Receiver Updates
Josh Derry has done a good job for UCF at wide receiver. How is he feeling after his ankle injury last week and what is the expectation on his status? Does UCF have some hope that Duane Thomas Jr. can play? How has his absence impacted the offense?
Turner: On Monday, Frost said he did not know about Derry and that there is “a chance” with Thomas Jr. Though he has said Thomas has been “day-to-day” before, only for him to end up ruled out on Wednesday’s player availability report. So, this week’s edition should shed some light there.
His absence from the offense has not impacted things all too much since the receiving unit is one of the Knights’ deeper position groups. Even if both Derry and Thomas don’t suit up, there is still Waden Charles, who has caught 14 passes this season; tight ends Dylan Wade and Caden Piening, who have a combined 17 receptions; DayDay Farmer, Thomas’ listed backup in the slot; Jonathan Bibbs, Derry’s listed backup; and freshman phenom Tyren Hornes.
Looking at UCF’s Defensive Line
I was impressed with the UCF defensive line against Houston and I felt that was one of their better units going into the season. How has Isaiah Nixon impacted their pass rush, which has 11 sacks, and what does OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker have to watch for?
Turner: Nixon had some big shoes to fill after first-round draft pick Malachi Lawrence and UDFA signee Nyjalik Kelly left for the NFL this spring, and while comparing Nixon to them would be a disservice to him, he has taken up the mantle well at the EDGE spot. He complements an interior defensive line group that’s gotten their fair share of tackles for loss and pressures as well.
Considering Mestemaker has thrown at least one interception in each game against an FBS opponent this season, I think he needs to watch downfield because the Knights are 26th in the nation in passing efficiency defense and ninth in turnovers gained. Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch emphasizes takeaways, and his unit has delivered for him so far. It helps that most of last season’s secondary returned, plus Jayden Williams recovered from an injury and FCS All-American Ty Bartrum was added from the portal.
Keys to the Game
What are the three biggest things UCF can do to impact Oklahoma State on Saturday? What is going to make the difference between winning and losing for the Knights?
Turner: First win the turnover battle. As one of the nation’s leaders in total offense, Oklahoma State is going to find ways to move the ball forward. So, in order to keep the Cowboys off the board, UCF’s defense is going to need to force turnovers. However, the offense is also going to need to take advantage of such turnovers. Last time, UCF only got three points from Houston’s three first-half turnovers, which kept the Cougars in the game. It’s not enough to get a turnover just for the sake of one; the Knights also need to capitalize on them.
Second emphasize the time of possession battle. Last week, the defense ended up being on the field long enough that it just got gassed by the end of the game. So, the Knights need to watch the time of possession battle more. They don’t even necessarily have to win it, just keep it close enough to even that the defense can get time to rest so they are in the best condition they can be in for the game’s late stages. This is where emphasizing the rushing attack could pay the most dividends.
Third, do not give up free yards: Oklahoma State is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation, ranking in the Top 10 in fewest penalties. While the Knights may not be incurring as many pre-snap penalties as last season, they still average two penalties more per game than the Cowboys. So, UCF needs to ensure as clean a game as possible, since Oklahoma State may not end up making such self-induced mistakes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
Follow PostinsPostcard