Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 25

The UCF Knights began the 21st Century as a young FBS team with no conference to call home. Now, a quarter of the way through it, they sit as a member of one of college football's Power 4 conferences. To mark the occasion, we are counting down the Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century.

Nov 11, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) runs the ball against Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Trey Rucker (9) during the second half at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Note: We define the 21st Century as Jan. 1, 2001, to the time of this series' publication.

No. 25: The 2023 Space Game vs. No. 15 Oklahoma State

UCF's Space Game was first played in 2017, in honor of the University of Central Florida's founding mission to support a young (at the time) NASA as it established itself on the nearby Space Coast.

Even as the Knights struggled during the Gus Malzahn era, they remained unblemished in the Space Game. They are a perfect 8-0 record entering 2025. These challenges served as the backdrop for what made the 2023 edition against No.15 Oklahoma State, which UCF won 45-3, so memorable.

With rain pouring in the Bounce House, the Knights held that season's leading rusher, the Cowboys' Ollie Gordon, to just 25 rushing yards. Meanwhile, UCF running back RJ Harvey ran for 206 yards, the 10th-most in a single game in program history, and three touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was a 92-yarder that went down as the second-longest touchdown run in program history.

Through the air, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee completed 11 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns, recording 27.2 passing yards per completion. This stands as the most passing yards per completion in a single game in program history.

On defense, defensive back Demari Henderson was involved in three of UCF's four turnovers of the night. He became the first Knight since 2019 to catch multiple interceptions in a single game with two and recorded the only UCF's lone fumble recovery.