Whatever UCF is paying Duke Watson, it’s not enough.
The junior transfer running back rushed for a career-high 177 yards with two touchdowns, helping the Knights outlast a pesky Georgia State team 44-30 on Saturday night.
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GSU attempted an onside kick with 1:52 left, but was flagged for an illegal touch, giving the football to UCF.
The Knights sealed the win with a late touchdown run by quarterback Keyone Jenkins.
The win gave UCF (2-1) at least two wins in its first three games for the 10th straight season and marks the 10th straight non-conference home victory. The Knights also improved to 17-5 at home under coach Scott Frost.
UCF’s defense stepped up early, stopping Georgia State on a fourth-and-1 at the GSU 34, forcing a turnover on downs.
With Alonza Barnett III sidelined for an undisclosed amount of time with a hamstring injury, Jenkins earned the starting nod at quarterback. It was his first regular-season start since facing Sam Houston State on Nov. 29, 2025, when he played at FIU.
Jenkins brought the crowd to its feet, scrambling for a 31-yard touchdown on a third-and-7, but a holding penalty negated it. Three plays later, Watson took a handoff and raced for a 14-yard touchdown.
It was Watson’s second touchdown of the season and the 10th of his career.
The Knights’ special teams stepped up when linebacker Jahleel Culbreath blocked a punt attempt by Georgia State’s Christian Teeter and recovered it at the GSU 17. It was the first blocked punt by UCF since the team did it against North Carolina A&T on Sept. 6, 2025.
After failing to convert on a first down, the Knights settled for a 29-yard field goal by Will Stone to take a 10-0 lead.
Georgia State quarterback Cameran Brown found his groove, leading a methodical 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass to streaking Rodshaun Dorsey, cutting the UCF lead to 10-7.
The Knights responded with their own impressive drive, highlighted by a 26-yard run by Watson that set up a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jenkins to receiver Waden Charles. It was Jenkins’ second touchdown pass of the season and Charles’ second scoring reception.
GSU (2-1) marched down the field on its next possession, taking more than seven minutes off the clock before Brown lofted a pass into the arms of a diving Dorsey for a 6-yard touchdown, bringing the Panthers within 17-14 with 8:52 left in the second quarter.
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Georgia State wasn’t done, as running back Qwantavius Wiggins blew past the UCF defense, racing 78 yards for a touchdown and giving the Panthers their first lead of the game at 21-17. As the freshman crossed into the end zone, the stadium went dead silent in shock.
UCF’s offense missed another opportunity on its next possession, driving to the GSU 25, but the Knights couldn’t convert on a third-and-8 and instead settled for a 40-yard field goal by Stone.
GSU wasn’t finished, however, driving down to the 4-yard line before settling for a 22-yard field goal by Samer Layous as time expired, giving the Panthers a 24-20 advantage at the half.
But the Knights didn’t take long to respond in the second half, as Watson took a handoff and raced 64 yards unfettered, for his second touchdown of the game, giving UCF a 27-24 lead eight seconds into the third quarter.
The Panthers tied the game on a 35-yard field goal by Layous with 11:24 left in the third.
The teams traded turnovers midway through the quarter as Jenkins threw his first interception of the season. One play later, UCF linebacker Tackett Curtis stepped up and picked off a Brown pass and returned it 38 yards.
It was Curtis’ first career interception.
The Knights found their stride after the interception, marching down the field for 44 yards and relying on their ground game, with Watson, Landen Chambers, and Jenkins sharing the load. Ultimately, Jenkins capped the drive with a 4-yard keeper, putting UCF ahead 34-27 with just 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
UCF safety Demari Henderson made perhaps the biggest play of the game, intercepting a deflected pass from Brown for his fifth career pick.
The Knights put the ball in Watson’s hands again as the junior transfer continued to carry the rushing load, driving deep into Georgia State territory before Stone settled for a 24-yard field goal.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram at @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
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