UCF Must Get Passing Game Clicking Ahead of Oklahoma State

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UCF suffered a heartbreaking defeat on Saturday against the Houston Cougars, squandering a 17-0 second-half lead, and falling to 3-2 (1-1 Big 12).

It was a great start to the game for the Knights' offense, with backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins picking up where he left off from last week's historic performance.

But, with UCF's terrible quarterback luck popping up once again, Jenkins would exit the game in the third quarter with cramping, opening the door for a Cougars comeback.

Jenkins would eventually return, but Houston had already begun mounting a run, and third-string quarterback Kaleb Annett was unable to lead the offense down the field.

Thus far, UCF is among the Power 4's lowest when it comes to receiving yards, with the Knights accumulating just 891 to this point.

This is tied with Duke for No. 61 among the Power 4 schools, and is just 68 yards more than Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith has recorded by himself (823).

On Monday, head coach Scott Frost was asked about what needs to be done for his receivers to gain more separation on the outside.

"You guys keep talking about them like there are issues…" Frost said. "I think we’re playing pretty well."

Frost went on to say that of course, he would like to see the ball get pushed downfield more often, but acknowledged that sometimes the short completion is the right decision.

For Jenkins, who has filled in nicely during starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III's missed time, efficiency has not been a problem.

But, the former FIU standout has been very conservative, and is yet to test opposing defenses down the field.

Heading into another ranked matchup against No. 18 Oklahoma State, the Knights' offense will need to produce points to keep up with the Cowboys' prolific passing attack.

After losing a shocking Week 1 matchup to Tulsa, the Cowboys have knocked off Oregon, Murray State, and West Virginia, while averaging over 46 points per game.

Starting quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who entered the season as a dark-horse Heisman candidate, is beginning to produce like one.

In the Cowboys' three-game winning streak, Mestemaker has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in each appearance.

Against Oregon, who was ranked No. 6 at the time, Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and two scores, while rushing for an additional 109 yards and a touchdown.

Being able to keep up with this level of offensive production will be crucial to keeping the Knights within striking distance on Saturday.

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