UCF Knights wide receiver Caden Piening caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alonza Barnett III with three seconds left to lift UCF over the Kansas Jayhawks 33-32 on Saturday in Lawrence.
The winning score capped a 10-play, 73-yard drive that reached the 6-yard line in just under one minute. Officials upheld the touchdown after replay review, confirming Piening secured the ball at the left pylon.
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UCF built a 19-point lead early in the third quarter. Kansas responded with 25 unanswered points and took the lead at the 1:06 mark.
Kansas punted on its first possession but regained the ball on UCF’s first play from scrimmage, when a defender intercepted the Knights’ quarterback and returned it to the 3-yard line. Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall scored on a 1-yard run for Kansas’ first touchdown.
UCF held Kansas to 61 yards of total offense in the first half and led 12-7 at halftime. The Knights’ second-quarter touchdown came on fourth-and-1, when linebacker Duane Thomas Jr. rushed 10 yards for a score.
In the third quarter, UCF extended its advantage with a 1-yard run by running back Taevion Swint and a 44-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Josh Derry, who finished with 143 receiving yards — the game high.
The win ended UCF’s 12-game road losing streak. The Knights host Arizona State next Saturday. Kansas visits West Virginia next Saturday.
More: NCAAF · Kansas Jayhawks · UCF Knights
