<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=29o8pV_0wD7hbVs00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=29o8pV_0wD7hbVs00" width="720" height="480" ><figcaption>The Knights will be traveling following their loss to Cincinnati to face No. 9 Iowa State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium. Keira Gilmore</figcaption></figure>UCF will make its longest road trip of the season so far, as the Knights are set to take on No. 9 Iowa State at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Ames, Iowa.UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) is coming off a 19-13 loss to Cincinnati where fifth-year quarterback KJ Jefferson was benched. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn decided to start freshman EJ Colson in his place, but he was replaced shortly into the game by redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown.Malzahn said at a press conference Monday that the Knights are still deciding who will be the starter in Ames. He said he was impressed with what he saw from Brown in last week’s game and he will take the first-team reps in practice.“We’re still working through it, but he’ll [Brown] be the first to take snaps with the first team tomorrow,” Malzahn said. “We’ll see how that goes moving forward, but I was real pleased with the way he responded. The moment wasn’t too big for him.”Redshirt junior running back Myles Montgomery was back on the field after missing the game against Florida due to a lower-body injury. He said at a press conference it’s not just the running game that has to be successful. He also said that UCF will also have to be able to pass the ball as well to avoid being one dimensional.“I feel like the passing game and the running game have to be equally as successful,” Montgomery said. “You want to be balanced. You don’t want to be a one-trick pony because they are just going to take one away, and they are going to know what’s going to happen next.”In order to avoid being a “one-trick pony,” UCF will need wide receivers other than fifth-year wide receiver Kobe Hudson to step up to compete against an Iowa State passing defense that ranks fifth in the country in terms of yards allowed. Hudson has accounted for 477 of UCF’s 1,235 total receiving yards this season.“Best case for us is other people get involved, there’s no doubt,” Malzahn said. “To be more balanced and all that so we’ll keep working towards that, you know, pushing the ball down the field and giving our guys opportunities down the field.”It is not only the Cyclones’ defense that will prove to be a challenge for the Knights. UCF went 2-4 on the road last year and is 1-1 in away games this season. A hostile road environment can be challenging for some, but redshirt junior defensive end Malachi Lawrence said he enjoys everything that comes with it.“It’s nice to see a new environment,” Lawrence said. “It’s a blessing, too. Also, the fans are pretty funny, and then on defense, it’s not as loud because the offense is on the field.”Something that will need to carry over from the Knights’ previous game is their ability to put pressure on the quarterback. Against Cincinnati, UCF tied its season-high sack total with two. Malzahn said putting pressure on the quarterback is something that will have to continue.“It helped with the turnovers,” Malzahn said. “Both of those turnovers helped with the pressure, they go together. Our guys did a good job of getting to them. We’re going to have to do the same thing.”Iowa State is red hot as it is currently on a six-game winning streak, which has vaulted the Cyclones to being the number nine ranked team in the AP poll. As UCF sits in 11th place in the Big 12 standings, a win would get the Knights back on track for what Malzahn is calling “the second half of the season.”“We need to win football games,” Malzahn said. “Obviously this week, we’re playing one of the better teams in college football, one of the hottest teams on their home field, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”</div></body>

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UCF looks to get back on track with uncertainty at the quarterback position

UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) is coming off a 19-13 loss to Cincinnati where fifth-year quarterback KJ Jefferson was benched. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn decided to start freshman EJ Colson in his place, but he was replaced shortly into the game by redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown. Malzahn said at...