ORLANDO (Interstat) — Keyone Jenkins rushed for two touchdowns and Duke Watson broke loose for two more as UCF beat visiting Georgia State 44-30 on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game at Acrisure Bounce House. The Knights improved to 2-1, and the Panthers also moved to 2-1.

UCF leaned on a balanced rushing attack to survive a back-and-forth contest. Watson finished with 14 carries for 177 yards and two scores, including a 63-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He also caught one pass for minus-1 yard. Jenkins added 25 rushing yards on eight attempts and two short scoring runs, one from 4 yards and another from 3 yards. Jenkins also completed 7 of 17 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions. Waden Charles caught three passes for 46 yards and a score.

Georgia State quarterback Cameran Brown kept the Panthers in the game with a heavy workload. Brown completed 30 of 47 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns and added 17 yards on 12 rushing attempts. His 6-yard touchdown pass to Rodshaun Dorsey gave the Panthers an answer in the second quarter. Q. Wiggins provided a spark with a 78-yard touchdown run. Samer Layous made field goals from 35 and 49 yards, and Georgia State moved the ball effectively for much of the afternoon.

The Knights opened the scoring when Watson ran 14 yards for a touchdown. Will Stone added a 29-yard field goal, and UCF later used a 40-yard field goal from Stone to keep pace. Georgia State responded through Brown and Wiggins, turning a double-digit deficit into a competitive game. The Panthers scored 17 points in the first quarter, while UCF answered with 14 in the second and 10 in the third.

Defense tilted the game in UCF’s favor. Demari Henderson recorded seven tackles and two interceptions, and Tackett Curtis finished with 10 tackles and one interception. Their takeaways repeatedly stalled Georgia State drives and gave the Knights short fields. Lewis Carter added nine tackles, Jayden Williams had six, and Braeden Marshall made five. Sincere Edwards and Isaiah Nixon each recorded a sack, with Nixon also adding two quarterback hurries. Horace Lockett and Caleb Flagg each finished with four tackles. Aymeric Koumba added two tackles and a quarterback hurry, while Jeffson Lafontant had a tackle and a quarterback hurry. Jayden Jennings, Ty Bartrum, Thomas Collins, Kahmel Johnson, Rashad Henry, DJ Bell, Brad Gurley Jr., and Jahleel Culbreath also recorded tackles for UCF. Ken Talley and Jayden Bellamy each finished with two stops.

Georgia State’s defense kept the Panthers within striking distance into the fourth quarter. Jaydon Hood made 13 tackles, and Coby Owens added seven. Tre Mittman and Deuce Lee each recorded four tackles. Donovan Faria had three tackles and an interception. Derrick Avery Jr. contributed a tackle and a reception. The Panthers also got a 27-yard catch from Avion McBride and a 29-yard reception from Savion Hart. Grant Hollier caught five passes for 29 yards, and Kyle Washington added three catches for 23 yards. Keron Milton had two catches for 27 yards, and Wesley Campbell VI added a 2-yard reception. AJ Vaughns also made a tackle.

UCF’s special teams and return game provided additional field position. Taevion Swint returned three kickoffs for 88 yards and ran nine times for 40 yards. Landen Chambers added nine carries for 62 yards. Antione Jackson returned a punt 55 yards, setting up scoring chances. Atticus Bertrams punted three times for 151 yards. Agyeman Addae returned a kickoff 18 yards. Waden Charles led the Knights’ receivers with three catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. Josh Derry added two receptions for 24 yards, and Ric’Darious Farmer had one catch for 17 yards. Dylan Wade also contributed a tackle. The Knights also got tackles from Dylan Wade, Ken Talley, Jayden Bellamy, and several other defenders.

The game remained tight into the third quarter. Watson’s 63-yard touchdown run pulled UCF closer, and Layous answered with a 35-yard field goal for Georgia State. Jenkins then scored on a 4-yard run with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter, tying the game. Stone gave UCF the lead with a 24-yard field goal in the fourth. Layous cut the margin with a 49-yard field goal, but Jenkins answered with a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:24 left. UCF added another late score to complete the 44-30 final.

Georgia State’s Brown finished with a strong statistical line despite the loss. He spread the ball to multiple receivers and kept plays alive with his legs. The Panthers had entered the game after wins over North Carolina A&T and Kennesaw State, and they will next host Northern Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 26. UCF had lost at Pittsburgh before returning home, and the Knights will next host Texas Christian on Saturday, Sept. 26.

UCF’s win came in a game that featured plenty of offense but also critical defensive plays. The Knights scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to pull away, while the Panthers managed seven in the final period. The result left both teams at 2-1 as they moved into the next week of the season. Georgia State will continue its schedule against Old Dominion, James Madison, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Marshall and Louisiana. UCF will face Houston, Oklahoma State, BYU, Baylor, Kansas, Arizona State, Iowa State and Colorado after its meeting with Texas Christian.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of UCF 42, Georgia State 29, and its ELO system gave UCF a 91.5 percent probability to win. Georgia State had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-17.5. The total score of 74 went under the over/under line of 50.5.