AP PHOTO - Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht reacts after punching in the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of Saturday’s Big 12 Conference football game against UCF at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames.

AMES — Rocco Becht scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard sneak with 30 seconds left, and Jontez Williams intercepted Jacurri Brown’s last pass to secure No. 9 Iowa State’s 38-35 comeback victory over UCF and allow the Cyclones to avoid a major upset Saturday night.

“I was just doing my job,” said Williams, who has had an interception in four straight games. “The ball has just been coming to me and I’ve been making the play.”

The Cyclones (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) have matched the 1938 ISU team for best start in program history, and they have won four straight conference games for the first time.

UCF (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) lost its fourth straight after leading by two touchdowns early in the third quarter and rushing for 354 yards — a season-high 196 by RJ Harvey and 154 by Brown.

“They’ve got great players with two phenomenal athletes,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said. “This was the most athletically talented team we’ve played this year.”

Becht completed a season-low 43% of his passes (20 of 46) and threw two interceptions, the first one returned for a touchdown and the second nearly a pick-six, but he ran a career-high 20 times for 97 yards.

Harvey’s 1-yard run put UCF up 35-27 with 11 minutes left after Braeden Marshall picked off Becht’s pass and ran it back 70 yards before dropping the ball just short of the goal line.

Kyle Konrardy’s 30-yard field goal got the Cyclones within five points, and after Iowa State forced two punts, Becht got the ball back with 1:48 left.

He teamed up with Jaylin Noel for two key passes and scrambled for a first down before a pass interference penalty set up the Cyclones at the UCF 4. Becht ran for 3 yards before bulling his way into the end zone for the winning touchdown.

“The precision and detail was there on that drive and we executed it well,” Becht said.

The Takeaway

UCF: The Knights ran for the most yards against the Cyclones since Matt Campbell’s first team gave up 469 yards to Baylor in 2016.

Iowa State: The Cyclones have had the Big 12’s best defense but has struggled stopping the run.

Poll Implications

Iowa State should hold steady in the Top 25, if not move up a bit.

Up Next

UCF: hosts No. 13 BYU next Saturday.

Iowa State: hosts Texas Tech on Nov. 2 following an open date.

No. 9 Iowa St. 38, UCF 35

UCF 7 14 7 7 — 35

Iowa St. 14 0 13 11 — 38

First Quarter

UCF–J.Brown 6 run (Reddick kick), 12:17.

ISU–Hansen 57 run (Konrardy kick), 6:57.

ISU–Hansen 5 run (Konrardy kick), :30.

Second Quarter

UCF–Harvey 80 run (Reddick kick), 11:01.

UCF–Adams 63 interception return (Reddick kick), 1:18.

Third Quarter

UCF–J.Brown 67 run (Reddick kick), 13:33.

ISU–Becht 1 run (Konrardy kick), 8:36.

ISU–J.Higgins 12 pass from Becht (kick blocked), :51.

Fourth Quarter

UCF–Harvey 1 run (Reddick kick), 11:38.

ISU–FG Konrardy 30, 8:53.

ISU–Becht 1 run (Becht run), :30.

A–61,500.

TEAM STATISTICS

UCF ISU

First downs 14 28

Total Net Yards 416 530

Rushes-yards 39-354 49-256

Passing 62 274

Comp-Att-Int 8-20-2 20-47-2

Punts 9-45.2 8-48.9

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0

Penalties-Yards 7-44 2-10

Time of Possession 22:32 37:28

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING–UCF, Harvey 25-196, Brown 13-154, Montgomery 1-4. Iowa St., Becht 20-97, Hansen 9-91, Sama 10-55, J.Jackson 8-15.

PASSING–UCF, Brown 8-20-2-62. Iowa St., Becht 20-46-2-274.

RECEIVING–UCF, Ko.Hudson 3-26, Ja.Johnson 3-16, Pittman 2-20. Iowa St., Noel 8-153, Higgins 6-58, Sama 2-34, Brahmer 2-19, Brown 1-8, Moore 1-2.