CINCINNATI – Senior wide receiver Cyrus Allen scored three first-half touchdowns and star quarterback Brendan Sorsby accounted for four total touchdowns to lead the No. 24-ranked Cincinnati football team to a 49-17 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Bearcats improved to 6-1 overall to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2022 and 15th time in 20 years. Cincinnati also remained undefeated, 4-0, in the Big 12 and tied with BYU (4-0) for first place in the league.
Despite bringing a 1-5 record and playing with interim head coach Doug Meacham, Oklahoma State played inspired football for its annual homecoming contest in front of 46,901 fans.
Still, Sorsby led a red-hot offense in the first half, as Cincinnati scored on all four of its drives before halftime, including two touchdown throws to Allen, an option pitch to the senior receiver and a scoring toss to senior tight end Joe Royer.
The Bearcats punted on their first two possessions of the third quarter, but Sorsby completed a 38-yard pass to senior receiver Jeff Caldwell on third-and-16 on the first play of the fourth quarter to set up his own 1-yard touchdown to make the score 35-17 with a little more than 13 minutes left.
Oklahoma State drove down to the Cincinnati 14-yard line, but cornerback Matthew McDoom had a 100-yard pick-six – the longest interception in school history and first pick of the season for the Bearcats – to seal the game.
Two plays after that, Oklahoma State quarterback Sam Jackson V fumbled, and it was recovered by Logan Wilson. Manny Covey then rushed nine yards for his first touchdown of the season two plays later for a 49-17 lead with 4:39 left.
