No. 17/16 Cincinnati Takes Seven-Recreation Successful Streak Out West to No. 24 Utah – College of Cincinnati Athletics

CINCINNATI – No. 17/16 Cincinnati will head west with a seven-game profitable streak when it visits No. 24 Utah this Saturday, Nov. 1.

The Bearcats and Utes will kick off at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN from Rice-Eccles Stadium, and the sport will likely be televised on ESPN.

The ranked matchup will likely be one of many important faculty soccer sights this weekend, as ESPN’s College GameDay will likely be in attendance. It’s the third time in program historical past that Cincinnati will likely be on College GameDay and the primary time since 2021.

The 2021 look got here throughout UC’s historic College Football Playoff season. Ranked No. 6 within the nation and driving an eight-game profitable streak, the Bearcats hosted Tulsa and got here away with an exciting 28-20 victory. They wanted to make three consecutive stops on the one-yard line to maintain Tulsa out of the tip zone late within the fourth quarter. On a fourth-and-one close to the tip of the sport, UC linebacker Darrian Beavers compelled a fumble that was recovered by Jabari Taylor to seal the win.

Cincinnati’s first look on College GameDay got here in 2018 when it visited No. 11 UCF, then within the midst of a 22-game profitable streak. The Knights would win that recreation, 38-13.

During their seven-game profitable streak, the Bearcats have risen into the Top 25 and positioned themselves atop the Big 12 standings. Their 5-0 ledger in league play places them in a tie with BYU for first place within the convention.

Cincinnati will host BYU in a large Big 12 showdown on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the UC offense ranks among the many nationwide leaders in yards per play (7.36, T-4^th), passing effectivity (175.38, 4^th), yards per carry (5.89, 8^th), and scoring (38.3 ppg, 13^th).

This previous weekend towards Baylor, the Bearcats’ protection turned in an excellent efficiency and shut down the nation’s prime passing assault. The Bears threw for simply 137 yards final Saturday, greater than 200 yards fewer than their common getting into the sport. Head coach Scott Satterfield was happy together with his group’s resilience towards a Baylor squad that may mild it up by means of the air.

“The big thing for us was we felt they may hit a few plays here and there, but let’s keep them out of the end zone,” Satterfield stated. “Early in the game, I thought we did a great job with that, right there at the end of the first half, they go and get a touchdown, and then get another one right at the beginning of the third quarter, and they started grabbing some momentum. They cut it to within seven points. I thought our team did a great job at that point of starting to make plays. We get the ball back, we go, and the offense goes and scores. We get the fumble, we score again. We responded in a great way at the end of that game to grab that momentum back when it could have gone the other way.”

The Bearcats might want to step up on protection once more vs. the Utes, who rank fifth nationally in speeding offense (267.1).

Utah is coming off a 53-7 dismantling of Colorado the place it rushed for a season-high 422 yards. That’s the sixth-most speeding yards in a recreation by any group within the nation this season, and simply the eighth 400-yard recreation by a group this 12 months.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

The recreation will likely be broadcast on ESPN and Dave Pasch (play-by-play) and Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) could have the decision and Taylor McGregor will likely be reporting from the sidelines. The recreation will likely be broadcast on radio through 700 WLW and SiriusXM Channel 385 with Dan Hoard (pxp) and Tony Pike (analyst) on the decision.

RED HOT CINCINNATI HEADS TO UTAH FOR RANKED BATTLE

• 17/16-ranked Cincinnati travels to No. 24/24-ranked Utah for a ten:15 p.m. ET on Saturday in a matchup at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The recreation will likely be televised on ESPN and the community’s College GameDay three-hour program will likely be reside from Salt Lake City, Utah.
• The final time Cincinnati performed a recreation at a College GameDay web site got here on Nov. 6, 2021 vs. Tulsa when the crew appeared in Queen City exterior of Nippert Stadium for the primary time ever. Cincinnati received 28-20.
• The Bearcats are coming off a 41-20 victory over Baylor during which the protection held the nation’s No. 1-passing offense to 137 yards by means of the air – greater than 200 yards off the Bears’ common (344 per recreation) getting into the competition. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby had a 23-yard landing rush and tossed two landing passes, together with Cyrus Allen’s Big-12-leading ninth scoring seize. Cincinnati rushed for a season-high 265 yards as senior working backs Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker each rushed for scores.
• The Bearcats have received seven straight for the primary time for the reason that 2021 College Football Playoff season during which UC completed 13-0 within the common season en path to the College Football Playoff Semifinals on the Cotton Bowl Classic.
• UC’s No. 17 (AP) and No. 16 (Coaches) rankings are additionally the very best for the reason that 2021 season.
• Saturday’s recreation will likely be Cincinnati’s thirteenth ranked vs. ranked matchup for the reason that 2018 season, and its first since 2022. UC holds a 5-7 in these 12 video games.
• Cincinnati will face Utah for the primary time at school historical past and journey to Salt Lake City for the primary time since battling BYU for a ten:15 p.m. ET kick on Sept. 29, 2023. UC will keep in the identical lodge it did for the BYU recreation in 2023.
• Utah’s two losses have come towards a pair of Big 12 heavyweights in Texas Tech and BYU. The Utes are coming off a 53-7 drubbing of Colorado the place they put up 587 yards of offense and a season-high 422 speeding yards.

CINCY BUILDING A RESUME

• UC ranks fourth within the nation in yards per play (7.36) and has confirmed to have essentially the most balanced offense within the nation, rating eighth nationally in yards per rush (6.05) and fourth in move effectivity (175.38). Cincinnati leads the nation in fourth down conversion share (.909) and fewest sacks allowed (2.0), and is tied for fourth in crimson zone offense (.971). The solely time the Bearcats have failed to attain as soon as moving into the crimson zone was on the finish of the Baylor recreation after they kneeled right down to run out the clock after attending to the 17-yard line. UC’s scoring protection (19.0) ranks No. 6 within the Big 12 and No. 28 within the nation. Cincinnati has solely turned the ball over 4 instances – fewest within the Big 12.
• Per ESPN, Cincinnati is the nation’s Fifteenth-most environment friendly group, together with the fourth-most environment friendly offense and the sixth-most environment friendly particular groups within the nation. The Bearcats have the nation’s Twenty second-best Strength of Record per ESPN.
• ESPN’s Football Power Index presently predicts the Bearcats to go 9-3 and provides them a 12.7% probability to win the Big 12 and a 13.7% probability of creating the College Football Playoff.

SORSBY IS RANKED AMONG NATION’S BEST QUARTERBACKS

• Brendan Sorsby, a Denton, Texas native, is the Big 12’s highest-rated QB by PFF (91.7) and Total QBR (84.8), rating second (behind OSU’s Sayin) and No. 7 nationally within the metrics, respectively. He has 27 whole TDs (20 passing, seven speeding) towards only one turnover, within the season opener vs. Nebraska. His 27 whole TDs are tied with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza for first within the nation.
• He is a two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, claiming the awards after the Northwestern State and Kansas video games.
• This season, he has a five-TD first quarter vs. Northwestern State, a game-winning come-from-behind TD drive on the street at Kansas, the nation’s highest single-game QBR (99.8, NW ST), two 300-yard passing video games and 6 three-total-TD video games.
• Sorsby ranks among the many Big 12 leaders in yards per completion (13.86, 2nd), yards per try (9.03, 2nd), passing effectivity (172.5, 2nd), whole offense (283.5, third), passing touchdowns (20, third), and completion share (65.2%, fifth). His passing effectivity can be the very best single-season determine for a beginning quarterback at school historical past.
• Sorsby leads the nation with 17 TD passes within the first half this season (two greater than Indiana’s Mendoza). He has zero turnovers and 1,136 passing yards with a 187.03 passer ranking earlier than halftime this season.
• Sorsby has carved up opposing defenses in Big 12 play this 12 months, connecting on 88-of-140 passes for 1,188 yards and 12 touchdowns with zero interceptions. He has additionally rushed for 3 scores in convention play.
• At dwelling in 2025: Sorsby has accomplished 70-of-106 passes for 1,102 yards and 14 TDs with no turnovers. He has added 264 yards on 37 carries (7.1 ypc) with 4 TDs on the bottom, as effectively.
• Two of Sorsby’s finest performances have come on the street within the Big 12 this 12 months. He threw for 388 yards and two TDs in a win at Kansas on Sept. 27, orchestrating a game-winning drive within the recreation’s last minutes. In Stillwater towards OSU, he threw for 284 yards and 4 touchdowns whereas speeding for one more.

NITTY GRITTY NUMBERS

• The present seven-game profitable streak is the twelfth streak of seven video games or longer in program historical past. It’s the longest profitable streak for the Bearcats since they received their first 13 video games of the 2021 season.
• Cincinnati has tied the Big 12 report with seven straight video games with two or extra passing touchdowns whereas permitting one or fewer sacks. UC is the fifth group to achieve that benchmark in league historical past and the primary to take action since TCU (2023-24).
• UC solely has 32 unfavourable performs on offense this season, fewest within the Big 12 and seventh fewest within the FBS. The Bearcats are averaging 3.60 factors per drive this season, third most within the FBS.
• Cincinnati is certainly one of two FBS groups (excluding Independents) to have the fewest sacks allowed and fewest giveaways inside its convention (Kennesaw State). The solely Big 12 groups to complete a season like which can be Kansas (2021) and Oklahoma (2008).
• The solely blemish on the Bearcats’ schedule to date was a 20-17 loss vs. Nebraska within the first recreation of the season. That makes UC the one one-loss Power Four group whose solely defeat got here away from dwelling by three factors or fewer.
• As good because the offense has been within the crimson zone, the protection has accomplished simply as positive of a job. UC ranks second within the Big 12 and No. 22 nationally in crimson zone protection (.769).
• Cincinnati has 4 full-time group captains: QB Brendan Sorsby, DL Dontay Corleone, OL Gavin Gerhardt, and CB Logan Wilson.
• UC’s roster boasts 21 gamers who joined this system through the switch portal this offseason, an inventory that features beginning extensive receivers Cyrus Allen, Jeff Caldwell, and Caleb Goodie; working again Tawee Walker; offensive linemen Joe Cotton and Taran Tyo; cornerback Matthew McDoom; security Christian Harrison; and kicker Stephen Rusnak.