5 reactions/overreactions from Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 road loss at Texas Tech

Saturday marked the first night football game of the 2024 season for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. It was also their first road loss of the season as they came up three points shy of a 44-41 loss to Texas Tech in a Big 12 game in Lubbock.

The Bearcats had one final possession with 1:52 left in which a touchdown would win or a field goal would tie the game. After strange circumstances, they prepared for a 51-yard field goal that missed just as time expired.

The Cincinnati Bearcats coach doesn’t mince words about the late 10-second run-off

When quarterback Brendan Sorsby slipped at the end of a run and two defenders rushed in headfirst, the first call was “targeting.” The play was reviewed and reversed with the flag raised, costing UC a controversial 10-second runoff. If there was no flag, he would have been down under college rules and the clock would keep running. No one will know whether the flag would have helped UC.

“He calls the penalty, they end up taking it, and still we get a 10-second penalty,” UC coach Scott Satterfield said. “We made a fool of ourselves no matter how you look at it. At the end you would like a little more time because I thought we had an opportunity to get down and probably get it in the end zone.”

So is the Bearcats’ glass half empty or half full when UC is 3-2 (1-1 Big 12) with seven league games left to play?

5 Reactions/Overreactions to a nail-biting Cincinnati Bearcats loss at Texas Tech

1. How do you shut out a team for a week and then give up a season high of 44 points?

reaction: Maybe the shutout against Houston wasn’t quite as good as Iowa State also beat the Cougars 20-0 on Saturday.

Overreaction: The 3-3-5 was carved like a Texas brisket. That’s not entirely inaccurate, but the Bearcats forced a few field goals in the game and got the ball back on offense for one last attempt. The defense lost Cam Roetherford early and was constantly shorthanded due to injuries, including the loss of two potential starters before the season as well as Dontay Corleone’s health issues over the summer.

Corleone remains optimistic about the 2024 Bearcats.

“We kept fighting and the offense kept cheering us on, even though we kept giving up big plays,” Corleone said. “That’s why our team is so tight-knit this year and I’m really enjoying that.”

Corleone told Sorsby after the game to keep his head up and “The Godfather” sees him as the leader of the team.

“He’s going to take us a long way this season,” Corleone said. “Just his leadership and his presence in our offense will help us.”

2. Without Corey Kiner, UC struggles to run the football

Reaction: Evan Pryor ran for 46 yards, but 36 were on one play. Manny Covey and Victor Dawson were also ineffective, while Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks rumbled for 172 yards.

Overreaction: The Bearcats became one-dimensional. That’s partially true, but they found a way to get Covey to the ball with short passes, and he kept UC in the game with his first two college scores. Another defenseman, Chance Williams, was also sidelined with an injury and Pryor had hamstring problems. Senior associate AD Aaron Himmler’s practice squad will have a busy week ahead.

“It was one of our worst rushing offenses (games),” guard Luke Kandra said. “We just couldn’t get it done. We need to watch the film to correct our mistakes and move on.”

UC only topped 200 yards rushing in the opening game against Towson and the Miami RedHawks game.

3. Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby is elite

Reaction: He beat his best runner and kept UC in the game. He set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns with 426 and four yards, respectively. Due to a thumb injury on his non-throwing hand, he played with a glove and also ran for 52 yards. He led Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton in everything but scoring.

Overreaction: His interception returned for a touchdown made the difference in the game. Sorsby admitted after the game, but Satterfield took the blame for the play call. It was Sorsby’s first interception of the season and first in 148 throws.

“Regardless of whether the defense stops them or not, the mindset is we have to score, we have to put points on the board,” Sorsby said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job lately. I threw one to the defense and that’s never good. I’ll take it.”

4. UC’s missed field goals made the difference

Reaction: Nathan Hawks missed a 42-yarder that would have given the Bearcats a 27-24 halftime lead. Then his 51-yard attempt at the end of the game went right wide.

Overreaction: Are you reopening the kicking competition? Carter Brown also missed twice in the first two games. It was Hawks’ first missed shots in college, and he converted two shorter kicks. In the aftermath, Satterfield seemed unwilling to change anything.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats football needs to find ways to close out close games

Reaction: The fourth quarter disaster against Pitt is now looming, as the fan base would be less skeptical if the score was 4-1 than if it were 3-2.

Overreaction: Here we go again. Last season there were several games with one point or fewer. Nobody wants to see 3-9 again and most will tell you this team is better. Injuries played a big role as UC lost three running backs, two starting receivers and another defensive lineman by the end of the game. The schedule remains the same despite all of the team’s shortcomings.

“Anytime you lose a game like this, it’s easy to start pointing fingers,” Satterfield said. “We don’t have time for that. We have to keep cheering each other on in the locker room. We have great leadership on this team. We have to go into that training room and try to get healthy. The healthiest guys will go to Orlando (for UCF).

The Bearcats won’t lose this week

They have a much-needed bye before facing UCF on October 12th. Shadeur Sanders threw three touchdowns at UCF as Colorado beat the Knights 48-21 on Saturday. At 3-1, UCF travels to Gainesville next weekend to face Florida before hosting the Bearcats. DraftKings’ early lineup on Sunday favored the Gators with an advantage.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 5 thoughts on the Cincinnati Bearcats’ loss at Texas Tech in the Big 12