In the AP Top 25 for the first time since Week 13 of the 2022 season, and the first time with head coach Scott Satterfield, the No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats can clinch bowl eligibility with a win at Oklahoma State Saturday night.
Cincinnati (5-1, 3-0 Big 12) has won five straight games, including a 20-11 win over Central Florida last week. It’s Cincinnati’s longest winning streak since winning six straight games in 2022.
“We have something to prove each and every time we step on the field,” Satterfield said. “What we did in the past doesn’t matter this week. We have to stay in the moment. Every time you step on the field you have something to prove. We have great leaders in guys like Dontay Corleone, Gavin Gerhardt, Joe Royer and Brendan Sorsby.”
Bearcats quarterback Sorsby continues to be not only one of the Big 12’s and country’s most prolific quarterbacks, but he’s also one of the most efficient. He has just one turnover all season, an interception back in a Week 1 loss to Nebraska.
A two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week this season, Sorsby has 1,448 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns through six games, while leading the conference with an 84.1 quarterback rating. In addition, Sorsby has rushed for 327 yards and five touchdowns.
“Football is pretty much everybody in this organization’s life, so you have to take care of it,” Sorsby said. “Us taking care of the ball has been a huge part of our success, so we just have to continue to do that.”
Sorsby is aided by a strong Bearcats’ running game, a unit that ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 190.2 rushing yards per game. The Bearcats lead the Big 12 and are fifth in the country with 6.23 yards per carry.
Oklahoma State (1-5, 0-3 Big 12) has already experienced a head coaching change this season when Mike Gundy was fired three games into the season. In his place is interim head coach and offensive coordinator Doug Meacham.
The Cowboys are 0-3 since the head coaching change, and they are still last in the Big 12 in total offense and total defense. Starting quarterback Hauss Hejny broke his foot in the season-opener, and his status is up in the air for Saturday night. If he can’t go, either Zane Flores or Sam Jackson is likely to start.
“[Our goal is to] compete, man,” defensive lineman Aden Kelley said. “I think that’s the biggest deal. Things don’t always go your way. That’s a part of life. However, we’ve just got to come together and keep working, keep putting our best foot forward and find a way to execute.”
Saturday is homecoming at Oklahoma State, an event referred to as “America’s Greatest Homecoming.”
“We got a lot of reminiscing, bringing your kids up, trying to relive the time from when you were here before,” Meacham said. “Hopefully, we can give those guys something to be proud of and something they enjoy. So, we’ll forge ahead and keep working.”
Saturday’s game is the fifth meeting all-time between Cincinnati and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys lead the series 3-1, including a 45-13 win in Stillwater in October 2023.
