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Takeaways from Cincinnati Bearcats football at Kansas State Saturday night

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Takeaways from Cincinnati Bearcats football at Kansas State Saturday night

The night game record is now at 0-4 and the season record is below .500 for the first time as the Kansas State Wildcats mowed down the Cincinnati Bearcats on Senior Night in Manhattan, 41-15.

It was the most lopsided loss of the year and the second loss of the season where they gave up 40 or more points. The first was at Texas Tech 44-41. Last season the Bearcats gave up 40-plus points three times.

Kansas State junior D.J. Giddens went over 100 yards for the seventh time and found the purple end zone twice. He finished with 143 yards while quarterback Avery Johnson was 13-for-23 for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns with 72 rushing yards and a score. Johnson watched the last five minutes in celebration from the sideline.

“Tonight was Senior Night and they really came out and played inspired football and really put it on us,” UC head coach Scott Satterfield said. “It was not our night tonight. We did not do a good job in stopping the run. Their running back is an outstanding player. If you can’t slow the running game down, it’s going to be a long night and that’s what it was in the first half.”

Wildcats punch Bearcats in mouth early

The tone of the game was set in the first quarter when UC went three-and-out on its opening possession. Kansas State’s Johnson had 54 yards in his first series, the last 21 of which went for the game’s first touchdown.

By halftime, it was 27-3, just the second time UC had trailed at the break all year. It was the most points the Bearcats had allowed in a half surpassing the 24 scored by Colorado and Texas Tech. Those also came on the road at night.

Kansas State crowded the box to stop UC’s run game and was pretty effective early. Six minutes into the second quarter, the Bearcats had only rushed for four yards. Corey Kiner was eventually able to kick it in gear and finished with 140 yards.

Still, UC was outrushed 281-174 and outgained 428-374 on the night. They have now lost four straight.

UC drops to 5-6 (3-5 Big 12) with Kansas State advancing to 8-3 (5-3 Big 12). The Bearcats will have a puncher’s chance at a bowl game vs. TCU at Nippert Stadium next Saturday. Kansas State heads to Ames for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Takeaways from Saturday night’s Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Kansas State game

Pre-halftime horrors continue

It wasn’t as catastrophic as some have been, but UC was down 20-3 with 54 seconds to go before the half with the ball. On third down, Sorsby tried to flip the ball to Kiner needing 18 yards for a first down. Instead, the ball went into the mitts of Brendan Mott who returned it to the UC 6-yard line. Johnson then hit Tre Spivey and just like that, the Kansas State lead was 27-3.

UC has either missed field goals or other scoring opportunities in seven of their games right before halftime (Pitt, Miami University, Texas Tech, UCF, Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa State).

Yes, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson can run

Even with Kansas State coach Chris Klieman saying he wanted to turn his quarterback loose to run, UC couldn’t stop the swift Johnson who had 54 rushing yards in the opening series and rambled 21 to get the Wildcats on the board first. Johnson gave way to D.J. Giddens for the running glory from there, but the opening series was a kick in the pants as the Kansas State intentions were far from a mystery.

“They had a great scheme and plan for us and did a great job,” senior Derrick Canteen said. “They brought a physical mindset from start to finish.”

Did UC’s passing game improve?

Though the Bearcats ran effectively at Iowa State, the Cyclones’ 3-3-5 defense plus the UC game plan only equated to 66 yards through the air. Against the Kansas State 3-3-5, they were forced to pass more as the Wildcats bottled up the UC run game in the early going as if they knew the plays.

Sorsby finally got the Bearcats in the end zone on a 9-yard pass to Tony Johnson with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter. Johnson was obviously a primary target on the night as he caught another touchdown late in the game and had eight catches, matching his season-high at UCF.

Conversely, it was difficult to spot 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end Joe Royer. No. 11 didn’t catch pass number one until early in the fourth quarter.

Sorsby finished the night 21-for-39 passing for 200 yards and was relieved by Brady Lichtenberg in the final minutes with the Bearcats down 26. Kansas State had four sacks, but three came late with the line not protecting Lichtenberg.

Corey Kiner ground update

The senior came into the game needing 97 yards for his second consecutive 1,000-plus-yard season. Initially, Kiner was being stopped, but the competitor was eventually able to find some holes. He surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold late in the fourth quarter. Kiner finished with 140 yards on 15 carries for an average of 9.3 yards per tote.

The last Bearcat to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons was Michael Warren in 2018 and 2019. Warren has maintained a relationship with Kiner dating back to when Luke Fickell’s UC team recruited him from Roger Bacon. Kiner went to LSU for one season, then transferred to UC for his sophomore year.

“It feels good but I’d rather get the win for the team,” Kiner said. “These guys work really hard. These guys beside me and these coaches work really hard. It’s tough not getting the win for them.”

One more from Nippert Stadium

The Bearcats return home Saturday, Nov. 30 to host TCU in the season finale and Senior Night. Early Sunday morning, word arrived that the kickoff would be at 6 p.m. on ESPN +. It is essentially win or go home. When asked about the leaders Dontay Corleone, Luke Kandra, Corey Kiner, etc. returning but not having success, Satterfield bristled and said the guys have enjoyed their time together.

“That’s why next week’s a big game for us to send these Seniors out that have seen everything, from being in the ‘final four’ to us into Big 12,” he said. “These guys have been around and seen a lot.”

Kiner claims the team is still on the same page with a goal yet ahead.

“Everyone’s motivated, especially the seniors,” he said. “It’s Senior Day. We need that win. We’re trying to send the seniors out right. The underclassmen understand that. The older guys understand that. Everybody understands that. We’ve got a never-back-down mentality.”

There have been no “Nipp at night” experiences for fans, so maybe the Bearcats can break their nocturnal skid at home. TCU went to 7-4 Saturday with a 49-28 win over Arizona.

“You can’t cut corners this last week,” receiver Johnson said. “You’ve got to go out there and lay it all on the line.”

West Virginia also joined the Big 12 bowl group Saturday with a 31-21 win over UCF to go to 6-5. Kansas and UC both need a win to play again. The difference is the Jayhawks were 2-5 a month ago and the Bearcats were 5-2.

For perspective, former coach Luke Fickell is also 5-6 after Wisconsin was plowed by Nebraska 44-25.

Award-winning Dan Hoard

Already a James P. Kelly Athletic Hall of Fame member, Cincinnati Bearcats announcer Dan Hoard was honored this past week at his alma mater, Syracuse. A Newhouse School of Public Communications graduate the Bearcats play-by-play man was given the school’s Marty Glickman Award for Leadership in Sports Media. The four-time Ohio Sportscaster of the Year is in his 25th year calling UC football and is the lone broadcaster in the country calling NFL (Bengals) and college football. Hoard called the UC/Kansas State game Saturday and had a light weekend with the Bengals having a bye. Mo Egger called the afternoon’s UC/Georgia Tech basketball game.

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