5 reactions/overreactions from Cincinnati Bearcats football game at Iowa State Saturday

AMES, Iowa – The first University of Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 football game at Jack Trice Stadium was far from a pleasant experience. Iowa State came from behind in the first half, then outplayed UC in the second half to win going away, 34-17.

UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby had pulled the Bearcats within three points, 20-17, with a 41-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run, but Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht engineered a pair of late scoring drives in the game’s final four minutes. Just like that, a three-point game disintegrated.

Tensions were high afterward based on the vocal displeasure that could be heard from outside of the locker room. It’s understandable, as a three-game losing streak has the Bearcats at .500 on the season after they were 5-2 a month ago. Again, the late loss to Pitt in Week 2 haunts UC’s bowl possibilities with the Bearcats still needing one more victory to qualify.

Both teams had under their normal total offense figures (439 average for both coming into the game). Iowa State outgained UC 387-353, but the Bearcats outrushed the Cyclones by 135 yards. At night’s end, Iowa State led in the most important category: points. That leads to another week for UC coaches to try to get the team bowl-eligible. They have two more opportunities: at 7-3 Kansas State and then at home with 6-4 TCU.

5 reactions/overreaction to another Saturday night Big 12 loss

1. One-dimensional offense for UC in recent weeks

REACTION: The downfield throwing game has all but disappeared. Brendan Sorsby’s 141 rushing yards were fun to watch, but the 66 passing yards featured just two completions to tight end Joe Royer and one to top receiver Xzavier Henderson.

OVERREACTION: Sorsby can’t throw. That wouldn’t quite be fair, as he spent most of the early season as one of the top NCAA passers statistically. The defenses have dropped back in the last two games.

“If you’re dropping eight (players) and everyone’s in the defensive backfield, there’s nowhere to throw it,” UC coach Scott Satterfield said. “They’ve struggled stopping the run. You have to take what they give you. You don’t want to force the ball and have another turnover.”

After three turnovers vs. West Virginia, Sorsby was clean until he fumbled midway through the third quarter at the Iowa State 13-yard line. The fumble was forced by Hamilton High School product Malik Verdon of the Cyclones.

2. A record-setting night for UC for the wrong reason

REACTION: The Bearcats were penalized 13 times, four more than their previous high of nine at Colorado. Several were on false starts which caused great angst post-game.

“We can’t do that if we want to win football games,” center Gavin Gerhardt said. “All five of us know that, Four of us had a false start and that’s unacceptable.”

OVERREACTION: They’ve played in loud venues before. What gives? As it turns out, some defensive gamesmanship coaxed UC into some of those flags. UC’s offense goes on Sorsby’s clap. According to Satterfield, Iowa State was mimicking a clap by slapping the pads of their nose guard.

“A noise that sounds like a clap makes your guy jump offside,” he said. “That’s illegal. Sometimes it’s hard to tell. The last one we got they smacked the defensive tackle to move him over. When they smack him, what does that sound like?”

After a week of preaching poise and patience, the Bearcats were undisciplined and repeatedly flagged.

3. Nothing special on special teams

REACTION: Mason Fletcher had a rough night. No argument there. He had a 56-yard punt but a 37.3 average. That’s because a bad snap forced him to quickly recover and get off a 24-yarder. The most costly was a kick before halftime that bounced backward and went recorded as an 18-yard punt. That gave Iowa State field position at the UC 38-yard line before halftime and they were able to kick a field goal to tie the game at 10.

OVERREACTION: Boot the punter. Satterfield said Mason Fletcher was healthy after making a hard tackle the week before against West Virginia. On the other hand, you would go from one Fletcher to another as Max Fletcher is waiting in the wings. Max Fletcher actually averaged over 46 yards per punt last season at Arkansas, about three yards better than Mason.

“The punt team was horrendous tonight,” Satterfield said. “The field position the last two games is unacceptable.”

He also wasn’t happy that Iowa State’s Stevo Klotz scampered away on a fake punt call. There could be some personnel changes by next weekend on special teams, but it seems like he would stick with Mason Fletcher for now.

4. Another pre-halftime Cincinnati Bearcats blunder

REACTION: Why so many late second-quarter miscues? That would be a solid question and the Fletcher 18-yard punt was the latest after the Bearcats failed to aggressively move the football when they had it in the final minutes of the half. Iowa State took the 10-10 halftime tie and momentum shifted. To date, 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).

OVERREACTION: That’s just football. That’s a common reply and probably an under-reaction. Too many instances become a trend.

5. Yogi Berra’s philosophy still lives

REACTION: “It ain’t over, ’til it’s over,” the Yankee Hall of Famer was known to say. If you look at the Big 12, that might be true. Saturday night, BYU suffered its first defeat losing to Kansas which has now knocked off the Cougars and Iowa State in consecutive weeks. Arizona State, a team UC beat 24-14, went to No. 16 Kansas State and beat them. Kenny Dillingham’s Wildcats are 8-2 with one of those losses coming at Nippert Stadium. West Virginia, gifted a win by UC, is still looking to get bowl-eligible as Baylor beat them in Morgantown. Eight Big 12 teams have qualified for bowl games with the Bearcats and Mountaineers both one win away

OVERREACTION: It’s over. (Please read the above paragraph.)

Road ahead for Cincinnati Bearcats

UC has another tough task Saturday, Nov. 23 when they travel to Manhattan, Kansas for the Kansas State Wildcats. UC hasn’t had a win in that series since 1966. The teams last played in 1995 and 1996. UC lost a heartbreaker to Kansas State 23-21 at Nippert in ’95, then Rick Minter’s squad was taken to task by Bill Snyder’s Wildcats 35-0 in Manhattan the following year.

Worse yet, just as Iowa State lost the week before their game against UC, Kansas State was defeated at home by Arizona State 24-14 Saturday, fueling their fire for the Bearcats.