By Cord Rankin

GAME NOTES

https://gobearcats.com/documents/2024/10/7/UC_Football_Game_Notes_at_UCF.pdf

CINCINNATI – Coming off a bye this past weekend and a loss at Texas Tech on Sept. 28, the University of Cincinnati football team heads to Orlando to face UCF this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at FBC Mortgage Stadium on ESPN2.

The Bearcats and Knights enter play Saturday with identical 3-2 records and 1-1 marks in conference play. UC will face a stiff test on defense, as UCF boasts one of the best offenses in the country. UCF ranks fourth in rushing offense (282.4) and 11^th nationally in total offense (489.2).

“UCF is an outstanding football team with a lot of talent,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “They have one of the best offenses in the country, and certainly one of the best rushing offenses in the country. They have a lot of playmakers, and their quarterback is an outstanding player. They run him and do play action with him; he is a big guy and a tough guy to tackle. Their running back, RJ [Harvey], is an outstanding player as well. He is short, low to ground, very powerful and fast.”

One of the most dynamic playmakers in the country, Harvey averages 156.8 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks fifth in the nation.

Cincinnati enjoyed a much-needed bye week this past weekend after a physical game at Texas Tech on Sept. 28. The extra week gave UC a chance to rest and get healthy, and also regroup and mentally prepare for another road Big 12 game.

“I think the big thing last week was getting healthy, but then also being able to relax on Saturday,” Satterfield said. “A lot of our guys just relaxed and watched college football. It was good for them to see the craziness of college football and to see the fact that you have to get yourself mentally ready to play. I believe that’s more important than anything is the mental side and getting ready to play. You have to get yourself ready to play each and every week, no matter who you’re playing.”

Since the start of the 2015 season, Cincinnati is 11-5 when coming off a bye week. It has won five of its last six games coming off a bye, including five straight road games after an off week. This was the first of two bye weeks for the Bearcats, with the other coming on Saturday, Nov. 2.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
The game will be televised on ESPN2 and feature Mike Monaco (pxp), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Dawn Davenport  (sideline) on the call. The game will be broadcast on radio via 700 WLW and SiriusXM Channel 384 with Dan Hoard (pxp), Jim Kelly (analyst) and Tony Pike (sideline) on the call.

BEARCATS LOOK TO EVEN ALL-TIME SERIES WITH UCF AFTER BYE WEEK

• Cincinnati will travel to Orlando, Fla., to face the UCF Knights on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2).
• The Bearcats will look to even the all-time series to 5-5 and stop a two-game losing streak to the Knights.
• Cincinnati has used the bye week to bounce back and return health after falling to Texas Tech, 44-41, in a classic Big 12 shootout in Lubbock, Texas, in which the Bearcats were down to their fourth- and fifth-string running backs due to injury.
• The Bearcats’ two losses are by a combined four points two opponents who are 10-1 — Pitt (5-0) and Texas Tech (5-1).
• QB Brendan Sorsby had a history-making night and Jones AT&T Stadium in UC’s last game on Sept. 28, throwing for 426 yards and four touchdowns and adding a team-best 52 rushing yards. His 478 total yards are the most by a Big 12 player this season and the fifth-most in UC history. He was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for a second time following his performance.
• Cincinnati is 11-5 (69%) coming off a bye since 2015. UC also has an open week on Nov. 2 this fall.

THE CINCINNATI-UCF SERIES HAS BEEN MUST-SEE TV

• Cincinnati and UCF spent recent years at the top of the “Group of Five” prior to joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023, developing a rivalry along the way. The Knights won 25 straight games and two AAC titles in 2017 and 2018. Cincinnati actually handed UCF its first AAC loss in three years in a historic 27-24 Friday night win 2019 which propelled the Bearcats to back-to-back league titles and AP Top 10 finishes in 2020 and 2021. The 2019 win gave birth to a true freshman cornerback named Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner who had a pick-six in the game that sparked the victory.
• The Knights have won the last two matchups, including last year’s 28-26 game at Nippert Stadium. Cincinnati had a chance to tie the game in the final minutes, but a two-point conversion failed. Corey Kiner and Ryan Montgomery both rushed for 100 yards as UC held a 515-393 edge in total yards in the 2023 contest, but turned the ball over twice.

BEARCATS BUILDING A RESUME

• The Bearcats are 3-2 with the losses coming by four total points to teams with a combined 10-1 record.
• Cincinnati has the nation’s 11th-most efficient offense according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
• UC ranks second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in total offense (485.0) and No. 11 nationally in first downs (118).
• Led by S Jiquan Sanks (five starts), 10 true freshmen have played a total of 409 snaps on offense or defense, which is already more than the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons combined (260). Sanks has 17 tackles and classmate LB Simeon Coleman has 16.
• TE Joe Royer (Ohio State transfer) leads all Big 12 tight ends in receptions (20), and is second in yards (262).
• P Mason Fletcher, a 2022 Ray Guy Finalist, is averaging 46.6 per punt. The single-season UC record is 46.9 by Kevin Huber (2007).
• DT Dontay Corleone, a 2022 All-American, returned to the starting lineup Week 2 after blood clots were discovered this summer. He was named to the PFF National Team of the Week after living in the backfield at Texas Tech, finishing with an 89.9 grade.
• Corleone (2022), Fletcher (2022) and RG Luke Kandra (2023) are all AP Third Team All-Americans.
• RB Corey Kiner has two 100-yard games in 2024 and nine career 100-yard games. UC is 3-1 when he has 20+ carries.
• Kandra is the Big 12’s top-rated right guard (77.8) according to PFF. Gavin Gerhardt is PFF’s No. 2 C in the league (73.4). Led by Kandra and Gerhardt, UC is allowing pressures on dropbacks just 10% of the time – which is the third-fewest in the nation per PFF.
• Derrick Canteen (84.8) ranks as PFF’s No. 1 Big 12 safeties and the third-best in the Power 4.

SORSBY LEADS UNDER CENTER

• Sorsby has proven to be one of the nation’s top quarterbacks through five games in 2024, passing for 1,481 yards and 12 touchdowns with just one interception. He is completing 66.3% of his pass attempts and his 165.6 efficiency rating leads the Big 12. His QBR of 80.6 ranks No. 2 in the conference and 14th in the nation. His PFF grade (87.4) ranks second in the Big 12.
• Twice he has been named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week – following Week 1 and Week 5.
• Prior to his prolific Texas Tech performance, Sorsby was dominant in a 34-0 win over Houston on Sept. 21. After missing on his first attempt of the game, Sorsby completed 12 straight passes. He finished 12-of-15 for 188 yards with three total TDs.
• Overall, he is 43-of-60 (72%) for 614 yards and seven total touchdowns over the last two games combined.

COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS