The No. 24 Cincinnati Bearcats clinched bowl eligibility Saturday night with a 49-17 road win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
It’s Cincinnati’s first time being bowl eligible since 2022, and it’s the first time Cincinnati (6-1, 4-0 Big 12) is eligible for a bowl game as members of the Big 12 and in head coach Scott Satterfield’s tenure.
Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby played mistake-free football Saturday night, as he has much of the season, completing 20 of 29 passes for 270 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He added a rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Sorsby spread the ball around to nine different Bearcats receivers, with tight end Joe Royer and wide receiver Noah Jennings leading the way with 63 receiving yards each.
Wide receiver Cyrus Allen had two touchdowns through the air, while adding a 14-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Defensively, it was cornerback Matthew McDoom with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to give the Bearcats a 42-17 lead with just over six minutes to play. It was the Bearcats’ first interception and non-offensive touchdown all season.
Oklahoma State (1-6, 0-4 Big 12) was undone by costly penalties and an inability to convert on fourth down.
Cowboys quarterback Sam Jackson V passed for 149 yards, and running back Rodney Fields Jr. rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
After pulling within 28-17 in the third quarter, the Cowboys were outscored 21-0 in the fourth quarter. Despite rushing for 228 yards on 48 carries and possessing the ball for nearly 37 minutes, two turnovers in the fourth quarter shut the door on a potential upset.
The Bearcats are one of two undefeated teams in the Big 12 in conference play, with the other team being the BYU Cougars.
Cincinnati is back home next Saturday to face the Baylor Bears. Oklahoma State hits the road to face the No. 7 Texas Tech Red Raiders.
