It was parents’ weekend at a packed Nippert Stadium for the 3-1 Bearcats as they took on the #14-ranked 5-0 Iowa State Cyclones.
An immediate 30-yard touchdown run by Evan Pryor fired up the Nippert faithful and put the Bearcats up early.
Sophomore LB Simeon Coleman made a huge tackle on Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht as he scrambled. Becht was down on the field before getting checked in the medical tent, returning later in the half. Coleman was disqualified for targeting, and the Cyclones missed a 35-yard field goal.
Visibly shaken, Becht and the Cyclones’ offense managed to regroup and score another touchdown before halftime. The Bearcats went to the half leading 31-15 with touchdowns from still trailing the Bearcats 31-15, Evan Pryor, Joe Royer, and Brendan Sorsby.
Iowa State opened the second half with a touchdown, but the rest of the third quarter consisted of fumbles, punts, and turnovers on downs from both sides.
The fourth quarter was a showcase of penalties. Almost every other play of the quarter sparked some sort of penalty plaguing both sides. Fans, players, and coaches alike were fed up with the constant flags. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell even received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, pushing his team back 15 yards, and eventually punting.
The Bearcats shook off the penalties, and Sorsby launched a beautiful 82-yard pass to Caleb Goodie for a touchdown to increase the lead to 38-22 with about six minutes remaining in the game. While the Cyclones scored again, the Bearcats won 38-30, in front of a packed, stripe-out crowd, as the student section rushed the field.
This game featured the most energetic Nippert Stadium crowd I’ve experienced since the 2021 College Football Playoff season, which played a big part in their win. With an official attendance of 38,007, the parents’ weekend crowd was extremely loud, chanting at the refs, and made the noon game feel like a primetime atmosphere.
Although Iowa State was beat up and faced numerous inactives, Cincinnati was far from complacent. Brendan Sorsby continues to be the fearless leader of this team. He finished the day with 214 yards and two touchdowns. Evan Pryor was hard to get ahold of, with 111 yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Goodie with the amazing 82-yard touchdown. The offense consistently came up with big plays when needed, and found themselves wide open or slipping out of tackles to keep drives alive.
The defense set the tone for this game. Simeon Coleman’s ejection seemed to be a catalyst. The defense recorded four sacks and 78 total tackles, forcing three turnovers on downs. The Cyclone run game was smothered.
Although penalties played a large part in this game, it’s obvious that for the second week in a row, Cincinnati stayed calm and collected when it counted, as Matt Campbell’s meltdown negatively impacted his team.
The Bearcats improve to 4-1 and handed Iowa State its first loss. Cincinnati hosts UCF next Saturday.
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