The first matchup of the Big 12 slate concluded on Saturday afternoon in blowout fashion. Scott Satterfield and the Cincinnati Bearcats dismantled the Houston Cougars 34-0 with sheer domination on all three phases. With the win, Cincinnati continued their hot start, advancing to 3-1, while the Cougars fell to an abysmal 1-3.
Here are the three biggest takeaways from this game.
Sorsby Continues to Shine
While the buzz surrounding Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby during the offseason was met with some skepticism, it’s safe to say now that the offseason hype was warranted. The Indiana transfer is looking more and more like one of the best portal pickups in the Big 12 each and every week.
The Texas native tossed 12 completions for 188 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday and also added an impressive eight-yard touchdown run.
With the win, Sorsby joins the 1000-yard passing club with his season total climbing to 1,055 yards and a touchdown to interception ratio of 8-0. Sorsby’s performance was impressive enough that backup quarterback Brady Lichtenberg was able to step onto the field and get some throws in during garbage time.
It Takes a While
The understatement of the year might just be that rebuilding a team is no easy feat. When Willie Fritz accepted the head coaching job at Houston, he took over for a team with a 31-28 overall record in the past five seasons and a group that had been nearly destroyed by the transfer portal. Outside of senior quarterback Donovan Smith, who had some major struggles against Cincinnati’s defense, the group was left beaten down and depleted heading into 2024.
But, as Kansas fans learned over the past few seasons under Lance Leipold, the right guy wearing the headset can change everything. Fritz is a proven winner with an eye-catching track record at each program he’s visited, including Central Missouri, Sam Houston State, Georgia Southern, and Tulane.
Houston is next in line, though the process does take a while.
The Road Ahead
Following Week 4, the road ahead for both teams is worth looking at.
Cincinnati’s schedule is relatively favorable, as they take on just two Top 25 teams in their remaining eight games (No. 20 Iowa State, No. 13 Kansas State). As for Houston, the group is less than fortunate, squaring off with No. 20 Iowa State, No. 12 Utah, and No. 13 Kansas State.
Cincinnati entered the 2024 season with a win total listed at 5.5 on most major sports books, and with the team Scott Satterfield has put together, the unit may wind up being a dark horse Big 12 title contender if they can get a few breaks.
