Cincinnati is officially one of the biggest early surprises in the Big 12.
The Bearcats upset Kansas State 31-26 on Saturday night at Nippert Stadium, improving to 4-0 and giving head coach Scott Satterfield the first 4-0 start of his coaching career.
Cincinnati entered Saturday as a 6.5-point home underdog against a Kansas State team that had rolled through its first three games under first-year head coach Collin Klein. As we noted in our Kansas State-Cincinnati preview, one of the biggest questions entering the game was whether the Bearcats could hold up against Kansas State along the lines.
And that question was answered, with ease, on Saturday night.
Kansas State led 17-10 at halftime, but Cincinnati flipped the game after the break. The Bearcats scored 21 second-half points while leaning on a rushing attack that gave one of the nation’s top statistical defenses problems throughout the night.
Cole Tabb was the difference-maker for Cincinnati, rushing for 124 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries. Quarterback JC French IV didn’t need to do much through the air, completing 8 of 13 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.
It was another impressive comeback for a Cincinnati team that rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Miami (Ohio) 35-31 just one week earlier.
Now the Bearcats have something much bigger brewing.
Cincinnati is 4-0 for the first time since 2021, when the Bearcats ultimately went undefeated during the regular season and reached the College Football Playoff.
There’s obviously a long way to go before anyone starts making those comparisons too seriously, but Satterfield’s team has already established itself as one of the early surprises in the Big 12 race.
For Kansas State, meanwhile, Saturday represents the first setback of the Collin Klein era. The Wildcats fall to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play.
Cincinnati is 4-0 and 1-0 in the conference.
And suddenly, the Bearcats deserve everyone’s attention.
