UC football score today vs. Texas Tech analysis

LUBBOCK, Texas – One week your defense posts a shutout, the next week they allow a season-high 44 points. Welcome to Big 12 football.

Under the lights of Jones ATT&T Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,229, the Cincinnati Bearcats needed a 90-yard drive with 1:53 left to tie or win the game. They reached the Texas Teh 32-yard line and set up a 51-yard attempt by Nathan Hawks to send the game to overtime. Hawks missed and UC fell short to Texas Tech 44-41.

“We kept fighting the whole game,” said UC head coach Scott Satterfield. “Even when we fell behind in the fourth quarter and you look at it thinking we don’t have any chance.”

Satterfield’s offense totaled 555 yards, but also gave up 482 yards to the Red Raiders, led by a season-high 172 rushing yards from Tahj Brooks. Brooks scored twice and quarterback Behren Morton threw a pair of touchdowns to Coy Eakin.

Lost in the game was a 426-yard effort by UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who threw for four touchdowns and kept the Bearcats in the game. It was a career night for the redshirt sophomore in terms of yards and scoring passes. It wasn’t enough as the officials reviewed a pair of precious 10-second runoffs as UC was on their final drive.

“The last drive was unfortunate,” Satterfield said. “Xzavier Henderson goes down and we had to get a 10-second runoff. We get a big play against (Joe) Royer and then Sorsby scrambles, he gives himself up and gets hit by two guys.”

Targeting was invoked and reversed after review. Another 10 second run-off was then applied.

“He calls the penalty, they end up confiscating it, but we still get a 10-second penalty,” Satterfield said. “We’re screwed with that.”

The Red Raiders move to 4-1 (2-0 Big 12). UC is 3-2 (1-1 Big 12).

Which Texas sniper was more effective? Brendan Sorsby or Behren Morton?

In the end, Sorsby of Denton, Texas topped the stat line with four touchdowns and 426 yards on a 31-for-45 night. He also ran for 52 yards. But Eastland’s Morton picked up the win, going 19-for-29 for 251 yards and two touchdowns and running for 46 yards as the Bearcats’ defense targeted running back Brooks.

“They wanted to hit Tahj and that opened up a big alley,” Morton said.

Sorsby played the second half with a glove on his non-throwing hand. He did that last year in Indiana with a thumb injury. Afterwards, he didn’t feel like it would be a lingering problem.

Sorsby’s 71-yard completion to Manny Covey gave him his second game of over 300 yards and gave Covey his first college touchdown. That was after his first interception of the year which fell to AJ McCarty for a 51-yard Texas Tech pick-six. Sorsby had completed 148 consecutive passes without an interception this season.

“I threw one at the defense and that’s never good,” Sorsby said. ‘I’ll take that. I gave them seven. I have to get better.’

With many family members and friends in attendance, Sorsby was happy with the offensive production, but not happy to board the plane back to Cincinnati with a loss.

“It always stings, it hurts,” Sorsby said. “We have to find a way to get back on track in the bye week and find a way to get some wins in the column.”

Corey Kiner leaves the game in the opening quarter

UC lost two players early when defensive lineman Cam Roetherford jumped off the field and was then on crutches. In the backfield, after just three carries for nine yards, Corey Kiner took a hit near the ribs and left for evaluation. With backup Chance Williams unavailable, running chores were left to Evan Pryor.

Pryor would gain 46 yards with 36 on a single run. Manny Covey and Victor Dawson also had carries, but other than Kiner’s tough play, the Bearcats’ offense had to rely heavily on the pass. UC was outrebounded 231-129 with Sorsby as the leading rusher.

Kiner remained on the Bearcats’ sideline in uniform but without a helmet. When a player’s helmet is taken off, he is usually ready for the game and that was the case on Saturday.

“We’ll know more when we get back to Cincinnati,” Satterfield said of Kiner’s injury. “It was a rib or an oblique. He just couldn’t go. Then Pryor got dinged too. Then we had to get to Manny (Covey) and he made some great plays tonight.”

Guard Luke Kandra was disappointed in Saturday’s UC game, which clearly would have been more effective with a healthy Kiner. Fortunately, Sorsby was productive enough to keep the Bearcats in the game.

“We didn’t know what was happening with Corey, but Manny (Covey) really stepped up tonight,” Kandra said. “Brendan is such a good quarterback. What he can do, run or throw, is just incredible to get us out of a problem as an O-line. He can get us right.”

Could the Cincinnati Bearcats defense stop Tahj Brooks?

Pretty much, no. He carried four straight carries to start the game and couldn’t be stopped. Once the Bearcats would get a handle on the 230-pounder, Morton was able to take to the air and hit Eakins twice for touchdowns in the first half. Brooks had 82 yards at halftime, 107 at the end of the third quarter and finished with a season-high 172.

“He’s definitely a good running back,” Nose tackle Dontay Corleone said. ‘He’s very patient. Probably the most patient back I’ve ever encountered.’

It’s hard to put up 555 yards and 41 points and lose

“They’re all hurting, we can’t stand losing,” Satterfield said. “Just look at the Big 12, look at college football. There are tough football games. You have to stay close as a team.”

With the bye next week, he hopes that several injuries can be resolved through the training room.

For now, he doesn’t seem discouraged by Hawks missing two field goals. A 42-yarder before halftime would have given UC a 27-24 lead at the break and the 51-yarder would have sent the game to overtime.

“The first kick was a high kick and Fletch (Mason Fletcher) did a good job of taking it down,” Satterfield said. “I thought he hit it pretty well, but towards the end he just went left. I’m not sure he hit the last one as well (wide right).”

Next on the menu

The Cincinnati Bearcats have a bye week with the opportunity to heal some injuries. They could also make some redshirt decisions, as any player UC chooses to redshirt from here will no longer be able to participate in regular season games if they have played in the First Four. Four is the NCAA limit, but new rules would allow those who redshirted during the season to participate in potential postseason games.

UC’s next game is another Big 12 road tilt when they visit UCF on Saturday, October 12. UCF was defeated by Colorado 48-21 on Saturday in Orlando. Before playing UC, the Knights will travel to Gainesville to play Florida next Saturday, October 5.

The Bearcats return to Nippert Stadium on Saturday, October 19 for Homecoming vs. Arizona State.

Texas Tech now plays their first Big 12 road game while the Red Raiders are in Arizona next Saturday night.