It's been just shy of a year since the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team notched a home win. Just as they started 2023 with an opening victory, the Bearcats defeated the Towson Tigers 38-20 Saturday at Nippert Stadium to start Year Two under head coach Scott Satterfield.
New starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby was the star attraction going 22-for-31 for 383 yards with a pair of touchdown tosses, two rushing touchdowns and no interceptions.
"Brendan played a really good game," Satterfield said. "I think he could have played a lot better. I think there's a couple plays he'd like to have back for sure that would have helped get some more points on the board. He ran the offense very effectively, threw the ball accurately, threw the ball away when he needed to and generated some nice yards with his legs."
Sorsby threw first-quarter touchdown passes to Xzavier Henderson and Sterling Berkhalter getting UC out to a 21-3 first-frame advantage.
They didn't cover the spread
The game did have its squeamish moments as the Tigers pulled within 28-17 at halftime, then 28-20 early in the third quarter. Favored by over 30 points at kickoff, UC won by just 18 and pulled up for a knee inside the 10-yard line to end the game.
Cincinnati Bearcats Week 1 takeaways vs. Towson
How did new starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby play?
Redshirt sophom*ore Sorsby started seven games for Indiana last season. This was his first victory since Nov. 4 of last year when the Hoosiers beat Luke Fickell's Wisconsin Badgers. Sorsby has been part of the Cincinnati Bearcats since early December 2023.
Saturday, it looked like he was playing out in the backyard of his native Denton, Texas. He was 4-for-4 for 65 yards on his opening drive and waltzed into the end zone with his first UC touchdown less than four minutes into the game.
"I had a good amount of family show up, a couple buddies from back home," Sorsby said. "It was good to have them here. Obviously had a good strong start to the game. (There's) definitely some things we can improve on. It was really good to get out there and play some ball."
His 383 yards through the air surpassed anything he did at Indiana. He threw to nine different receivers with Henderson leading the way with seven grabs for 101 yards.
Henderson and Sorsby had a connection throughout training camp that continued in the game. The 6-foot-3 receiver hauled down Sorsby's first UC touchdown pass in the first quarter.
"I know once the play is called, that's how I feel," Henderson said of his confidence on the call from Satterfield.
Minus Dontay Corleone, how was the defensive line?
With Dontay Corleone remaining sidelined as he deals with his blood clot condition, the Bearcats started redshirt freshman Kamari Burns at nose tackle with redshirt junior Rob Jackson and redshirt senior Eric Phillips on the ends. Only Phillips was a returning starter. Phillips recorded the first sack for the defensive line just before halftime. Behind the D-line is a group of hungry linebackers and West Virginia transfer Jared Bartlett had the first sack of the game.
Still, Towson starting quarterback Carlos Davis seemed to have an eternity to throw in the second quarter when the Tigers pulled within 11 points of the Bearcats.
Louisville transfer Kameron Wilson added a sack, his first at UC. Either way, seeing the 6-foot-1, 320-pound Corleone in shoulder pads next Saturday against Pittsburgh would be a more than welcome sight.
"It's going to make a huge difference whenever he's able to go," Satterfield said. "He demands so much attention up front. A center and two guards are going to have to know where he's at, that's going to free up the linebackers to run. Just the psyche for everybody, to be able to have him up front, he's so respected by everybody on our team."
Who made you say 'Welcome to the 'Nati'?
It was Sorsby's day, but former Elder standout Joe Royer looked at home and needed no welcome. By halftime, he had five catches for 89 yards. As his Ohio State career involved waiting his turn plus injuries and personal setbacks, he had only four catches as a Buckeye.
Royer said his usually unemotional father was among the family members moved by his UC debut.
"I could tell he was a little emotional after the game just talking to him," Royer said. "He was happy I was able to go out there and play today. It just felt good."
Royer's teammate Evan Pryor also came from Ohio State. On his first carry in the third quarter, he rambled 64 yards for his first touchdown for the Bearcats. Pryor would finish with 105 yards on a late-game carry before the final gun.
Another not needing a welcome is former Princeton Viking Sterling Berkhalter. His first catch in two seasons with the Bearcats was a 61-yard bomb from Sorsby late in the first quarter.
What was a reason for concern?
The defensive backfield in the second quarter allowed two passing touchdowns to Towson quarterback Carlos Davis. John Dunmore's catch came with 19 seconds left in the first half and made for a much closer game than most expected. Towson outgained the Bearcats in the quarter 195-180 despite only having the ball for 4:19 to UC's 10:41.
The 37,654 fans got a tad squeamish in the third quarter when Towson kicker Keegan Vaughn connected on a field goal to close the gap to 28-20. Fortunately, the UC offense responded and scored 10 straight points to lead 38-20 going to the fourth quarter.
Who's next in line for Cincinnati Bearcats?
The Pitt Panthers on Saturday will make their first visit to Nippert Stadium since Sept. 6, 2012 when UC won handily 34-10 in the last season of the Butch Jones era. That was UC's last season in the Big East.
The Bearcats will honor their 2008 Big East champions at the game. In Brian Kelly's second season at the helm of the Bearcats, they went 11-3 and 5-1 in the Big East. They defeated Pitt at Nippert that year 28-21 and eventually made the Orange Bowl, losing to No. 19 Virginia Tech 20-7.
Pitt pummeled Kent State 55-24 Saturday. Alabama transfer quarterback Eli Holstein threw for 333 yards and three scores and running back Desmond Reid ran for 145 yards and a score. This will be a considerably tougher test for the Cincinnati Bearcats' defense.
"Not only was it the first game of the season, it was the first game we played as this (3-3-5) defense," redshirt senior linebacker Jared Bartlett said. "There's a lot of mistakes we've got to fix. We'll have all those fixed by the time next week comes."
