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    • 5 reactions/overreactions from UCF win
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    5 reactions/overreactions from UCF win

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    ORLANDO, Fla. – A touchdown pass from the 25-yard line and an extra point would have spoiled a resilient Cincinnati Bearcats effort on Saturday. Instead, native Floridian Jared Bartlett and fellow linebacker Jake Golday sacked UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown in the final seconds and the Bearcats earned their first Big 12 road win of the season, holding off the Knights 19-13.

    In his final season in college, Bartlett took matters into his own hands (literally) and kept UC’s hopes alive midway through the season.

    “It’s a very crucial part of the season for us,” Bartlett said. “Halfway through the season, good teams get better and teams that don’t take that step tend to fall apart.”

    UC is now 4-2, two wins from bowl eligibility. The Bearcats held UCF to 13 points, tying their season low set last week in Gainesville in a loss to Florida.

    “The message was, ‘We’re not leaving until the job is done,’” UC coach Scott Satterfield said.

    UC UCF win Takeaways from Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 Football Win vs. UCF Saturday

    In addition to Bartlett, another Floridian showed up for his family as wide receiver Tony Johnson of Ocala had a season-high eight catches for 76 yards. He also came back to life after taking a hit on the sideline inside the UCF 10-yard line. Not long after the UC medical staff surrounded him, he was back on the field and scored a touchdown.

    “I thought it was a knee or something,” Satterfield said. “By the time I got there, he came up and said, ‘I’m going to coach!’”

    The Bearcats are now in the mid to upper tier of the Big 12. BYU, Texas Tech and Iowa State are undefeated in the Big 12 at 3-0. UC, Colorado, West Virginia, Arizona State and Kansas State have one league loss. UC still has six games, three of which are at home, mainly against the current upper echelon.

    5 Reactions/Overreactions as Cincinnati Bearcats football sits at 4-2 after beating UCF

    1. UC could have won a more decisive victory

    Response: That’s a fair assessment considering Sorsby made a pair of interceptions in the red zone. In the first quarter, a pass intended for tight end Joe Royer was picked off by UCF’s Brandon Adams at the 8-yard line. Midway through the second quarter, another pass intended for Royer was tipped and then caught by Ladarius Tennison, another defensive Knight on the 3-yard line. All told, UC could have led 27-3 at halftime.

    Overreaction: The Bearcats were just one play away from bouncing at FPC Mortgage Stadium a/k/a “The Bounce House.” That’s true, but the defense continually kept UC in the game as it finished with four sacks, two from Bartlett, one from linebacker Jake Golday and one from “The Godfather” Dontay Corleone.

    “The signs of a good team are when one side is not at your best and the other side picks you up,” Satterfield said.

    2. More missed kicks allowed UCF to stay close

    Response: The ever-reliable, knee-jerk social media is quick to criticize a kicker. This week, Nathan Hawks missed a 36-yard field goal before halftime to make it a 13-3 game. He also missed an extra point. Both are concerns, but Hawks did finish the game 2-for-3 on field goals and one of them was from 51 yards in the heart of the UCF student section.

    Overreaction: UC still needs a kicker. Well, a kick requires a snap and also a hold, ask Bangladeshi kicker Evan McPherson. There may be more to come when coaches watch the tape, but coaches are often hesitant to make changes when a team is having success. Carter Brown still travels to every game, but the guess is that as long as Hawks hits 51 yarders and the team wins, he will keep the job. His extra point miss was his first of the season.

    3. Cincinnati Bearcats run a play that is held under 100 yards

    Response: UC had just 97 yards and Corey Kiner ran for 83 of them. That was a season low and the first time under Scott Satterfield the Bearcats were under 100 yards.

    Overreaction: They throw it too much! Granted, UC is going through the air more than last year, but Kiner was able to get a few minutes off the clock with some first-down runs. UCF would get the ball back, but the defense stood strong at the end. Additionally, they held UCF’s RJ Harvey under 100 yards and the Knights have lost their past three games, with Harvey losing every game under the century mark.

    “That was part of the game plan, being able to stop the run and force them to pass the ball,” Golday said. “Coach (defensive coordinator Tyson) Veidt made really good decisions at the right times.”

    4. Where was Cincinnati Bearcats receiver Xzavier Henderson?

    Response: Henderson had just two catches, matching the season low he had at Nippert Stadium in the 34-0 win over Houston. On the other hand, UC won both games. Henderson’s catches came in the first half.

    Overreaction: Sorsby needs to focus more on Henderson. First, UCF certainly saw tape of the Bearcats early in the year with Sorsby and Henderson making plays. Second, Henderson was one of the walking wounded from the Texas Tech loss, so it may not have been 100%. The Bearcats also played without receivers Tyrin Smith and Aaron Turner. Turner considers redshirting to gain an extra year. Tony Johnson also made a notable leap with eight grabs and a touchdown.

    5. Should fans be excited about a 4-2 Cincinnati Bearcats team?

    Response: If you go by the undefeated regular seasons that Brian Kelly and Luke Fickell had here, 4-2 might not faze you. However, Pitt is now 6-0. As you may remember (or choose to forget), UC squandered a 27-6 lead late in the third quarter against the Panthers. Pitt stopped Cal on Saturday when former Bearcat Ryan Coe missed a 40-yard field goal that could have given the Golden Bears a late lead. Texas Tech is also 5-1 and undefeated in the Big 12. The Bearcats had every chance to beat them in Lubbock on September 28 before losing 44-41.

    Overreaction: It was an ugly win and they could have gone 3-3 very easily. If you know anything about competing in college athletics on the road, there is no such thing as an ugly road win.

    “We have a lot of respect for UCF,” Satterfield said. “Offensively, we hold them to 13 points. What a great job by our defense to do that. In the Big 12, on the road, this is obviously a big win for us.”

    Cincinnati Bearcats Homecoming may not be a picnic

    There will be a parade at 8 a.m. and a kickoff at noon, but next Saturday’s football game won’t be a walk in the park at Nippert Stadium. For the second year in a row, the team picked last in the preseason rankings by the Big 12 media is having a good year. Last year, West Virginia won nine games and went to a bowl. This year, Arizona State is 5-1 after just beating No. 16 Utah in Tempe, Arizona.

    Their only loss was to Texas Tech, which outscored the Sun Devils 30-22 on the week before holding off UC 44-41.

    “It should be a great environment,” Satterfield said. “I’m excited and excited for Homecoming back in Cincinnati!”

    Bartlett said: “We need a really good atmosphere. We need to sell it out. The more fans the better. It will put us in a really good position to perform as well as we can.”

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