Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson stepped on Nippert Stadium's turf, known for long locks and long runs. With a lion's mane poking out of his helmet, he was averaging 10.5 yards per carry and had also torched teams through the air.
Containing the three-time captain of the Wildcats was a priority around UC's Sheakley Indoor Performance Facility leading up to the game.
On the night of Sept. 26, jersey No. 2 on Kansas State got his, but it was the Cincinnati Bearcats getting the hard-fought 31-26 win.
Johnson was 30-for-50, throwing the ball for 291 yards and one touchdown. After running for 152 yards against Tulane Sept. 19, UC held him to 38 yards on the ground and outrushed the Wildcats 271-155.
"Kansas State wants to line up and run the football,"
UC coach Scott Satterfield said. "They were ranked Top 10 in the country in rushing coming to this game. They wanted to run the football and we outlasted them in that regard."
Said Kansas State coach Collin Klein, "They moved us. They stretched us out."
It was Johnson's first game against the Bearcats since his sophomore season. In that 2024 game, he threw for two touchdowns and ran for 72 yards and another score in a 41-15 spanking of Satterfield's men in Manhattan.
Kansas State QB Avery Johnson's possessions
First quarter: Johnson eludes pressure twice early in the possession, then completes 9-of-11 passes for 74 yards. A fumble recovery by UC's Jacob Finley is overruled, allowing Kansas State to keep the ball. They only gain 19 rushing yards, 10 by Johnson on one escape. UC holds the Wildcats to a Luis Rodriguez 22-yard field goal.
Second quarter: Johnson started the frame scrambling out of a 3rd-and-3 jam from his own 28-yard line. An offensive pass interference penalty on tight end Will Ancioux nullified a big gain, and the drive ended on their own 24-yard line.
After UC scored on a JC French to Malachi Henry pass, the Bearcats finally got Johnson on a "three-and-out." UC knotted the game with a 45-yard Stephen Rusnak field goal, giving Johnson a final first-half possession. He capitalized on the opportunity with a 65-yard drive ending on a 4-yard TD pass to Derrick Salley Jr.
He threw for 150 first-half yards to just 44 for French, and scrambled three times for 27 yards. UC had 93 yards from Gi'Bran Payne and outrushed the Wildcats in the opening half 166-96, but Kansas State had the ball for nearly five more minutes in possession time.
Third quarter: Johnson's pass to Salley was jarred loose by Antwan Peek Jr, and recovered by MJ Cannon. UC capitalized with a touchdown drive to tie. His next possession was another three-and-out and for a second straight drive, Cole Tabb paid a visit to the end zone, this time for a 24-17 UC lead.
A third possession in the third also ended in a punt.
Fourth quarter: A Zion Johnson fumble gave Johnson a possession late in the third frame that carried over to the fourth. It would be a 65-yard drive, but UC would hold them to a field goal for a 24-20 lead.
After Tabb's third touchdown made it 31-20, Kansas State went 79 yards in just over two minutes with Rodney Fields Jr. scoring, but they missed the 2-point conversion. UC recovered the onside kick but did nothing with the ball, giving Johnson one last possession, but UC's defense kept them behind their own 30-yard line to end the game.
JC French IV vs. Avery Johnson
Johnson outthrew French 291 yards to 165 but French actually completed 62% of his passes compared to Johnson's 60% and both had touchdown tosses. French's ending quarterback rating was actually higher, 193.5 to Johnson's 115.7. More importantly, French's team is 4-0 and Johnson's is 3-1.
"It was a great game, and I think Avery Johnson is a very good quarterback," French said. "I think they're going to have a successful season. I'm glad our defense is our defense. It's tough going against them every single day. Props for them playing a really good game."
Next up for Cincinnati Bearcats? Arizona's Noah Fifita
Fifita and the Arizona Wildcats were at Washington State for a Sept. 26 night game. The 5-foot-10 Fifita was 23-for-31 for 294 yards and a touchdown last season, helping Arizona to a pivotal win over UC, 30-24. The Bearcats sacked Fifita four times, but Brendan Sorsby threw two interceptions and for only 154 yards as the Bearcats blew a 14-10 halftime advantage.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC Bearcats contain Kansas State QB Avery Johnson enough to win
