Week 5 of college football featured a chaotic start full of spectacular finishes. One game belonging in that category transpired Saturday afternoon in Lawrence, KS in the Kansas Jayhawks’ newly refurbished David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Cincinnati and Kansas combined for 1,200 yards of offense in a back-and-forth shootout that featured explosive play after explosive play. However, Cincinnati concocted the road upset, flying down the final with under two minutes remaining and winning on a Tawee
Walker touchdown run. The Bearcats are now 1-0 in Big 12 play after the thrilling showdown in Lawrence, and here are four takeaways from the action:
This was Scott Satterfield’s best win
Cincinnati waited since the 2021 American Conference Championship for a victory of this magnitude. Yes, Cincinnati defeated eventual Big 12 champion Arizona State last October, but the win didn’t feel as significant in the moment considering the Sun Devils weren’t widely viewed as contenders.
This victory felt different for a multitude of reasons. 2025 marks Cincinnati’s third season in the Big 12 and it’s only the program’s fifth conference victory since changing conferences. Three of the previous four were against longtime American opponents Houston and UCF, and the other was over reigning Big 12 champion Arizona State. This one was a tone-setter. It was on the road against a quality opponent. Kansas ethered Fresno State and West Virginia and the Jayhawks’ lone defeat occurred at undefeated Missouri, where it led with under five minutes remaining.
Also, adversity needed to be overcome as Kansas secured a 4-point lead with 1:45 remaining. Cincinnati’s previous four Big 12 wins didn’t feature a single second half lead change, and Satterfield’s squad hadn’t previously won a game of this nature. This was the first time the Bearcats answered the call in crunch time to deliver a conference victory, and now they’re 1-0 in the standings after a fulfilling finish in Kansas.
Holding penalties could pose a problem
Cincinnati scored four touchdowns in the 37-34 win over Kansas. Cincinnati also had exactly four touchdowns called back dueto penalties. They were extremely costly penalties as the Bearcats lost 12 points due to those yellow flags. Cincinnati only cashed in with an actual touchdown on one of four drives featuring a negated end zone appearance. For the other three, the Bearcats’ resorted to field goals and Stephen Rusnak sunk all three attempts.
But that yellow laundry was nearly the difference between triumph and devastation Saturday. Cincinnati was flagged nine times for 68 yards in Lawrence. Penalties weren’t a notably issue across the first three contests but rose some concerns in Week 5. The calls that negated touchdowns were a holding on an 11-yard run, a block in the back on an 88-yard punt return, a holding on a 6-yard pass, and a holding on a 1-yard run. Holding was the Bearcats’ greatest issue, and the offensive line faced more challenges Saturday than it did in three previous outings. Cincinnati entered this contest as the lone FBS team yet to allow a sack but Kansas logged one and generated heaps of pressure from in the second half.
Receiver room is Cincy’s biggest upgrade
Scott Satterfield emphasized all offseason how the wide receiver room was among Cincinnati’s greatest weaknesses in 2024. The third-year Bearcat coach strived for more speed, more explosiveness, and players capable of winning one-on-one downfield matchups. Cincinnati returned almost zero production at wide receiver with Barry Jackson Jr.’s three receptions for 22 yards reigning supreme among incumbent Bearcats.
Cincinnati’s batch of transfer receivers were pertinent to this victory. The well-traveled Cyrus Allen, with stops at Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M, stepped up to the occasion with 11 receptions for 128 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He provided substantial speed and separation ability out of the slot with 76 yards in a dominant third quarter. Caleb Goodie also shined with 91 yards on five receptions while Noah Jennings secured the most important snag of the game — making a one-handed snag on 4th and 10, picking up 18 yards on a do-or-die play with roughly a minute remaining.
The previous Satterfield era receivers may not have executed these plays Allen, Goodie, and Jennings made in Saturday’s shootout. The depth of the unit is another strength, and there’s not one guy defenses must overwhelmingly lock eyes on. The 6’5”, 215 pound Jeff Caldwell, who enjoyed a 109-yard rampage three weeks ago vs. Bowling Green, finished sixth on the team in receiving yards at Kansas with 27 but is capable of being a No. 1 on a given day.
Bearcats built for 2010s Big 12 football
Is Cincinnati a bowl team? It may be too early to tell. There aren’t many de facto “bye weeks” in the Big 12 as one of the deeper top-to-bottom conferences in the country. However, the Bearcats proved it can outlast other opponents in the conference in shootout form.
Cincinnati’s defense was awfully concerning Saturday. The Bearcats were without All-American defensive tackle Dontay Corleone which certainly caused a lack of pressure in the Kansas backfield. Cincinnati generated one sack, two tackles for loss, and only two quarterback hurries on Jalon Daniels, giving time for downfield routes to develop. Kansas mustered up 597 yards of offense with 445 coming from Daniels’ arm, and the Jayhawks thrived in the seldom-used run game as well with an average of 5.6 yards per carry. The explosive plays seemed infinite for the Jayhawks. Daniels completed eight passes spanning over 20 yards, completing two one-play touchdown drives on deep shots to Emmanuel Henderson Jr. — one for 93 yards and another for 75.
Yet, as brutal as Cincinnati’s coverage was, the Bearcats’ offense was even better. Cincinnati barely out-gained Kansas with 603 yards and they can credit Brendan Sorsby’s best game to date and a stellar performance from running back Tawee Walker for keeping pace with the Jayhawks. Sorsby amassed 388 passing yards (second-most of his college career), firing two touchdowns without an interception. He operated with tremendous poise on the game-winning drive, overcoming a 4th and 10 in the 2-minute drill to lead the Bearcats to victory. Walker provided strong run support on the side with 73 yards on 18 carries. While he didn’t break a big one, he consistently racked up 5+ yards and was responsible for three critical runs on the go-ahead drive — including the touchdown.
In summary, Cincinnati’s defense showed its errors but this offense is dynamic and explosive. It is reminiscent of 2010s Big 12 football when Texas Tech could score 45 points every week and still not be guaranteed a victory. This won’t be the last fireworks fest Cincinnati involves itself in, but it’s a style of game Sorsby and Co. are capable of winning.
