Oklahoma State dawned its orange and black uniforms in this one to celebrate Halloween weekend and had no trouble against Cincinnati. Things got pretty scary for the Bearcats in its loss late Saturday night. The Cowboys outscored Cincy 35-6 in the second half and sent the Bearcats on their way. This 45-13 loss extends the losing streak to six in a row, the longest losing streak for the team since 1998. Here’s a recap of the loss for Cincinnati.
Offensive Explosion for Oklahoma State
Cincinnati had some tough losses over the last month and a half, as it out-gained the opponent in a few of those games. That was certainly not the case tonight. The Cowboy offense went nuclear, with over 600 yards of total offense. Cincinnati was well aware of how good Ollie Gordon and the run game were for Oklahoma State, as mentioned in the preview, but that didn’t mean a thing. Gordan ran it 25 times for 271 touchdowns and two scores. Other backs contributed 44 more yards and two more scores on the ground.
The front seven of the Cincinnati defense was not itself Saturday night. There were zero sacks recorded for the black and red in this one. Cowboys’ quarterback Alan Bowman added 286 yards and two touchdowns through the air. It’s hard to think of a game in recent years where there was a performance like this, specifically rushing, against the Bearcat defense—hats off to Oklahoma State.
Cincinnati’s Offense: As Stagnant As It’s Been All Year
Emory Jones’ time as the Cincinnati quarterback might be coming to an end here soon. He and the Cincinnati passing attack looked to get it going against a defense that let up the most touchdowns through the air in the Big 12 to this point. They didn’t sniff the end zone. Jones finished with a stat line of six-of-16, 117 yards, an interception, and a fumble. One of Xzavier Henderson’s four catches on the night accounted for 53 of those yards. He had 82 of Jones’ 117. The passing attack is simply nonexistent for this team.
Backup quarterback Brady Lichtenberg came in during the fourth quarter and had 48 yards on five-of-nine passing. He did have a nice touchdown throw on the run to Aaron Turner late in the game to try to salvage any glimpse of competition the offense could. Tight end Chamon Metayer, who’s tied for the most receiving touchdowns for Cincinnati, was completely blanketed on the stat sheet in the loss.
The Ground Game Carries the Weight
Cincinnati is and always was going to be a run-first team this year. There was a sliver of hope that the new faces at quarterback and wide receiver would be exciting for the offense. However, the run game is being relied on more than ever. The Bearcats have one of the most successful rushing attacks in the country, in part because of the sheer volume. They ran it 50 times on Saturday night, accumulating 277 yards on the ground. Myles Montgomery provided pretty much the lone highlight of the game with a 63-yard touchdown scamper. He finished with 90 yards to lead the team, with Corey Kiner close behind with 79 himself. Montgomery and Kiner both got a bit banged up in this one. Either of these two missing extended periods would spell even further disaster for this offense.
Going Forward
Things are seemingly at a low point of the season for Cincinnati. Scott Satterfield leading the way in the Cats’ first season in the Big 12 has been a disaster. 2-6 overall, 0-5 in conference play; expect to see some changes. To be frank, Jones’ quarterback play has not been up to par. It would not be surprising to see Lichtenburg get a start under center sooner than later.
The team is rebuilding. Fans especially have to remember this. A new coaching staff, a roster overturned by the transfer portal, and the first year in a Power Five conference all meant a tall task for this season. Yes, it’s been disappointing. It’s crucial for Satterfield and this team to provide some hope and excitement for the program going forward.
Next Week
Cincinnati hits the road again next week. It will head to Orlando, Florida, to square up against its bitter former AAC rival, the UCF Knights. This will be a battle to avoid sole possession of last in the Big 12. UCF is 3-5 overall and 0-5 also in conference play. The 3:30 ET kickoff next Saturday won’t be on many people’s watch lists, but the loser of this one will sit in the basement by itself.
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