TicketsLUBBOCK, Texas – Quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for a career-high 426 yards and four touchdowns but the Cincinnati football team fell to Texas Tech, 44-41, in a shootout on Saturday night in front of 60,229 fans inside a sold-out Jones AT&T Stadium.
Kicker Nathan Hawks missed a 51-yard field goal as time expired.
The Red Raiders (4-1, 2-0 in Big 12) were powered by running back Tahj Brooks, who finished with 172 yards on 32 carries and ran for two touchdowns.
Sorsby's 426 passing yards are the ninth-most in a single game in program history and the most since Gunner Kiel threw for 523 yards at Houston in 2015.
"First off, credit to Texas Tech," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "It was a great environment here tonight. It's what you want to see, and our kids loved playing in it. Every Big 12 game on the road is a chance to try to earn respect. One thing I'm proud about is that we continued to fight the whole game, even when we got behind in the fourth quarter. Our kids never hung their head and continued to fight. We had a big play out of Manny Covey, who's basically fourth on the depth chart, with the big screen that went for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. That got us back in it, and our defense got the stop it needed and got the offense back on the field."
The Bearcats led 14-3 early and were tied with the Red Raiders 24-24 at halftime, but had two second-half turnovers that Texas Tech turned into 14 points.
Texas Tech led 41-27 with 12:40 left in the game on A.J. McCarty's 51-yard pick-six of Sorsby – the quarterback's first interception of the year.
The Bearcats fought back with redshirt freshman running back Manny Covey catching a short pass and springing 71 yards for a touchdown to bring Cincinnati within a score, 41-34, with 12:05 left.
Texas Tech kicker Reese Burkhardt put Texas Tech up 44-34 with 7:50 left, but Sorsby found Covey again – this time on a 3-yard touchdown pass that made the score 44-41 with 3:24 left.
Covey saw the most action of his career as starting running back Corey Kiner was injured in the first quarter and backup Evan Pryor knocked out of the game in the third. He finished with five receptions for 94 yards and added 10 rushing yards.
The Bearcats forced the Red Raiders to punt with two minutes remaining and took over at their own 10-yard line trailing 44-41. Sorsby hit Jamoi Mayes on a 19-yard pass to put Cincinnati in Texas Tech territory with less than a minute to play, setting up a 51-yard field goal attempt for Hawks to send the game into overtime. The attempt missed wide-right, however, cementing the 44-41 final score.
The first half featured only one punt.
Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks gained 35 yards on five carries on the game's opening drive, but the Bearcats made a crucial third down stop to hold the Red Raiders to a 45-yard field goal from kicker Gino Garcia that made the score 3-0 at 11:33 in the first quarter.
Sorsby completed his first pass attempt of the day, a 36-yard grab by Xzavier Henderson, and quickly moved the Bearcats down the field on their opening drive. The Denton, Texas native converted a 4th-and-1 in the red zone to keep the drive alive and on the next play, lofted a perfect 15-yard touchdown to Tony Johnson to give the lead, 7-3, at 7:35.
On the first play of UC's second drive, Sorsby zipped a pinpoint pass to Henderson for a 42-yard catch-and-run touchdown that put the Bearcats ahead 14-3.
Texas Tech scored its first touchdown on its third drive when quarterback Behren Morton capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Coy Eakin to make the score 14-10 with 1:25 left in the first quarter.
Cincinnati went three-and-out and was forced to punt on its third possession, but Antwan Peek Jr. ripped the ball loose from Texas Tech's Josh Kelley on the punt return giving Cincinnati the ball back at the Texas Tech 31, which led to a 37-yard Nathan Hawks' field goal that gave UC a 17-10 lead early in the second quarter.
Texas Tech tied the game, 17-17, when Morton found Eakin for a 49-yard score at 10:32 in the second quarter.
Sorsby completed five straight passes on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by Evan Pryor's 1-yard touchdown that put UC up 24-17 with 3:47 left before halftime.
After a Brooks' TD tied the game 24-24 with 1:39 to go in the second quarter, Sorsby completed several quick throws to put the Bearcats into field goal range, but Hawks' 42-yard attempt was wide left and the teams went into the locker room all tied up.
Cincinnati received the ball coming out of halftime, but the Bearcats gave it right back when Pryor fumbled.
Texas Tech took advantage of its takeaway, scoring a few moments later, taking a 31-24 lead on a 2-yard Brooks rushing score at 12:21 in the third quarter.
Pryor's 36-yard rush on 3rd-and-4 propelled the Bearcats to the Texas Tech 7-yard line, but UC settled for a field goal with Hawks making a 26-yarder to make it 31-27 with 6:43 left in the third frame.
The Bearcats held the Red Raiders to a 38-yard field goal from kicker Reese Burkhardt to keep it a one-score game. Texas Tech led 34-27 at the end of the third quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter, McCarty picked off Sorsby to put the Red Raiders in front by two scores with over 12 minutes left.
The pick was Sorsby's first interception of the season. He led FBS with 148 attempts without an interception this season and had gone 160 attempts without a pick dating back to last season.
NEXT UP
Cincinnati has its first of two bye weeks next week before hitting the road to face UCF on Oct. 12. The game time and network have not been announced yet.
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Kicker Nathan Hawks missed a 51-yard field goal as time expired.
The Red Raiders (4-1, 2-0 in Big 12) were powered by running back Tahj Brooks, who finished with 172 yards on 32 carries and ran for two touchdowns.
Sorsby's 426 passing yards are the ninth-most in a single game in program history and the most since Gunner Kiel threw for 523 yards at Houston in 2015.
"First off, credit to Texas Tech," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "It was a great environment here tonight. It's what you want to see, and our kids loved playing in it. Every Big 12 game on the road is a chance to try to earn respect. One thing I'm proud about is that we continued to fight the whole game, even when we got behind in the fourth quarter. Our kids never hung their head and continued to fight. We had a big play out of Manny Covey, who's basically fourth on the depth chart, with the big screen that went for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. That got us back in it, and our defense got the stop it needed and got the offense back on the field."
The Bearcats led 14-3 early and were tied with the Red Raiders 24-24 at halftime, but had two second-half turnovers that Texas Tech turned into 14 points.
Texas Tech led 41-27 with 12:40 left in the game on A.J. McCarty's 51-yard pick-six of Sorsby – the quarterback's first interception of the year.
The Bearcats fought back with redshirt freshman running back Manny Covey catching a short pass and springing 71 yards for a touchdown to bring Cincinnati within a score, 41-34, with 12:05 left.
Texas Tech kicker Reese Burkhardt put Texas Tech up 44-34 with 7:50 left, but Sorsby found Covey again – this time on a 3-yard touchdown pass that made the score 44-41 with 3:24 left.
Covey saw the most action of his career as starting running back Corey Kiner was injured in the first quarter and backup Evan Pryor knocked out of the game in the third. He finished with five receptions for 94 yards and added 10 rushing yards.
The Bearcats forced the Red Raiders to punt with two minutes remaining and took over at their own 10-yard line trailing 44-41. Sorsby hit Jamoi Mayes on a 19-yard pass to put Cincinnati in Texas Tech territory with less than a minute to play, setting up a 51-yard field goal attempt for Hawks to send the game into overtime. The attempt missed wide-right, however, cementing the 44-41 final score.
The first half featured only one punt.
Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks gained 35 yards on five carries on the game's opening drive, but the Bearcats made a crucial third down stop to hold the Red Raiders to a 45-yard field goal from kicker Gino Garcia that made the score 3-0 at 11:33 in the first quarter.
Sorsby completed his first pass attempt of the day, a 36-yard grab by Xzavier Henderson, and quickly moved the Bearcats down the field on their opening drive. The Denton, Texas native converted a 4th-and-1 in the red zone to keep the drive alive and on the next play, lofted a perfect 15-yard touchdown to Tony Johnson to give the lead, 7-3, at 7:35.
On the first play of UC's second drive, Sorsby zipped a pinpoint pass to Henderson for a 42-yard catch-and-run touchdown that put the Bearcats ahead 14-3.
Texas Tech scored its first touchdown on its third drive when quarterback Behren Morton capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Coy Eakin to make the score 14-10 with 1:25 left in the first quarter.
Cincinnati went three-and-out and was forced to punt on its third possession, but Antwan Peek Jr. ripped the ball loose from Texas Tech's Josh Kelley on the punt return giving Cincinnati the ball back at the Texas Tech 31, which led to a 37-yard Nathan Hawks' field goal that gave UC a 17-10 lead early in the second quarter.
Texas Tech tied the game, 17-17, when Morton found Eakin for a 49-yard score at 10:32 in the second quarter.
Sorsby completed five straight passes on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by Evan Pryor's 1-yard touchdown that put UC up 24-17 with 3:47 left before halftime.
After a Brooks' TD tied the game 24-24 with 1:39 to go in the second quarter, Sorsby completed several quick throws to put the Bearcats into field goal range, but Hawks' 42-yard attempt was wide left and the teams went into the locker room all tied up.
Cincinnati received the ball coming out of halftime, but the Bearcats gave it right back when Pryor fumbled.
Texas Tech took advantage of its takeaway, scoring a few moments later, taking a 31-24 lead on a 2-yard Brooks rushing score at 12:21 in the third quarter.
Pryor's 36-yard rush on 3rd-and-4 propelled the Bearcats to the Texas Tech 7-yard line, but UC settled for a field goal with Hawks making a 26-yarder to make it 31-27 with 6:43 left in the third frame.
The Bearcats held the Red Raiders to a 38-yard field goal from kicker Reese Burkhardt to keep it a one-score game. Texas Tech led 34-27 at the end of the third quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter, McCarty picked off Sorsby to put the Red Raiders in front by two scores with over 12 minutes left.
The pick was Sorsby's first interception of the season. He led FBS with 148 attempts without an interception this season and had gone 160 attempts without a pick dating back to last season.
NEXT UP
Cincinnati has its first of two bye weeks next week before hitting the road to face UCF on Oct. 12. The game time and network have not been announced yet.
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