Homecoming at Nippert Stadium is not an easy test for road teams.
Cincinnati football is 19-5 all-time during homecoming weekend in the 21st century, and looked for win number 20 against Arizona State on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) brought the energy, handing the Sun Devils (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) their second loss in conference play with a 24-14 victory.
“They battled, fought, and they competed,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said about his players. “Kudos to Cincinnati, they beat us today. They outcoached us, they outplayed us. They did everything to win that football game.”
The Sun Devils already faced an uphill battle going into the game their with starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Sam Leavitt, out with a rib injury. Dillingham turned the keys over to senior Jeff Sims.
Sims and crew went down the field in six plays on their first drive. Senior running back Cam Skattebo punched it in from two yards out to give the visitors the lead.
But the Bearcats established a rhythm on both sides of the ball, taking advantage of two Maroon and Gold turnovers. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brendan Sorsby scored on a 14-yard rushing touchdown to capitalize on a Skattebo fumble.
Following a Sun Devil turnover on downs in the ensuing drive, redshirt senior Nathan Hawks made a 46-yard field goal to make it a 10-7 ball game.
The crew from Clifton extended their lead in the second quarter with a 55-yard rushing touchdown from redshirt junior running back Evan Pryor.
Sorsby added his second rushing touchdown of the game right after the two-minute timeout. The Sun Devils headed back to the locker room down 24-7.
The Maroon and Gold went 0-for-5 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth downs in the first half. Sims looked hesitant in the pocket, missing passes and runs multiple times. Additionally, Sims would give the ball to Skattebo, only for the Cincinnati defense to swarm the running back.
“Sometimes, we get outnumbered,” redshirt senior offensive lineman Leif Fautanu said. “They have six guys in the box, but the six guys are coming from different places on the field. It’s different every time.”
Both teams traded punts to start the third quarter before ASU sustained an eight-play, 74-yard drive, capped off by Skattebo’s second touchdown of the day. He beat around two defenders in the backfield to score once again in a goal-to-go situation.
While Dillingham’s side struggled on fourth down in the first half, it was Cincinnati who sputtered in the second. Sophomore defensive tackle C.J. Fite made an open field tackle on a fourth down and goal for the Bearcats to keep it a two-possession game. The home side would go on to be held scoreless in a half for the first time this season.
However, the Sun Devils failed to cut into their deficit, as redshirt sophomore kicker/punter Ian Hershey missed two field goals. While both attempts were from more than 40 yards away, Dillingham is set to make some changes on special teams.
“If you can kick and you’re at Arizona State, email me,” Dillingham said. “We’re going to have kicking tryouts on Monday…I’m serious.”
While both teams logged 191 rushing yards, the hosts won the passing yards battle 206 to 155. They also held the ball for nine minutes and 20 seconds more than the visitors.
ASU’s defense started well, forcing a three-and-out on Cincinnati’s first drive while sophomore defensive back Keith Abney II grabbed an interception on a Sorsby deep throw.
“Just practicing my technique, we practice that during the week,” Abney said. “We just gotta win our 1-on-1 matchups and go up in the air and make a play. That’s what I like to do.”
Redshirt sophomore Jordyn Tyson led the receivers with six catches and 108 receiving yards, the second-highest yard total for him in a game this season.
The Sun Devils will look to clinch bowl eligibility in two weeks with a road trip to Oklahoma State (3-4, 0-0-4 Big 12) after next week’s bye. While the Sun Devils will once again need to rebound from a road loss, there are less questions going into the respite compared to last year.
“I think I know who our team is for the most part,” Dillingham said. “We gotta just get healthy and get ready and progress. Kind of remake ourselves a little bit schematically going forward into the last five games. We’re looking to get together a good plan.”
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