(Cincinnati, OH) — Cincinnati built a lead that they would never relinquish in a 38-30 Big 12 win over Iowa St. on Saturday.
The Bearcats built a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and led 31-7 with about a minute left in the 2nd quarter. Evan Pryor had a 30 yard TD run; Brendan Sorsby hit a 12 yard TD pass to Joe Royer with a field goal in between to build the lead. Rocco Becht got a 14 yard TD run to get the Cyclones one the board but just over a minute later, Pryor got an 18 yard TD and Sorsby added a 20 yard TD scamper.
Iowa St. got a Becht TD run just before the end of the first half and a 2 point conversion made it 31-15 at the half.
ISU opened the 2nd half with a 14 play drive that finished with a Becht 11 yard TD pass to Brett Eskildsen to cut the lead to 31-22.
Logan Wilson returned the kickoff to the ISU 46 and three plays later Tawnee Walker for UC fumbled and the Cyclones took over at their own 39 yard line. ISU moved into Cincinnati territory and after Abu Sama III recovered his own fumble on 1st down, Becht had two straight incompletions to set up 4th and 7. The Cyclones went for it but Becht was incomplete again on 4th and 7.
The next two drives for Iowa St. went 3 and out and Cincinnati pretty much put the game away on a Sorsby 82 yard TD pass to Caleb Goodie to make the score 38-22 with under 6 minutes to go. Iowa St. scored with 1:55 to go on a Becht 3 yard TD pass to Chase Sowell but there were no late dramatics for the Cyclones.
Cincinnati improves to 4-1, 2-0 while Iowa St. falls to 5-1, 2-1 — next up for the Cyclones is a visit to Colorado next Saturday, 2:30 kickoff, Cyclones Pre Game at 12:30 on KSOM.
Iowa St. Stats
Rocco Becht 30-48 passing, 314 yards, 2 TD; 17 yards rushing, 2 TD
Abu Sama III 18 carries, 96 yards
Carson Hanson 6 carries, 33 yards
Brett Eskildsen 8 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD
Xavier Townsend 6 catches, 50 yards
Chase Sowell 5 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD
Ta’Shawn James 9 tackles
Cincinnati Stats
Brendan Sorsby 13-25 passing ,214 yards, 2 TD; 9 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD
Evan Pryor 10 carries, 111 yards, 2 TD
Tawee Walker 14 carries, 89 yards
Calbe Goodie 2 catches, 832 yards, 1 TD
Jake Golday 12 tackles, 1 sack
Christian Harrison 10 tackles
