Cincinnati and Boston College both arrive at Saturday’s season opener with plenty to prove, and each side is trying to put a rough year in the rearview mirror.
The Bearcats were rolling early last season, sitting at 7-1 and unbeaten in Big 12 play at 5-0 before everything unraveled. Cincinnati dropped its final five games and closed with a 35-13 loss to Navy in the Liberty Bowl, finishing 7-6. Boston College’s path was different but just as frustrating: the Eagles beat Fordham in the opener and Syracuse in the finale, but lost 10 straight in between and ended up 2-10.
For Cincinnati, the biggest challenge has been managing turnover across the roster. Scott Satterfield had to replace key players lost to graduation and the transfer portal, and now the Bearcats are handing the offense to veteran Georgia Southern transfer JC French IV. They no longer have multi-year starter Brendan Sorsby at quarterback, but they do bring back a major asset up front in preseason All-American guard Evan Tengesdahl.
Satterfield has pushed French hard this offseason and has seen the response he wanted.
"We're throwing a lot of stuff at JC because for us and how we want guys to play at that position it's new to him, so there's a lot of new things," Satterfield said. "He's going to make some mistakes when that happens.
We understand that, and to his credit, he's done a good job of learning when he goes back to watch the film, not making that same mistake again. I think that's the key."
Boston College is also in the middle of a reset, and Bill O'Brien enters his third season with the Eagles after a tough 2025 campaign. The roster has been revamped, with the defense undergoing the biggest overhaul after finishing last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total defense at 433.3 yards per game allowed. At quarterback, Boston College is turning to Mason McKenzie, a Division II Saginaw Valley State transfer.
"It was a disappointing year," O'Brien said. "We lost a lot of one-possession games and we made too many mistakes, whether it was turnovers or penalties or not executing in the red area. So we worked hard on that in the offseason to improve that, and I think we have."
In Other News...
Bearcats Fans Will Notice A Different Nippert Experience Right Away
Bearcats fans heading back to Nippert Stadium in 2026 will see a few familiar spots with a different feel, starting with a new premium group hospitality space above the team tunnel. The University of Cincinnati Athletics also unveiled the HOP Shops Tunnel Club as part of a broader round of upgrades, a sign that the gameday experience is getting a fresh polish beyond the field itself.
Food and presentation are getting attention, too, with LaRosa's Family Pizzeria set as the official pizza of Cincinnati Athletics and available at concession stands beginning with the season opener. UC is also adding upgraded live production equipment to improve videoboard presentations and expand broadcast capabilities, and it will kick things off with a pancake breakfast before the opener against Boston College. [Read more 🡒]