Cincinnati didn’t just beat Kansas State on Saturday night. It forced the Big 12 to pay attention.
The Bearcats walked into Nippert Stadium as a 6.5-point underdog and walked out with a 31-26 win, a 4-0 record, and Scott Satterfield’s first 4-0 start as a head coach. That’s the kind of result that changes the conversation fast, especially in a league where early surprises tend to get sorted out in a hurry.
Kansas State came in rolling under first-year head coach Collin Klein, but Cincinnati had other plans. The Wildcats grabbed a 17-10 lead at halftime, then watched the game swing after the break as the Bearcats put up 21 second-half points and leaned on a ground game that kept one of the nation’s top statistical defenses on its heels all night.
Cole Tabb was the engine. He ripped off 124 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries, the kind of efficiency that turns a close game into a problem for the other sideline. Quarterback JC French IV did his part without having to carry the whole load, going 8 of 13 for 165 yards and a touchdown.
It was also a familiar kind of night for Cincinnati, which had already shown some late-game bite a week earlier in a 35-31 comeback over Miami (Ohio). That one came from 21 points down. This one came against a ranked-quality Big 12 opponent with real momentum behind it.
Now the Bearcats are 4-0 for the first time since 2021, when they ran the table in the regular season and reached the College Football Playoff. Nobody is handing out those comparisons yet, and they shouldn’t. But Satterfield’s team has clearly done enough to put itself in the early mix of the Big 12 race.
For Kansas State, the loss is the first one of the Collin Klein era. The Wildcats drop to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, is 4-0 and 1-0 in the Big 12. And right now, that’s a record that demands a closer look.
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Bearcats Undefeated Start Faces Its Strangest Test Yet In Arizona
Cincinnatis unbeaten start has given Scott Satterfield something he has not had before in his head-coaching career, and it has the Bearcats back in familiar territory as a program too, sitting 4-0 for the first time since 2021. The early-season momentum has been built on steady play and a clean start, but Week 5 sends them into a far less ordinary setting: a late-night trip to Arizona, where the usual rhythm of a Saturday game will look and feel different from what Cincinnati has handled so far.
The test comes with an 11 p.m. ET kickoff on FOX, which means the Bearcats have to deal with both the time change and the demands of a long road trip before they even settle in for the matchup. JC French IV will be one of the central figures for Cincinnati, while Arizona brings Noah Fifita into the spotlight on its side of the ball, giving this one the feel of a midseason measuring stick as much as a search for win No. 5. [Read more 🡒]
Bearcats Suddenly Look Like Theyre Building Something Real
The Bearcats early season start has turned into something a little more substantial after they rallied past previously unbeaten Kansas State to move to 4-0. Cincinnati leaned on its running game throughout the night, with Cole Tabb helping steady the offense, while the defense kept finding ways to make the Wildcats work for everything. Add in the kind of home atmosphere Nipp at Night is supposed to create, and it felt like one of those wins that can change the feel around a program.
Antwaan Peek Jr. and the defense were part of what gave Cincinnati a chance to finish the comeback, and the result gives the Bearcats a tangible next step as they try to turn a hot start into something lasting. The challenge now is repeating that edge, because early September momentum only matters if it travels and holds up once the schedule keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Might Be More Dangerous Than Big 12 Fans Realize
Cincinnatis win over Kansas State offered another reminder that this team can make life uncomfortable for Big 12 opponents in more than one way. The Bearcats leaned on a strong rushing attack to control the game, and while the attention in the league has often gone to teams like Utah and Oklahoma State after their recent performances, Cincinnatis physical approach is starting to look like something conference foes will have to prepare for every week.
The question now is whether that offensive balance can hold up if the defense continues to lag behind. Cincinnati has shown enough on the ground to believe it can hang around against quality Big 12 competition, but the next step is making sure those offensive bursts are not forced to do too much. If the Bearcats can tighten things up on the other side of the ball, the rest of the league may be overlooking a team that is more dangerous than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]