Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) hands the ball off to Cincinnati Bearcats running back Corey Kiner (21) in the first quarter of a college football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. © Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
AMES — When you start the season 7-0, any loss seems catastrophic.
And for suddenly slumping Iowa State — which tumbled from the rankings after suffering its second straight loss last Saturday — doom and gloom has spread across the fanbase, just like the spate of injuries decimating the defense.
The Cyclones (7-2, 4-2) limped back to Central Iowa down several key contributors on that side of the ball, and given how their most recent loss — a 45-36 setback to Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium — played out, the sour mood surrounding the program is understandable.
But there’s still hope. ISU’s path to the Big 12 title game narrowed significantly but didn’t completely vanish. And if the Matt Campbell-led Cyclones can rebound in their final three regular season games, big things still beckon in the postseason, whether that includes a trip to Arlington or not. ISU’s an 8.5-point favorite (as of Monday afternoon) for Saturday’s 7 p.m. matchup (FOX) with improving Cincinnati (5-4, 3-3) at Jack Trice Stadium — and here are five Bearcats to keep an eye on in the game:
QB Brendan Sorsby
The 6-3, 228-pound Indiana transfer’s been solid all season, but his interception returned for a touchdown last week against West Virginia proved to be the difference in a 31-24 loss. Sorsby’s completing 66.1 percent of his passes and has thrown for 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He’s also rushed for a team-leading seven touchdowns this season, so he’ll be a problem for an injury-plagued ISU defense that’s struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks. Sorsby’s failed to throw a touchdown pass in just one game this season — an impressive 24-14 win over Arizona State in which he ran for two scores. He’s been sacked three times twice this season, so a Cyclones defense that is tied for last in the Big 12 in that area with 12 may be able to create a bit more pressure on Saturday. Sorsby lost two fumbles last week, and one was returned for a touchdown, so ISU could get back on track in the takeaway department after forcing zero turnovers last week.
RB Corey Kiner (and Evan Pryor)
The 5-9, 210-pound Cincinnati native is poised to post his second straight 1,000-yard season and is the Bearcats’ undisputed workhorse. Kiner’s carried the ball 148 times for 783 yards (a 5.3-yard per carry average) while rushing for three touchdowns. No other Cincinnati running back has toted the ball more than 40 times, but talented change-of-pace contributor Evan Pryor’s averaged a head-turning 8.8 yards over those carries. He’s also turned his modest workload into five rushing touchdowns. Pryor caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Sorsby in the loss to the Mountaineers, so while Kiner remains the lead back, Pryor’s a perfect complement to him.
LB Jared Bartlett
Last week must have been strange for Bartlett, who faced his former team, West Virginia, at his new home. The 6-2, 237-pound sixth-year player did his part against his former teammates, recording a season-high-tying seven tackles while notching a sack in his fourth straight game. Bartlett’s compiled 4.5 of his team-best 6.5 sacks in the past four games, and he’s dependable when dropping into pass coverage, as well. He’s the Bearcats’ second-leading tackler with 49 stops — three fewer than fellow linebacker Jake Golday, who’s forced two fumbles and recovered one. Bartlett’s tied for third on the team in passes defended with three.
DT Dontay Corleone
The 6-1, 320-pound standout nose tackle nicknamed “The Godfather” owns 3.5 sacks this season and routinely occupies two blockers to free up his teammates to make tackles. Corleone’s yet to force a fumble this season, but he plucked out three footballs from opposing players in the previous two seasons while recovering two of those loose balls. Two of Corleone’s sacks this season came in an impressive 19-13 road win at UCF
WR Xzavier Henderson
Henderson, who transferred from Florida two seasons ago, stands 6-3 and uses his length and speed to produce big plays. He leads the Bearcats in receptions (51) and receiving yards (620). He’s also caught four touchdown passes but hasn’t reached the end zone in the past four games. Henderson’s eclipsed 100 receiving yards three times this season and boasts 12 career touchdown grabs.
