Cincinnati uses dominant first half to beat Arizona State 24-14, improve to 5-2

CINCINNATI — Brendan Sorsby passed for 206 yards and rushed for two touchdowns, Corey Kiner added 99 yards rushing and Cincinnati scored 24 straight first-half points in a 24-14 victory over Arizona State on Saturday.

Cincinnati (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) dominated the first half after the Sun Devils raced 66 yards for a touchdown on their opening possession. The Bearcats forced the Sun Devils to punt three times and turned them over on downs twice before halftime.

The turning point of the first half came midway through the first quarter, with Arizona State leading 7-0. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo fumbled deep inside his own territory. Bearcats defensive end Kameron Wilson recovered it at the 23-yard line, and Sorsby made up for an earlier interception with a 14-yard keeper to tie it at 7-all.

Sorsby had two rushing touchdowns in the first half, bringing his total to six on the season. The Bearcats first-year quarterback stretched the ball across the goal line from a yard out, just after the two-minute warning, for his second touchdown to extend the Bearcats lead to 24-7.

Skattebo, who entered Saturday fifth in the country with 773 rushing yards, was held to 75 yards on 17 carries for Arizona State (5-2, 2-2). His two touchdowns kept the Sun Devils within striking distance in the second half, but two missed field goals by Ian Hershey prevented the Sun Devils from making it a one-score game.

Up next

Arizona State: Idle before playing at Oklahoma State on Nov. 2.

Cincinnati: At Colorado next Saturday.