Cincinnati Grounds Kansas State's Run Game, Edges Wildcats 31-26
The short version
- Cincinnati beat Kansas State 31-26 on Sept. 26 at Nippert Stadium, improving to 4-0; Kansas State fell to 3-1.
- Avery Johnson threw for 291 yards and a touchdown but was held to 38 rushing yards after gaining 152 the week before.
- Cincinnati outrushed Kansas State 271-155 and got three touchdowns from Cole Tabb.
- JC French passed for 165 yards with a better rating (193.5) than Johnson (115.7).
- Cincinnati next faces Arizona's Noah Fifita, who beat the Bearcats 30-24 last season.
The Bearcats limited Avery Johnson to 38 rushing yards and outgained Kansas State on the ground to move to 4-0 in Big 12 play at Nippert Stadium.
Cincinnati earned a 31-26 victory over Kansas State in Big 12 action on the night of Sept. 26 at Nippert Stadium, moving to 4-0 while dropping the Wildcats to 3-1. The centerpiece of the Bearcats' week had been preparing for Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson, a three-time team captain who arrived averaging 10.5 yards per rush and posing a threat as a passer as well.
Johnson finished the game 30-of-50 through the air for 291 yards and a touchdown. Where Cincinnati made its stand was on the ground: after Johnson rushed for 152 yards against Tulane on Sept. 19, the Bearcats limited him to 38 rushing yards and won the overall rushing battle 271-155.
"Kansas State wants to line up and run the football," Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. "They were ranked Top 10 in the country in rushing coming to this game. They wanted to run the football and we outlasted them in that regard." Kansas State coach Collin Klein acknowledged the pressure his offense faced, saying, "They moved us. They stretched us out."
The first quarter saw Johnson escape pressure twice and connect on 9 of 11 throws for 74 yards. A fumble recovery by Cincinnati's Jacob Finley was overturned on review, letting the Wildcats keep possession, but they managed only 19 rushing yards on the drive and settled for a 22-yard Luis Rodriguez field goal.
Kansas State's second quarter included a scramble to escape third-and-3 from its own 28, and an offensive pass interference call on tight end Will Ancioux wiped out a substantial gain before the drive stalled at the Wildcats' 24. After Cincinnati scored on a JC French touchdown pass to Malachi Henry and forced a three-and-out, Stephen Rusnak's 45-yard field goal evened the score. Johnson then directed a 65-yard drive capped by a 4-yard scoring toss to Derrick Salley Jr. Johnson threw for 150 first-half yards to 44 for French and scrambled three times for 27, while Gi'Bran Payne racked up 93 yards for the Bearcats, who led the first-half rushing count 166-96 despite Kansas State holding the ball nearly five minutes longer.
Momentum flipped in the third quarter when Antwan Peek Jr. dislodged the ball from Salley and MJ Cannon recovered, setting up a Cincinnati touchdown drive that tied the game. Another three-and-out followed, and Cole Tabb reached the end zone for the second straight drive to put the Bearcats up 24-17. Kansas State's third possession of the period also ended in a punt.
A Zion Johnson fumble late in the third gave Kansas State a possession that carried into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats drove 65 yards but came away with only a field goal, trailing 24-20. Tabb's third touchdown pushed the margin to 31-20 before Kansas State answered with a 79-yard march in just over two minutes, scored by Rodney Fields Jr., but the two-point try failed. Cincinnati recovered the onside kick, and its defense kept the Wildcats behind their own 30 on the final series.
The quarterback comparison favored Johnson in volume, 291 passing yards to 165, but French completed 62% of his attempts to Johnson's 60%, each threw a touchdown, and French posted the better rating, 193.5 to 115.7. "It was a great game, and I think Avery Johnson is a very good quarterback," French said. "I think they're going to have a successful season. I'm glad our defense is our defense. It's tough going against them every single day. Props for them playing a really good game."
It was Johnson's first meeting with the Bearcats since his sophomore year, when he threw for two scores and ran for 72 yards and another touchdown in Kansas State's 41-15 win in Manhattan in 2024. Cincinnati's next challenge is Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, who went 23-of-31 for 294 yards and a touchdown in the Wildcats' 30-24 win over the Bearcats last season, a game in which Cincinnati sacked him four times but saw its 14-10 halftime lead slip away.
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