The Bearcats started the year 7-1 before a three-game skid in November. TCU isn't overlooking Cincinnati despite its recent struggles.

Cincinnati Bearcats running back Evan Pryor (6) is forced out of bounds in the fourth quarter of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and BYU Cougars at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 22, 2025. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bearcats lost to the No. 11 BYU Cougars 26-14, dropping them out of the Big 12 title game race. Cincinnati missed several scoring chances, including three missed field goals and a costly red zone fumble.

For the season, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Sorsby has thrown for 2,518 yards with 24 touchdowns, five picks and a quarterback rating of 81.3. TCU's Josh Hoover, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, has thrown for 3,166 yards, 25 touchdowns with 13 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 71.7.

This year, however, the Bearcats are a tougher challenge. Cincinnati enters 7–4 after a strong start to the season, facing a tough November slate against Utah, Arizona, and BYU. A three-game losing streak hasn’t diminished what remains an imposing squad.

Williams: They blew it, those Bearcats. UC football and basketball squander major opportunities in big weekend to win back causal fans.

After a morning on Bearcat Commons with the Fox Big Noon Kickoff Show, followed by the best atmosphere of the season in the lone 2025 "Nipp at night", the Cincinnati Bearcats were left empty-handed with a 26-14 loss to the 11th-ranked BYU Cougars.

In the second half of BYU’s win over Cincinnati, fans were heard chanting “F--- the Mormons.”

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, but the Bearcats left plenty of points on the field as they didn't score on a fourth-and-one from the 3-yard line, missed three field goals and fumbled another time at the BYU 17-yard line.

Along the way, BYU (10-1, 7-1) strengthened its narrative in the debate for the College Football Playoff. The Cougars have defeated six bowl-eligible teams who are no worse than 7-4, including four on the road with their lone defeat at No.