Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for three touchdowns and 333 yards in a 34-20 home win over Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon.
Sorsby came out taking shots early and often Saturday, connecting with wide receiver Cyrus Allen on a 44-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. It was the first of three touchdown passes in a span of four Bearcats drives.
A week after throwing for just 69 yards against Nebraska, Sorsby had 57 yards through the first quarter and 189 at halftime.
Two Bearcats, wide receiver Jeff Caldwell and tight end Joe Royer, both had over 100 receiving yards in the game. Caldwell scored on a nine-yard touchdown reception midway through the second quarter, which was set up by a career-long 73-yard reception from Royer.
Bowling Green made the game interesting after falling behind 21-0 in the second quarter. Quarterback Drew Pyne completed over 80 percent of his passes for 274 yards and a touchdown to draw the Falcons within 14 points three times in the second half.
Three different Falcons had five-plus receptions, with tight end Jyrin Johnson leading the way with a team-high seven receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons, though, were held in check on the ground, rushing for just 98 yards on 34 carries.
Despite rushing for just 106 yards themselves and losing the possession battle by nearly 15 minutes, the Bearcats won by two scores thanks to their passing game and explosive playmaking.
In addition, they got off the field on third down when they needed to and didn’t face too many third downs themselves. The Bearcats held Bowling Green to 6-16 on third down while only facing seven third downs.
This is the Bearcats’ first time beating Bowling Green in program history, breaking a four-game losing streak against the Falcons. Saturday was the first matchup between the two programs since 1994.
Cincinnati is home again next Saturday against Northwestern State. Bowling Green is home to Liberty next Saturday.
