Despite nearly pulling off a second half comeback, the Cincinnati Bearcats fell just short in a 32-29 loss to the Baylor Bears today at Nippert Stadium.
It appeared Baylor would pull away after going up by double digits in the second quarter but the Bearcats fought back and had a chance to take a late lead.
One of the most consequential plays occurred in the first half as Cincinnati wide receiver Braden Smith fumbled a kick off and Baylor returned it for a score.
The final possession came to an end as the Bearcats quarterback Emory Jones failed to connect with tight end Chamon Metayer on fourth down near midfield.
The second half comeback attempt falls just short as the #Bearcats lose 32-29 against Baylor at home today.https://t.co/vjnC3lH3mX pic.twitter.com/JOpanj5n7z
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) October 21, 2023
Cincinnati Football: Losing streak continues as the Bearcats comeback falls short
After a great first half showing, Cincinnati defensive back Deshawn Pace finished with a game-best 11 tackles and one sack during the loss against Baylor.
Bearcats running back Corey Kiner had a game-high 129 rushing yards, and receiver Xzavier Henderson racked up 82 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Scott Satterfield’s team trailed 20-14 at halftime but the offense started to find a rhythm midway through the opening half to stay within striking distance.
The Bearcats return to action against the Oklahoma State Cowboys next weekend with hopes of getting in the win column for the first time in over a month.
Scott Satterfield reacted to the #Bearcats narrow loss to Big 12 foe Baylor in the postgame press conference.https://t.co/vLcOPUw0YM pic.twitter.com/pPcrb97xMi
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) October 21, 2023
Cincinnati Football: Scott Satterfield breaks down the Bearcats 32-29 loss against Baylor
During the postgame press conference on Saturday, Satterfield reacted to the narrow loss to Baylor and the recent losing streak via Cincinnati Athletics.
Following an impressive start to the regular season, the Bearcats continue to search for their first ever Big 12 win after suffering a fifth consecutive loss.
"“Very frustrated and disappointed. This is not what Cincinnati football is all about and this is not what we’re going to be about. We’re going to play better football. This one was there for us to go get and we didn’t do it, and that starts here with me. There were some calls we could have done different. We made some mistakes. Giving them a touchdown on the kickoff return, nothing they did there except for us just giving it to them. On a positive note, once we did get down in the second half, our guys didn’t hang their heads. They continued to play. We had an opportunity to come back to win the game on the last drive. I’m proud of our guys for that.”"