Cincinnati tops No. 14 Iowa State 38-30 to stay in Big 12 hunt

Cincinnati scored early and often and held off a late Iowa State rally to beat No. 14 Iowa State 38-30 on Saturday at Nippert Stadium, handing the Cyclones their first loss of the season and propelling the Bearcats further into Big 12 contention.

Cincinnati overwhelmed Iowa State in the first half, scoring on all five possessions and piling up 342 yards as it built a 31-15 lead by intermission. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby contributed with a 20-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter and finished with 278 yards of total offense, completing 214 passing yards and rushing for 64. A deep scoring play by wide receiver Caleb Goodie in the fourth quarter, an 82-yard catch-and-run, helped preserve the lead and ultimately sealed the victory for the Bearcats.

Iowa State staged a second-half comeback attempt, cutting a 24-point deficit to nine and threatening to overtake Cincinnati in the fourth quarter. Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht accounted for three rushing scores in the game and completed 30 of 48 passes for 314 yards and four total touchdowns, including an 11-yard passing score to Brett Eskildsen and a late three-yard touchdown to Chase Sowell. Iowa State converted...