Cincinnati’s 'Home' Game Belongs to Nebraska in Kansas City

It’s important to play in big game environments in college football, and Thursday night in Kansas City certainly felt like that for both Nebraska and Cincinnati.

But I bet the Bearcats were hoping their “home” game last night was actually at home.

Of the 72,884 fans in attendance to watch Nebraska’s pulse-pounding 20-17 win over Cincinnati, more than 65,000 of them were Husker fans. That equates to roughly 89% of the stadium being from approximately three hours northwest of where the game was played.

“It was Cincinnati’s home game, but it certainly didn’t feel like it,” Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield said after the game. “It was one of the louder stadiums that I’ve been a part of or played a game in. It certainly affected us offensively.”

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola leads the team onto field during warmups in front of a more than 65,000 Nebraska fans in Kansas City. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Nebraska-centric crowd proved beneficial on four separate occasions – all Cincinnati false start penalties that squashed drives, including on what would have been a first down play to extend a drive earlier in the game when the Bearcats were finding their stride.

“We were shooting ourselves in the foot,” Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby said. “We had a couple missed assignments, obviously the turnovers. That’s tough, especially on our defense. We’ve just got to figure out a way to avoid those pre-snap penalties, especially in those crucial situations, and we will. We’ll get it cleaned up.”

Nebraska wasn’t exactly a polished product either. For a game that had the over-under line over 50 points, a combined 37 from the Huskers and Bearcats prove there is plenty to work on for both teams. Despite the loss, Cincinnati might be leaving Kansas City with more confidence than Nebraska.

After entering the half down 13-3 and little to show on offense, the Bearcats made key adjustments that turned the tide in the second half. Cincinnati went with tempo, and Sorsby found his groove as the Bearcats climbed back into the game.

“I think once we get in rhythm, we’re hard to stop,” Satterfield said. “We saw that (Thursday night). Once that thing was rolling, it was like a confidence. We were just going right down the field. Even in the last drive, they didn’t really stop us. We were going right down the field until obviously that interception happened.”

Cincinnati made key halftime adjustments, which led to offensive success against Nebraska down the stretch of their 20-17 loss to the Huskers. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sorsby echoed those sentiments.

“When we start getting that tempo going we’re tough to stop,” Sorsby said. “I think we did a really good job handling the silent cadence and obviously did a really good job of protecting me. They didn’t get into the backfield at all.”

If you’re Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler, go ahead and slap that statement on the bulletin board for the next week. Regrettably for NU, Sorsby is right. The Blackshirts didn’t record a sack and only recorded two tackles for a loss throughout the game. However, the lack of backfield pressure didn’t exactly yield great offensive results for the Bearcats.

Nebraska held Cincinnati to just 271 yards Thursday night, which is plenty to write home about for a season opener with a young defense and new defensive coordinator. Of that 271, Cincinnati passed for a mere 69 yards. The rushing attack was more potent for Cincy as they racked up 202 yards on the ground, nearly doubling up Nebraska’s output of 113 yards, 108 of which came from Husker running back Emmett Johnson.

Nebraska seals the win with a 4th quarter interception — The Blackshirts did just enough Thursday night to escape with a 20-17, culminating in a game-sealing interception from senior Malcolm Hartzog, | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Ultimately it’s a testament to Cincinnati’s defense keeping Nebraska in check when the stadium was just a bit less rowdy.

“Since it was mostly Nebraska fans out there, it was mostly quieter when they’re on offense,” Cincinnati senior linebacker Jake Golday said. “Plus, we’re not listening to a signal or anything like that. We’re getting our signals from the sideline. It was definitely the loudest stadium I’ve ever played in. That was a great atmosphere. You really can’t ask for much better than that.”

The only thing Cincinnati didn’t get from Kansas City was a win, but the Bearcats left with their chins up and the chance at a Big 12 Championship still very much on the table. A non-conference loss to start the year isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered, but keeping it close with what’s expected to be a vastly improved Nebraska team in a de-facto home game for the Huskers is still valuable.

“This was a tough environment, maybe one of the toughest we’ll play in all year,” Satterfield said. “We’ve got to get better in these environments. We’ve got to get better when it’s loud like that – how we operate our offense.”

Next up for Cincinnati is an actual home game on Saturday, September 6 when the Bearcats welcome in Bowling Green. They’ll then wrap up non-conference play with Northwestern State before kicking off Big 12 play with a road test at Kansas.

In the end, Cincinnati left Kansas City with more than a loss on the scoreboard. They left with a new understanding of what makes Nebraska unique. There is no such thing as a neutral site game when Husker fans are involved, and no such thing as a true road game when they travel.

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