Cincinnati spoiled No. 8 Texas Tech's undefeated start with a 34-27 upset Saturday in a showdown between the two programs embroiled in the Brendan Sorsby saga this offseason.
George Strait's "All My Ex's Live in Texas" played on the speakers inside Nippert Stadium in the game's final minutes, a timely tribute to the drama between the Bearcats and their former quarterback, before fans rushed the field to celebrate Cincinnati's first home victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2006.
"A lot of you guys circled this game right from the offseason all the way through with all the talk of things that were going on with our two programs," Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. "So this was something that was circled."
The Bearcats (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) rushed for 255 yards on the day with a career-high 173 from Cole Tabb. Texas Tech hadn't allowed more than 175 rushing yards in any game under defensive coordinator Shiel Wood entering Saturday. Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV finished with 172 passing yards, 43 rushing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) got off to another slow start on offense and struggled to finish drives in the red zone, settling for five field goal attempts and turning it over three times. Quarterback Will Hammond threw for 227 yards with an interception and a fumble, and Texas Tech's offense did not reach the end zone until the game's final minute. The Red Raiders also drew a season-high 12 penalties.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire called it "some of the worst football that I've been a part of" afterward. His billionaire board chair, Cody Campbell, didn't disagree.
"There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this," Campbell wrote in a post on X. "We have to be better."
McGuire said he spoke with Satterfield before the game about keeping the focus on football and not Sorsby on Saturday. But considering all the off-field drama between their schools dating back to January, this one meant a little more to the Bearcats.
Cincinnati is still seeking $1 million from Sorsby after suing him in federal court in February for breaching his contract with the school when he transferred to Texas Tech. Sorsby was ESPN's No. 1-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal and was expected to make more than $5 million this year.
At Big 12 media days in July, Satterfield claimed Texas Tech tampered with Sorsby last season before he entered the transfer portal. Texas Tech and Sorsby's agent, Ron Slavin, both denied the allegations.
Sorsby produced 5,613 passing yards, 1,027 rushing yards and 63 total touchdowns over his two seasons as the Bearcats' starter, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2025.
Sorsby was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA in April after his extensive history of sports wagering was revealed, including bets on his own team while he was a freshman at Indiana in 2022. Sorsby acknowledged placing more than 9,000 wagers totaling at least $90,000 on professional and college sports over four years and entered a residential treatment program in May for his gambling addiction.
A Texas judge granted a preliminary injunction in June that would have allowed Sorsby to play for the Red Raiders this season after serving a two-game suspension. Texas Tech and Sorsby agreed to part ways a week later after the Big 12 filed a federal lawsuit seeking to affirm its ability to sanction Texas Tech if Sorsby did play. The Big 12 withdrew its lawsuit in September.
After Slavin claimed Cincinnati had been aware of Sorsby's betting for two years, the NCAA conducted an inquiry and cleared the school of any wrongdoing in its handling of its former quarterback.
Sorsby is currently training for the 2027 NFL draft in Dallas after the NFL declined to hold a supplemental draft for him this summer.
Satterfield was asked afterward, given everything that transpired around Sorsby, how much the win meant to him. He shot down the notion that the offseason drama had anything to do with it but pointed to "college football and the way it is over the last three years," a nod to Texas Tech emerging as the Big 12's top spender for talent acquisition and a College Football Playoff contender.
"I'm really, really proud of our program, our players, our coaches, our staff," Satterfield said. "Our guys work their butts off. Nobody gives them a chance, a lot of times, when you're playing a team like this.
"To come out there and really dominate the game like we did in all three phases and to beat a No. 8-ranked Texas Tech team with a ton of resources and for us to be able to go do that, man, yeah, this is probably one of the greatest wins I've been a part of."
