Sports
Cincinnati Stuns Texas Tech With Upset Victory in Big 12
The Red Raiders suffer their first regular-season loss in over a year, dealing a major blow to their playoff hopes.
By Headlinne · Compiled from reporting by Yahoo Sports, Sports Illustrated, USA Today and 1 other
Cincinnati defeated eighth-ranked Texas Tech 37-24 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday, ending the Red Raiders' undefeated season and dealing a major blow to their conference title defense.
Quarterback JC French IV threw four touchdown passes and running back Cole Tabb rushed for 173 yards, gashing a defense that entered the day ranked fifth nationally against the run.
The loss leaves Texas Tech with a narrow path to the College Football Playoff and removes the team's control over its own destiny in the Big 12 standings.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire lamented the performance of his squad after the final whistle sounded in Ohio.
"It seems like this happened to us last year at this time and we didn't play well, but this was totally different from that loss," said McGuire.
The match carried extra tension due to an offseason feud involving billionaire booster Cody Campbell and former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, according to Sports Illustrated.
Campbell promised retribution against the Bearcats during a four-part documentary on Paramount+, according to Sports Illustrated.
"Looking back on it, I know that Texas Tech and I handled everything with integrity, and we did things the right way," said Campbell, who also chairs the school's Board of Regents.
Sorsby never played a down for Texas Tech and left the program in June following a gambling investigation, according to CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports.
On the field, Cincinnati capitalized on a 21-0 scoring blitz in the second quarter to turn a tight game into a commanding lead.
Tabb sealed the victory in the second half by breaking off a 58-yard touchdown run, marking the first rushing score the Red Raiders surrendered all season.
Following the loss, Campbell posted a brief reaction on social media regarding the outcome.
"There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this," said Campbell.
The Red Raiders now face a demanding schedule to secure an automatic playoff berth, with no ranked opponents remaining in the regular season.
Reporting from
- Yahoo Sports
Cincinnati ends No. 8 Texas Tech's undefeated season with 37-24 upset win
- Sports Illustrated
Pat Forde: One Boast Made Texas Tech’s Loss to Cincinnati Even More Embarrassing
- USA Today
Texas Tech no longer controls its destiny after disastrous Cincinnati loss
- CBS Sports
Cincinnati's upset win over Texas Tech throttles College Football Playoff picture in Big 12 - CBS Sports
How this article was made: Headlinne wrote it with AI from the 4 reports listed above. Direct quotes are checked word for word against those reports, every number appears in at least one of them, and no other sentence is copied from one. Photos are from those reports and credited to them. Each report’s page on Headlinne links to the outlet’s original.