Bearcats Fall 20-17 in Season Opener After Late Interception

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 29, 2025 - The Cincinnati Bearcats dropped their 2025 season opener, falling 20-17 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby struggled through the air, completing just 13 of 25 passes for 69 yards, but led Cincinnati on two second-half touchdown drives with his legs, rushing for 96 yards and two scores. Sorsby’s 7-yard burst in the third quarter staked the Bearcats to a 13-10 lead, and his 1-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter cut Nebraska’s advantage to 20-17 with 7:15 remaining.

With 34 seconds left and Cincinnati driving from its own nine-yard line, Nebraska safety Malcolm Hartzog Jr. leapt to snag an acrobatic one-hand interception in the end zone, sealing the Cornhuskers’ victory.

Head coach Scott Satterfield lamented the final play, saying, “I truly believe that if that pass is incomplete, we would have driven down and scored”.

Emmett Johnson paced Nebraska’s ground game with 108 rushing yards, while quarterback Dylan Raiola tossed for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Nebraska improved to 1-0, whereas Cincinnati fell to 0-1 to begin Big 12 play.