{"id":5988,"date":"2025-11-23T14:03:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T14:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/byu-cincinnati-big-12-title\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T14:03:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T14:03:48","slug":"byu-cincinnati-big-12-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/byu-cincinnati-big-12-title\/","title":{"rendered":"No. 11 BYU runs past Cincinnati to inch closer to Big 12 title game"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>BYU&#8217;s 11th-ranked football team left Nippert Stadium on Friday with a 26-14 victory over Cincinnati, moving the Cougars to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 play. The win relied on a dominant ground performance\u2014LJ Martin rushed for a career-high 222 yards\u2014and helped BYU move within reach of a Big 12 championship-game berth. Cincinnati outgained BYU in some phases but failed to convert four trips inside the 25 into points, including a late fumble recovered by BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker at the BYU 17. The announced crowd was 38,034.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Final score: BYU 26, Cincinnati 14; BYU improved to 10-1 (6-1 Big 12), Cincinnati fell to 7-4 (5-3 Big 12).<\/li>\n<li>LJ Martin rushed for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the season with a 1-yard scoring run in the third quarter.<\/li>\n<li>Quarterback Bear Bachmeier added 46 rushing yards and threw for 127 yards, completing 15 of 25 passes; Martin and Bachmeier combined for 312 of BYU&#8217;s 392 total yards.<\/li>\n<li>Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, but the Bearcats came up short after three misses on field-goal attempts from 40, 42 and 48 yards.<\/li>\n<li>BYU ran for 265 of its 392 offensive yards, underscoring a near-complete commitment to the ground game against Cincinnati.<\/li>\n<li>BYU needed a set of favorable results to clinch a Big 12 title-game spot outright; an Arizona State scoring run against Colorado denied BYU mathematical clinching on Friday.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>BYU historically built its identity on a prolific passing attack, most famously under Hall of Famer LaVell Edwards. This season the Cougars, under coach Kalani Sitake, have introduced a more physical running identity\u2014with a former Edwards-era fullback lineage credited by team staff for re-emphasizing power in short-yardage situations. Joining the Big 12 has raised stakes for BYU: conference positioning now directly shapes access to the Big 12 championship game and higher-profile bowl or playoff paths.<\/p>\n<p>Cincinnati entered the game fighting for bowl positioning and conference credibility, hosting its regular-season finale at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats displayed an effective aerial attack led by Brendan Sorsby but suffered from special-teams miscues and red-zone inefficiency. Key stakeholders include BYU\u2019s coaching staff and offensive line (who enabled Martin\u2019s workload), Cincinnati\u2019s placekickers and return unit, and Big 12 standings scenarios that keep both teams\u2019 late-season goals in focus.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>BYU opened the second half strong after a turnover: safety Tanner Wall intercepted a pass to begin the third quarter\u2014his fourth pick of the season\u2014setting up a short field that Martin converted with a 1-yard run to push BYU\u2019s lead to 17-7 with 8:26 left in the third. Through three quarters the visitors had already run for 170 yards, including 132 on 22 carries from Martin.<\/p>\n<p>The Cougars\u2019 strategy leaned heavily on the run, producing 265 rushing yards on the night. A pair of field goals by BYU\u2019s Ferrin extended the advantage to 20-7 entering the fourth quarter. Cincinnati responded when Sorsby connected on a 19-yard touchdown to Jeff Caldwell, narrowing the gap to 20-14 with 4:37 left, but BYU answered with another Martin touchdown in the final minute to seal the 26-14 result.<\/p>\n<p>Cincinnati had multiple opportunities deep in BYU territory\u2014four drives inside the 25-yard line produced zero points. Special-teams miscues compounded the problem: three missed field-goal attempts (from 40, 42 and 48 yards) and an offsides penalty on a punt return that negated an extra possession were pivotal. BYU\u2019s defensive stands and situational execution turned yardage into stops at critical moments.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>The victory reinforces BYU\u2019s emerging identity as a run-first, ball-control team capable of closing tight games against quality conference opponents. Martin\u2019s 222-yard night is a display of workload management and offensive-line performance; when BYU leans on the ground game, it limits opponent possessions and plays to clock control\u2014advantages in late-season conference races.<\/p>\n<p>For Cincinnati, the game highlights a complementary mismatch: a productive passing game (Sorsby\u2019s 300 yards) undermined by special-teams failures and red-zone inefficiency. Those execution gaps are likely to be focal points for coaching staff revisions in the offseason and could influence recruiting priorities at kicker and special-teams coverage positions.<\/p>\n<p>In Big 12 context, BYU\u2019s win kept the team within striking distance of the title game but did not clinch a berth outright after late results elsewhere. The outcome gives BYU momentum heading into its senior night and a final regular-season matchup with UCF; for college football evaluators, the result will factor into end-of-season rankings and bowl placement discussions.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Team<\/th>\n<th>Total Yards<\/th>\n<th>Rushing Yards<\/th>\n<th>Passing Yards<\/th>\n<th>Notable Individual<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>BYU<\/td>\n<td>392<\/td>\n<td>265<\/td>\n<td>127<\/td>\n<td>LJ Martin 222 rush yards<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cincinnati<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<td>300 (Brendan Sorsby)<\/td>\n<td>Brendan Sorsby 300 pass yards, 2 TDs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table highlights BYU&#8217;s ground dominance (265 rushing yards of 392 total) and Cincinnati&#8217;s heavy reliance on the pass (Sorsby 300 yards). Exact total-yardage figures for Cincinnati were not fully detailed in the game summary; however, the available statistics underline contrasting offensive approaches that shaped the final score.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<p>BYU coach Kalani Sitake framed the win as another step in a longer process of season-long development, noting the team will &#8220;take the result, and we&#8217;ll keep learning and get better for next week.&#8221; The comment framed Friday&#8217;s victory as both earned and preparatory for the Cougars\u2019 remaining games.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I was asking them if we were going to knee it instead, but then it was open, so I thought I might as well score.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>LJ Martin, BYU running back<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Martin\u2019s remark came after his late touchdown that closed out the game; it underscored the running back\u2019s instincts and BYU&#8217;s willingness to finish drives decisively. Center Bruce Mitchell credited months of preparation rather than luck for the result.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;This game wasn&#8217;t won tonight but it was won months ago&#8230;not a lot of luck, but a lot of hard work, a lot of discipline.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Bruce Mitchell, BYU center<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: How Big 12 clinching scenarios work<\/summary>\n<p>Big 12 title-game qualification depends on conference records with tiebreakers applied when teams share identical league records. Common tiebreakers include head-to-head results, record against common conference opponents, and, if still tied, comparative records against the conference&#8217;s highest-ranked common opponents. Late-season results across several teams can therefore make a single game&#8217;s outcome necessary but not sufficient to clinch a spot; multiple games and external results often determine the final berth.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<\/h2>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Chase Roberts exited after one catch and did not return; the team described the decision as self-initiated but the long-term nature of any injury or rest has not been specified.<\/li>\n<li>Whether the offsides penalty on Cincinnati\u2019s punt return was the decisive officiating error in the game is subjective; there is no independent review published indicating a clear officiating mistake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>BYU\u2019s 26-14 road win over Cincinnati advanced the Cougars to 10-1 and kept them squarely in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game, powered by a dominant rushing display from LJ Martin and complementary quarterback runs. The victory showcased a shift toward ball-control, physical football that can be sustainable against conference opponents when the offensive line and running game are clicking.<\/p>\n<p>For Cincinnati, the loss illustrates the thin margin between a successful passing offense and an outcome shaped by red-zone misses and special-teams lapses. As the regular season closes, BYU will seek to convert momentum into a title-game berth and improved postseason positioning; Cincinnati will turn focus to cleaning execution errors before bowl season begins.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksl.com\/article\/51409425\/no-11-byu-runs-past-cincinnati-to-inch-closer-to-big-12-title-game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KSL<\/a> \u2014 local news report with game recap and quotes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BYU&#8217;s 11th-ranked football team left Nippert Stadium on Friday with a 26-14 victory over Cincinnati, moving the Cougars to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in Big 12 play. The win relied on a dominant ground performance\u2014LJ Martin rushed for a career-high 222 yards\u2014and helped BYU move within reach of a Big 12 championship-game berth. Cincinnati outgained &#8230; <a title=\"No. 11 BYU runs past Cincinnati to inch closer to Big 12 title game\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/byu-cincinnati-big-12-title\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about No. 11 BYU runs past Cincinnati to inch closer to Big 12 title game\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"BYU beats Cincinnati, inches closer to Big 12 title | DeepNews","rank_math_description":"BYU edged Cincinnati 26-14 at Nippert Stadium behind LJ Martin\u2019s 222 rushing yards and a 265-yard team ground game, keeping the Cougars alive in the Big 12 title race.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"BYU,Cincinnati,Big 12,LJ Martin,Bearcats","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}