UC Football discusses Signing Day
UC Football GM Zach Grant and Head Coach Scott Satterfield discuss Signing Day.
- The Cincinnati Bearcats will play the No. 22 ranked Navy Midshipmen in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on January 2.
- This marks the Bearcats’ first bowl game appearance since 2022 and a chance to secure their eighth win of the season.
There will be one more chance for the Cincinnati Bearcats football team to earn an eighth win this season, and it will take place in Memphis in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Navy on Friday, Jan. 2.
Kickoff is 4 p.m. Central/ 5 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. UC last played a bowl game in Memphis Dec. 31, 2011 under coach Butch Jones, beating Vanderbilt (then coached by James Franklin) 31-24. UC last played Navy Nov. 5, 2022, at Nippert Stadium in Luke Fickell’s last season, winning 20-10.
Coach Scott Satterfield and the Bearcats got word Sunday, Dec. 7. It’s the first Cincinnati Bearcats bowl game since 2022.
Navy is 9-2 and ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press. They are coached by Brian Newberry, and their two losses occurred in November. The Midshipmen lost to North Texas 31-17 and Notre Dame 49-10.
UC can get a scouting report of Navy when they face Army Dec. 13 in Baltimore in the annual Army-Navy game.
How Cincinnati Bearcats reached bowl status
After losing the opener to Nebraska in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, the Bearcats won seven straight games in September and October, the most since Luke Fickell’s 2021 AAC champions ran the table at 12-0 until running into Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal/Cotton Bowl.
November was another story as UC lost four straight to Top 25 teams Utah, Arizona and BYU and dropped a weather-delayed final game at TCU which would finish with eight wins.
3 years between bowl appearances for Cincinnati Bearcats
In 2022, Satterfield was hired at UC from Louisville when the Bearcats were selected to play the Cardinals in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. He didn’t coach either team, but much of his current staff helped the Cardinals to a 24-7 victory over a much-depleted Bearcats roster thanks to a flurry of opt-outs.
Who plays for Cincinnati Bearcats?
Dontay Corleone has already declared for the NFL Draft, seemingly taking him out the contest. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby after the TCU loss, was noncommittal. Offensive lineman Ethan Green will enter the transfer portal but says he’ll play in a bowl game.
Corleone, Jake Golday and Joe Royer all have Senior Bowl invites Jan. 31 in Mobile, Alabama and center Gavin Gerhardt will play in the Hula Bowl in Florida Jan. 10.
Other Bearcats that have said they were heading to the portal are nose tackle Kamari Burns, receivers Dakari Anderson and Kale Woodburn and scout team quarterback Zeb Kinsey. The portal doesn’t officially open until Jan. 2, so there could be several decisions in between now and the game. The Enquirer will update these as information becomes available.
Cincinnati Bearcats bowl game record
The Bearcats are 8-10 historically in bowls, with their last victory coming in the 2020 Birmingham Bowl against Boston College, 38-6.
UC’s Scott Satterfield in bowls
Scott Satterfield is 4-1 historically in bowl games. He won back-to-back Camellia Bowls in 2015 (Ohio University) and 2016 (Toledo) at Appalachian State and the Dollar General Bowl in 2017 (Toledo again).At Louisville, he won the 2019 Music City Bowl (Mississippi State) but lost the 2021 First Responder Bowl (Air Force).His 2022 Cardinals squad finished 7-5 to make the Fenway Bowl, but neither he nor Fickell coached their teams in Boston. Louisville won 24-7.
Bearcats bowl equals bonus
Per his contract, Satterfield’s performance bonus is $75,000 for making a bowl.
