The long-awaited moment has come as the Cincinnati Bearcats prepare to host the #16 ranked Oklahoma Sooners to open Big 12 Conference play at Nippert Stadium, Saturday, September 23rd at noon. This will be the third time the Bearcats have played the Sooners, after having a home and home contract between the 2008-2010 seasons. Both contests resulted in a loss for the Bearcats, with host Oklahoma taking a commanding victory in 2008 by a score of 52-26. The second matchup in 2010, played at then named Paul Brown Stadium, ended as a much closer contest, with the Bearcats nearly completing the comeback 31-29, featuring a star-studded roster with names such as center Jason Kelce, wide receiver Armon Binns, and defensive end Derek Wolfe.
Cincinnati, coming off a hard loss to longtime rival Miami of Ohio, looks to bounce back with their sights set on the Sooners, coming off a strong victory against Cincinnati’s former AAC for Tulsa 66-17. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel would complete 28-31 passes, throwing for 421 yards and 5 touchdowns; spreading the wealth to eleven different receivers, three of which totaled over 100 receiving yards.
Kick off is slated for noon this coming Saturday for Oklahoma’s first ever trip to Nippert Stadium, as well as Clifton’s FOX Big Noon Kickoff debut, as the network’s pregame show makes its way to Cincinnati for the first time. The stage is located at the Bearcats Commons, where ESPN’s College GameDay was set up for their visit in 2021. The pit opens to fans starting at 6 a.m., with the pre-game festivities beginning at 9 a.m. There will be giveaways throughout the program and the show will start at 10 a.m.
Coverage will be provided on FOX, Cincinnati’s 102.7 WEBN, and Bearcast Sports Radio.
By: Ethan Herzog
https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/opponent-history/university-of-oklahoma/192