Kansas vs. Cincinnati 2025 Preview: Must-Know Keys and Predictions

To say the Kansas Jayhawks bounced back from the Missouri loss in Week 3 would be putting it lightly. A 41-10 thrashing of West Virginia in Week 4 got Kansas back in the win column – and back on track. Next up are the Cincinnati Bearcats, who are coming off a bye week. And, not only did they not play last week, but Cincinnati also got their starters out early the week prior in a 70-0 win over Northwestern State. It’s a 2025 showdown between the Kansas Jayhawks vs. Cincinnati Bears, so let’s dive into the preview.

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Cincinnati Bearcats: Matchup History

This will be just the third meeting between the two teams and the second since the Bearcats joined the Big 12. The Jayhawks hold a 2-1 lead and won the last meeting 49-16 in 2023. In that game, Jason Bean accounted for 340 yards and four touchdowns and Devin Neal chipped in 106 yards and a pair of scores. As good as the Jayhawks have been so far this season, I don’t think this game will be quite that impressive.

The previous two meetings came more than two decades prior, as the teams split meetings in 1995 and 1997. The Jayhawks won the first-ever meeting in 1995, escaping with a 23-18 victory. The Bearcats got their revenge two years later with a dominant 34-7 win. For what it’s worth, the home team is 2-1 so far, and this year’s game is in Lawrence.

Kansas vs. Cincinnati 2025 Preview: Keys to the Game and Predictions

Key Players for Kansas

The run game was stifled in the Missouri loss and needed to get back on track in a major way against West Virginia. They did just that.

Even with Daniel Hishaw banged up early in the game, the Jayhawks were still able to gain 259 yards on the ground. Leshon Williams led the way with 129 yards, while Jalon Daniels added 69 yards of his own. As we’ve mentioned, an efficient run game is important for Kansas because it takes a lot of pressure off Daniels’ shoulders and allows him to play more freely. With Hishaw trending towards missing this game, Williams will need to carry the workload again.

Speaking of Daniels, he appears to have found his favorite target. Emmanuel Henderson was the only Jayhawk with multiple receptions last week, hauling in six passes to bring his season total to 18. Not only is he the focal point of the passing game, he is also making a big impact on special teams.

Henderson had just two kick returns in the West Virginia game, but he made the most of them. The first was a 43-yard return that kickstarted a drive that ended with a touchdown just three plays later. The second didn’t need any offensive plays, as he took the opening kickoff of the second half 94 yards for a touchdown. He is starting to find a groove this season and is become a multi-faceted threat for the Jayhawks.

Key Players for Cincinnati

The Bearcats are led by their d0-it-all quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The junior transfer from Indiana leads the team in both passing and rushing yards, while also accounting for 12 of their 16 touchdowns so far this season. He has rushed for at least 39 yards and a touchdown in all three games so far and has thrown for 586 yards in their last two contests. The Jayhawks have had major issues stopping running quarterbacks over the past few years, but appear to be at least somewhat better in that department so far this season. They have only faced one dual-threat quarterback, Beau Pribula of Missouri, but they held him to just six rushing yards. For reference, he has had games with 65 and 72 rushing yards this year. Sorsby offers about the same level of threat, with 175 total rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in their first three games.

Defensively, Jake Golday is all over the field for the Bearcats. He has 28 tackles and a pair of sacks already, and those would likely be higher if not for a blowout win in their last game. The defense as a whole has only forced one turnover, but they’ve also only allowed 37 total points. Having a guy like Golday, who can make tackles all over the field, makes everyone else’s job that much easier.

Keys for a Jayhawk Win in Week 5

One reason the Jayhawks were in the game against Missouri was turning Pribula into a one-dimensional quarterback. That will likely be a focal point again this week against Sorsby. The Cincinnati defense has been steady so far this season, but it’s not on the same level as Missouri. Not only that, but Sorsby is quite as talented of a passer as Pribula. Making him beat you with his arm is a key to beating Cincinnati. I think the Jayhawks can do that and move to 2-0 in Big 12 play.