The Arizona State football team was looking to become bowl eligible with a win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
But the Sun Devils will now have to continue to look to win their sixth game this season after mistakes plagued ASU football in the first half of a 24-14 loss to the Bearcats at Nippert Stadium.
Cincinnati scored a touchdown after an ASU fumble, and added a field goal and a touchdown off of Sun Devil turnovers on downs in building a 24-7 lead at the half against Arizona State.
ASU fell to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 with the loss. Cincinnati improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
‘I’m dead serious’:Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham calls for open kicker tryouts
ASU struggled to get its passing game going, with Jeff Sims going 12-for-23 for 155 yards starting in place of an injured Sam Leavitt.
The Sun Devils rushed for 191 yards, led by Cam Skattebo’s 17 carries for 75 yards. Skattebo rushed for both of ASU’s scores, the first on Arizona State’s first possession of the game and the second on the Sun Devils’ second possession of the second half.
He had a costly fumble on ASU’s next possession, which gave Cincinnati the ball at ASU’s 22-yard line, allowing the Bearcats a short field to tie the game.
Brendan Sorsby was 23-for-31 for 206 yards for Cincinnati, with one interception thrown. He rushed for two touchdowns.
The Bearcats also rushed for 191 yards in the game.
More:Gambles prove costly for Arizona State in loss to Cincinnati
ASU was 4-for-12 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down in the game.
Ian Hershey missed two late field goals in the fourth quarter for the Sun Devils, which would have brought ASU within seven points.
ASU football is off next week before playing at Oklahoma State on Nov. 2.
Cincinnati plays at Colorado next Saturday.
Look back at our updates on the Arizona State vs Cincinnati Week 8 college football game Saturday.
Ian Hershey missed a 41-yard field goal with 27 seconds left to end ASU’s 13-play, 57-yard drive and to end this game.
Cincinnati kneeled the ball once to run out the clock.
Final score: Cincinnati 24, Arizona State 14
ASU football has the ball back vs Cincinnati.
But it does not have much time.
Brendan Sorsby ran for 13 yards on a 3rd & 4 at the Cincinnati 49 after ASU had used all of its timeouts to extend the Bearcats’ drive and let more time run off the clock.
ASU has the ball back with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati was able to run 3:38 off the clock on the eight-play, 28-yard drive.
The Sun Devils had a 3rd & 2 at the Cincinnati 30, but after an incomplete pass from Jeff Sims, elected to kick a 48-yard field goal from Ian Hershey.
The field goal, however, was wide and ASU missed a chance to pull within seven points. Time is now not on Arizona State’s side.
ASU went eight plays and 67 yards on the drive, but came up empty. Yes, we have the benefit of hindsight, but you have to wonder if ASU should have just gone for it on 4th & 2, especially considering the woes it has had from its kicking game this season.
There is 5:58 left in the game and ASU still trails, 24-14.
The Bearcats just went for it and 4th & 3 at ASU’s 3-yard line, but were stopped by the Sun Devils, who tackled Tony Johnson for no gain, keeping Cincinnati from extending its lead.
Cincinnati had a 4th & 3 at the ASU 28 and went for it and it paid off that time for the Bearcats, with Corey Kiner rushing for 18 yards to the ASU 10 for a first down.
But Cincinnati could not get into the end zone.
The Bearcats did take 8:13 off the clock with their 14-play, 72-yard drive, however.
There’s 9:10 left in the fourth quarter and Cincinnati still holds a 24-14 lead. Can ASU make this game more interesting with its next drive?
The Sun Devils have scored their first points since their first possession of the game vs Cincinnati.
ASU’s Cam Skattebo just ran for 1-yard touchdown, powering into the end zone to pull ASU within 24-14 and capping off an 8-play, 74-yard drive that took 4:23 off the clock.
It is Skattebo’s second score of the day. He’s rushed 14 times for 60 yards.
Score: Arizona State 24, Cincinnati 14 (2:23 left in third quarter)
Cincinnati gained 23 yards on seven plays on its first possession of the second half before being forced to punt.
The Bearcats hold a 21:52 to 16:22 advantage in time of possession over the Sun Devils.
One very interesting stat in this game? These teams are both 1-for-7 on third down, for a combined 2-for-14 on the down in this game.
Cincinnati has just fared a lot better on first and second down and had shorter fields to work with in this game.
There is 6:46 left in the third quarter.
The Sun Devils had a 7-play drive to open the second half, their longest drive in plays of the game.
But they had to punt after gaining 25 yards on the possession.
Jeff Sims is now 6-for-11 passing for 69 yards for Arizona State.
It’s halftime in Cincinnati and the Arizona State football team has some work to do to attempt to try to get back into this game against the Bearcats.
A lot of work to do.
Cincinnati scored 24 unanswered points after falling behind 7-0, taking a 24-7 lead into the half of the Big 12 Conference game at Nippert Stadium.
ASU turned the ball over twice on downs in the first half. It fumbled the ball. It had two three-and-outs and other possessions of just one play, five plays, four plays and five plays.
ASU went 0-for-5 on third down. It was 0-for-2 on fourth down.
It was ugly for the Sun Devils, who had just five first downs in the first half and 138 total yards.
Jeff Sims went 5-for-9 for 56 yards in the first half, making his first start at ASU in place of an injured Sam Leavitt.
He had seven rushes for 19 yards. ASU played it very conservatively on offense, rushing the ball 20 times. The problem is, they gained just 82 yards on those rush attempts and 46 of those yards came on ASU’s first possession of the game, its only scoring possession.
Does ASU not trust Jeff Sims throwing the ball?
Could ASU give 3rd-string QB Trenton Bourguet some time in the second half?
ASU’s defense did allow 24 points in the first half, but it didn’t get help from its offense, with ASU’s fumble and turnovers on downs giving the Bearcats some short fields in this game.
Brendan Sorsby as 17-for-23 for 148 yards in the first half. Cincinnati rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns, with Sorsby getting two of them and Evan Pryor rushing for a 50-yard score on the other.
Score: Cincinnati 24, Arizona State 7 (halftime)
Cincinnati’s Nathan Hawks missed a 42-yard field goal late in the first half, to keep the score at 24-7 in favor of the Bearcats.
Cincinnati had gone 44 yards over nine plays on the drive.
A 15-yard face mask penalty on Caleb McCullough didn’t help ASU’s cause.
ASU also interestingly took a timeout on 3rd & 2 with 1:03 left, stopping the clock. The Bearcats then converted the play for its first third-down conversion of the game to extend the drive.
But Cincinnati wasn’t able to extend its lead. ASU ran two plays before the end of the half.
This could get very ugly for ASU.
The Sun Devils just punted after another 3-and-out, giving Cincinnati the ball with 1:30 left in the first half.
ASU is 0-for-5 on third down in this game. It is also 0-2 on fourth down.
Pretty hard to stay in a game with those stats.
ASU does get the ball to start the second half, but it first needs to to stop Cincinnati at the end of the first half.
Make that 24 straight points for Cincinnati.
The Bearcats just went 50 yards over five plays in 2:47, taking a 24-7 lead on the Sun Devils at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
Brendan Sorsby got the ball in the end zone on a 1-yard run for the score. It is his second TD run of the game.
ASU led this game 7-0 after its first possession, but that was a long time ago.
Sorsby is 13-for-17 for 128 yards passing in this game. Cincinnati has 14 carries for 117 yards rushing. They are averaging 8.4 yards per rush.
Score: Cincinnati 24, Arizona State 7 (1:55 left in second quarter)
ASU did not get the points it needed on its most recent drive. It turned the ball over on downs for the second time in this game.
Cam Skattebo lost one yard on 4th & 1 at the Cincinnati 49, giving the Bearcats great field position again.
ASU’s most recent drive went for 24 yards on five plays, getting 15 on a penalty from Cincinnati.
Arizona State desperately needed a stop against Cincinnati. It got it.
The defense forced the Bearcats to punt after a 5-play, 19-yard drive, giving ASU the ball back at the ASU 26.
Cincinnati had scored on its previous three possessions.
ASU hasn’t scored since its first possession of the game. It desperately needs some points on this next drive.
Will it get it?
The Sun Devils did not get the great drive that they needed. They went 3-and-out instead, gaining just seven yards on their three plays.
This game has completely shifted in Cincinnati’s favor. ASU has been playing it very conservatively on offense, choosing not to have Jeff Sims pass much, but the running game hasn’t been able to get anything going since its first drive.
Something will obviously have to change if ASU wants to change the course of this game.
Sims is 4-for-51 for 51 yards for ASU. ASU has only rushed for 65 yards and 46 of those yards came on its first possession.
The Bearcats have now scored 17 straight points against ASU after trailing 7-0 early.
The latest score came on a big play, a 55-yard run from Evan Pryor and 1st & 10 at the Cincinnati 45.
The run capped a 6-play, 91-yard drive.
He has three carries for 64 yards and the touchdown in this game.
The Bearcats never had a third down on the most recent drive. That’s a way to get around being 0-for-3 on third down in this game.
The Sun Devils could obviously really use a great drive on their next possession to try take some momentum away from Cincinnati.
Score: Cincinnati 17, Arizona State 7 (11:38 left in second quarter)
ASU appeared to convert a 3rd & 3 at the Cincinnati 45, but an illegal shift penalty on the Sun Devils pushed them back five yards.
Cincinnati then sacked Jeff Sims for a 9-yard loss to the ASU 41, ending ASU’s drive.
After marching 64 yards on its first possession of the game, ASU has struggled on its next three possessions, with a fumble, a turnover on downs and now the penalty forcing the Sun Devils to punt at the start of the second quarter.
ASU’s defense held the Bearcats to a 46-yard field goal by Nathan Hawks, which gave Cincinnati a 10-7 lead.
But it could have been worse after the Sun Devils gave Cincinnati a short field for the second straight possession.
Cincinnati has seven points after an ASU fumble and now three after Arizona State turned the ball over on downs.
The Bearcats only went 13 yards over six plays on their most recent score, but it was enough to hit the field goal because of the great field position.
Score: Cincinnati 10, Arizona State 7 (2:18 left in first quarter)
ASU just went for it on 4th & 2 at the ASU 48, trying to extend its drive.
It ended up giving Cincinnati great field position.
The Sun Devils turned the ball over on downs after Cam Skattebo lost seven yards, giving the Bearcats the ball at the ASU 41.
ASU could really use a big stop from its defense with Cincinnati having a short field. Even allowing a field goal would have to be considered a win for Arizona State.
It took the Bearcats just two plays to even this game.
Evan Pryor ran for eight yards, then Brendan Sorsby ran for a 14-yard touchdown, giving Cincinnati its first score of the game. They only had to go 22 yards because of the ASU turnover.
What a turn of events in Cincinnati after ASU opened the game with all of the momentum.
Score: Arizona State 7, Cincinnati 7 (7:26 left in first quarter)
Things can change fast in college football.
This game just did.
ASU’s Cam Skattebo fumbled the ball on ASU’s first play after Cincinnati’s interception, giving the ball right back to the Bearcats at the ASU 22.
Skattebo was fighting for more yards when the ball was hit loose and Cincinnati’s Kameron Wilson jumped on it.
The Sun Devils are looking good early in Cincinnati, even though they are playing more than 3,000 miles from home and in a time zone three hours earlier.
Arizona State’s Keith Abney II just intercepted Brendan Sorsby at the ASU 16-yard line, the first turnover of the game.
Sorsby is just 2-for-5 for 20 yards in the game, with the interception.
The Bearcats have gained 25 total yards on two possessions.
Jeff Sims’ first drive as ASU’s starting quarterback couldn’t have gone much better.
ASU marched 64 yards in six plays over 3:06, scoring a touchdown on a 2-yard run from Cam Skattebo.
Sims set up the touchdown with a 6-yard run on the previous play, to get ASU near the end zone.
He also completed a short pass to Skattebo earlier in the drive that the running back took for 20 yards.
The only possible negative on the drive? The Sun Devils were forced to use an early timeout after some confusion deep in Cincinnati territory.
Score: Arizona State 7, Cincinnati 0 (10:35 left in first quarter)
The game in Cincinnati is underway and ASU’s defense got off to a good start, forcing the Bearcats to punt after three plays on their first possession.
Cincinnati’s Corey Kiner had a 2-yard loss on his first run of the game, then Brendan Sorsby only completed a 4-yard pass to Xzavier Henderson before throwing an incomplete pass on third down.
We’ll now get to see how Jeff Sims fares on his first possession for Arizona State.
There’s a lot on the line in Cincinnati for the Arizona State vs Cincinnati Big 12 game.
A win for the Sun Devils would make them bowl eligible, a huge feat considering the team went 3-9 in each of the past two seasons and was picked to finish last in the Big 12 this season.
Cincinnati was picked to finish 14th in the conference this year, so people didn’t think too highly of the Bearcats, either.
Cincinnati is also coming off a 3-9 season and a win against ASU football would put it closer to bowl eligilibity.
Both teams are still in the Big 12 title race as well, with ASU having just one conference loss and Cincinnati having two.
The winning team in today’s game would get a boost in the Big 12 standings and the Big 12 Conference title race.
Who could have imagined this game meaning so much at the beginning of the season?
Will Arizona State lean on heavily on its ground game in light of Sam Leavitt’s absence for the Sun Devils at Cincinnati?
Jeff Sims has only attempted two passes this season, so Kenny Dillingham could choose to have a run-heavy approach on offense, giving Cam Skattebo and the rest of ASU’s running backs a lot of carries.
Skattebo has carried the ball 133 times for 773 yards on the season. He has eight rushing touchdowns. He’s been a pivotal part of the Sun Devils’ surprise 5-1 start.
Cincinnati could expect a run-heavy approach from the Sun Devils and put a lot of defenders on the line of scrimmage to combat it.
It certainly adds to the intrigue of today’s game.
ASU fans have been clamoring for Skattebo to get more Heisman attention and a big performance today would certainly provide that for the running back.
Should ASU football’s Cam Skattebo be a Heisman contender after Sun Devils’ 5-1 start?
The Sun Devils will have a different QB1 against the Bearcats today.
Jeff Sims.
The former Georgia Tech and Nebraska QB is starting in place of Sam Leavitt, who was injured in ASU’s upset of Utah last week.
Sims went 1-for-2 for 13 yards, with a 2-yard touchdown run in relief of Leavitt last Friday.
Social media had mixed thoughts on ASU’s chances to beat Cincinnati after the QB news for the Sun Devils.
More:Can Jeff Sims, Arizona State football beat Cincinnati?
It is homecoming at Cincinnati today and the Bearcats are going to wear red uniforms in front of the sellout crowd.
The Sun Devils are going with their road white uniforms.
Arizona State vs Cincinnati:Who will win the Big 12 football game and why
The game can be seen at 9 a.m. MST time on ESPN+. It is not on TV and is only available to watch via ESPN’s streaming service.
ASU fans shut out?Arizona State vs Cincinnati schedule, TV channel: How to watch Saturday
Cincinnati is a 6.5-point favorite over ASU in college football Week 8 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Bearcats are -250 on the moneyline. The Sun Devils are +200.
The over/under for the game is set at 49.5 points. 
College football Week 8 odds:Point spreads, moneylines, over/unders for betting on games this week
ESPN gives Cincinnati a 61.6% chance to defeat ASU in the Week 8 college football game. Some other writers are split on the outcome of the Big 12 Conference matchup Saturday.
Who wins Week 8 game?Arizona State vs Cincinnati picks, predictions, odds
Who is Jeff Sims? What to know about ASU QB filling in for Sam Leavitt against Cincinnati
Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt ruled out for Cincinnati game; Jeff Sims to start
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Upset of Utah boosts Arizona State four spots in Big 12 football power rankings
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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