In a display of offensive firepower and defensive resilience, No. 21 Cincinnati dismantled Baylor 41-20 on Saturday afternoon at Nippert Stadium, solidifying their status as a Big 12 contender. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby orchestrated the Bearcats' attack with surgical precision, tossing two touchdown passes and scampering for another score himself. The victory propelled Cincinnati to 7-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in conference play—their seventh consecutive win, a streak not seen since their magical 2021 run to the College Football Playoff. For Baylor, the loss dropped them to 4-4 (2-3 Big 12), exposing vulnerabilities in a game where they started ice-cold but mounted a gritty comeback that ultimately fell short. The Bears trailed 24-0 at halftime, a deficit that felt insurmountable against a Cincinnati squad that's feasted on early momentum all season. Yet, Baylor's Sawyer Robertson, the nation's passing yards and touchdown leader entering the day, refused to fold, engineering a third-quarter surge with two aerial strikes and a sneaky rushing touchdown to claw back within striking distance at 27-20.Cincinnati's fast start set the tone, much like their previous blowouts. The Bearcats' opening possession chewed up 81 yards over 11 plays, methodically marching downfield behind a balanced attack. A third-and-long pass interference call on Baylor's secondary gifted Cincinnati a crucial first down, keeping the chains moving. The drive culminated with running back Tawee Walker's 1-yard plunge into the end zone, igniting the home crowd and putting the Bearcats up 7-0 just over five minutes in. Walker, who finished with a game-high 102 rushing yards, exemplified Cincinnati's ground-and-pound philosophy under head coach Scott Satterfield. Baylor's defense responded with fire, stuffing Cincinnati on third down and forcing a punt. But the Bears' offense sputtered on their ensuing drive, plagued by a third-down sack that sent punter Isaiah Johnson shanking a boot from deep in their territory. Seizing the short field, Cincinnati pounced with a 66-yard, 10-play clinic. Sorsby spread the ball efficiently, mixing checkdowns with intermediate routes, before handing off to Evan Pryor for a 5-yard touchdown burst. The score swelled to 14-0, and the Bearcats' sideline erupted— a stark contrast to Baylor's frustrated huddle. The half's turning point arrived courtesy of a Baylor blunder. Wideout Josh Cameron hauled in a contested grab but couldn't secure the ball, coughing it up on a bone-jarring hit from Cincinnati's secondary. The Bearcats' special teams scooped the fumble and returned it deep into Baylor territory, setting up Sorsby's 6-yard dart to speedy slot receiver Cyrus Allen. With 2:34 ticking away in the second quarter, the rout was on: 21-0 after the extra point. Baylor managed a field goal before the break, but the damage was done. Cincinnati entered halftime owning time of possession (18:42 to 11:18), total yards (212-89), and every momentum swing. The second half brought Baylor's pulse back. Robertson, limited to a measly 137 passing yards—his season low—against Cincinnati's swarming front seven, found his rhythm post-intermission. He connected with tight end Garrett Wolfe for a 22-yard score on a third-quarter fade, slicing the lead to 24-7. Moments later, a 15-yard keeper by Robertson himself knifed through the defense, making it 24-14 after the two-point conversion. The Bears' sideline buzzed with belief as they forced a three-and-out, setting up a 28-yard laser to Drake Dabney that trimmed the margin to 27-20 early in the fourth. For a fleeting moment, Nippert Stadium held its breath—could Baylor's aerial wizardry flip the script? Enter Sorsby, the dual-threat dynamo who's become Cincinnati's X-factor. Facing a 12-play, 75-yard odyssey that consumed over seven minutes of clock, he dissected Baylor's depleted secondary. A mix of Walker’s power runs, Sorsby’s designed keepers, and precise underneath throws bled the Bears dry. The payoff? Sorsby’s electric 23-yard touchdown scamper, his fourth jaunt of 20-plus yards this season, sealing the 34-20 advantage with six minutes remaining. Baylor's final gasp—a late field goal—proved cosmetic, as Cincinnati tacked on a backbreaking 4-yard touchdown run by Corey Kiner to ice the 41-20 final. Defensively, the Bearcats were masterful, sacking Robertson thrice and limiting Baylor to 289 total yards. Linebacker Malik Grant's strip-sack in the fourth nearly sparked another turnover, but Cincinnati's ball security (zero giveaways) was the real story.