LAWRENCE, Kan. (KUAthletics.com) – Kansas football finishes off its 2023 regular season on Saturday, November 25 when the Jayhawks travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats at 6:30 p.m. CT.
The game will be televised on ESPN2 with John Schriffen (Play-by-Play), Rocky Boiman (Analyst) and Dawn Davenport (Sideline) on the call. Game action can also be heard across the Jayhawk Radio Network with Brian Hanni (Play-by-Play), David Lawrence (Analyst) and Brandon McAnderson (Sideline) calling the action.
Kansas (7-4, 4-4 Big 12) enters the regular season finale having already clinched a bowl opportunity, as Kansas’ seven wins are the most in its first 11 games since 2008. Saturday’s game comes on the heels of two-straight one possession losses for Kansas, who most recently fell to No. 21 Kansas State on Nov. 18, 31-27. Of Kansas’ four defeats this season, three have been decided by one score or less.
Kansas’ offense is averaging 422.9 yards per game, along with 32.2 points per game. Kansas’ defense has held strong, allowing 26.6 points per game with four defensive touchdowns, which ranks fourth in the country this season. Defensive tackle Austin Booker leads the team with eight sacks, which are the second most in the Big 12 Conference.
In the loss to Kansas State, junior Devin Neal rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns, marking his 30th career touchdown rush and putting him over the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight season. Neal leads the Jayhawks with 1,103 yards and 13 touchdowns on 173 carries this season.
Cincinnati is coming off a loss on the road at West Virginia, where the Bearcats gave up 424 yards rushing and five rushing touchdowns. Cincinnati won its sole Big 12 Conference game a week prior, defeating Houston, 24-14 on Nov. 11.
The meeting between Kansas and Cincinnati will be the first as Big 12 Conference opponents after Cincinnati joined the league on July 1, 2023, while it will be the third meeting overall as the two teams traded wins in 1995/1997. Kansas was victorious in the inaugural matchup in 1995, defeating the Bearcats 23-18, while Cincinnati won the latest meeting in 1997, 34-7.
Following the Kansas at Cincinnati regular season finale, the Jayhawks will learn their bowl assignment on Sunday, Dec. 3. The bowl appearance will be Kansas’ second in as many years, marking the second time in program history with back-to-back bowl appearances (2007-08).