With three quick scoring drives in the first quarter, the Bearcats raced out to 21-3 lead and grinded out a 38-20 win over Towson in their season-opener.

The Bearcats are off to a 1-0 start, but there is a lot football left to be played. While head coach Scott Satterfield was happy with the way the Bearcats performed, he also emphasized what needs to improve.

Here are 12 Takeaways from the Bearcats 38-20 win over Towson.

1) Brendan Sorsby had a really good first start as a Bearcat, throwing for 383 yards and two touchdowns while adding two scores on the ground.

2) Sorsby's two passing touchdowns were 42 and 61 yards, respectively. After struggling to hit explosive plays in 2023, the Bearcats hit eight plays of 20+ yards yesterday.

3) Cincinnati rushed for 275 yards on Saturday. Worth noting: they only rushed for 275 or more yards in two games in 2023.

4) Corey Kiner rushed for 51 yards on seven carries, but all of those carries and yards came in the first half.

5) After rushing for just 67 yards in the first half, the Bearcats broke loose a 64-yard touchdown run on their first offensive play of the second half.

6) Special teams mistakes were prevalent, especially in the first half. The Bearcats muffed a punt, had a kickoff go out of bounds and missed a 31-yard field goal.

7) As bad as those mistakes were, Towson only converted those mistakes into seven points. Give credit to the Bearcats defense for not letting Towson make too much of a dent in their lead.

8) Speaking of the Bearcats defense, it wasn't a great performance on Saturday. Towson gained 438 yards after averaging less than 300 yards per game in 2023.

9) Worth noting, though: the Bearcats defense held Towson to just three points and no points over the last 25:10 of the game.

10) Satterfield said after the game that 34 players made their Bearcats debut. That could be a sign that this team has better depth than it did last year.

11) Even without starting right tackle Philip Wilder, the Bearcats offensive line did not allow any sacks.

12) Yesterday was just the first game, but there is a lot that can be gleaned from it. The Bearcats showed signs of being a better team than they were in 2023, and they still won by 18 points despite a subpar defensive performance and mistakes on special teams. Next week against Pitt will be a better barometer of how much improved the Bearcats will be in 2024.