It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective. Behind a resilient defense and a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the Cincinnati Bearcats extended their winning streak to five games with a gritty 20-11 victory over UCF on Saturday at Nippert Stadium.

The Bearcats (5-1, 3-0 Big 12) were outgained 413–306 and ran just 48 plays compared to UCF’s 90, yet they capitalized when it mattered most. Sorsby threw for 191 yards and connected twice with receiver Jeff Caldwell — a 40-yard strike in the first quarter and a 9-yarder in the second — to give Cincinnati an early cushion.

READ MORE: Is Mike Norvell Losing the Locker Room? Florida State’s Freefall Hits New Low in Upset Loss to Pitt

“We defended a lot of snaps today and only gave up 11 points,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “We’ll take that. Our offense is not going to be complacent after that showing. It’s not good enough.”

Despite offensive inconsistency and a 2-for-9 mark on third down, Cincinnati’s defense held firm in the red zone and limited big plays when UCF threatened. Florida Atlantic transfer Cam Fancher made his second start for the Knights (3-3, 0-3) and impressed with 222 passing yards, 108 rushing yards, and a touchdown. Still, UCF’s inability to finish drives proved costly.

“The fight and the effort was unbelievable,” UCF coach Scott Frost said. “We were plenty explosive until we got in the red zone. That’s three weeks in a row we’ve shot ourselves in the foot.”

Tight end Joe Royer’s 67-yard catch late in the third quarter set up a field goal by Stephen Rusnak, who remains perfect on the season (9-for-9).

READ MORE: North Texas Crashes Back to Earth: Turnovers Doom Mean Green in 63-36 Blowout vs. South Florida

“We found a way to put points on the board when we needed to,” Sorsby said.

Cincinnati sits just outside the AP Top 25 with 129 poll points — and the way this defense is playing, it might not be long before the Bearcats climb back into the rankings.