It's down to just a two-game season for the University of Memphis football squad. Memphis (4-5, 2-3 in Conference USA) must win its final two games to finish the season with its first winning record since 1994, but more importantly, to become eligible for post-season play.
That'll include a win Saturday over the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-4, 3-2) at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium before the Tigers travel to Tulane Nov. 18 for their season finale.
"Cincinnati, obviously, is a critical game for us," head coach Rip Scherer said. "They're coming in with confidence."
Like the Tigers, the Bearcats enter Saturday's contest fighting for bowl position. Cincinnati faces second-place Southern Mississippi to end its season, so a win against Memphis would give the Bearcats an inside track on C-USA's fourth-place spot and a bowl opportunity.
If Memphis plans to stop them, it'll have to put the clamps on Cincinnati senior quarterback Deontey Kenner, perhaps the conference's best all-around player.
Last week against Alabama-Birmingham, the nation's third-ranked defense, Kenner was 20-of-32 for 351 yards and two touchdowns. With that total, he became the school's all-time leader in total offense.
"Kenner is a quarterback who's playing very well," Scherer said.
The Bearcats also boast C-USA's second-ranked rushing offense, which is led by junior running back Ray Jackson. Jackson needs just 215 yards to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau this season.
Sophomore kicker Jonathon Ruffin, who has an NCAA 29th-best 22 field goals this year, needs just one more field goal to tie the C-USA single-season record of 23.
Obviously though, Cincinnati has its weaknesses.
While 5-0 at home, Cincinnati is winless on the road. In addition, the Bearcats are giving up almost 380 total yards per game, third-worst in the conference.
"They're giving up some yards," Scherer said. "But they don't give up a lot of big plays or a lot of points."
For the Tigers, a win against the Bearcats would mean a 3-3 record heading into next weekend's game at Tulane (4-5, 2-4). If Memphis could manage a win there, it would probably mean a third- or fourth-place finish in C-USA and a bowl game.
"We're still here with an opportunity to realize those goals," Scherer said.
