Memphis Set for Another Marquee Matchup with No. 7 Cincinnati

Saturday, October 31

Cincinnati, Ohio

11 AM

University of Memphis

Cincinnati

Memphis Set for Another Marquee Matchup with No. 7 Cincinnati

Oct 29, 2020 | Football

By: Trent Shadid

A lot will be on the line Saturday when the Memphis Tigers visit the No. 7 Cincinnati Bearcats in a game with major American Athletic Conference Championship implications.
The 11 a.m. CT kickoff on ESPN will take place with only family members of players and coaches allowed in attendance at Nippert Stadium.

Memphis (3-1, 2-1 The American) came from behind to defeat Temple 41-29 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium last Saturday. The Tigers trailed 15-10 at halftime and turned the game around midway through the third quarter with two forced turnovers and two touchdowns in a span of seven plays.

Cincinnati (4-0, 2-0) shut down a high-powered SMU offense last week to hand the No. 22 Mustangs their first loss of the season, 42-13, in a surprisingly lopsided game. The Bearcats rushed for 313 yards in the road win.

"This is a nationally ranked team that we're playing," said Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield. "They're a top-10 team for a reason. If we can win this game, it'll continue to put us where we want to be with our long-term goals, but we don't talk about championships right now. We are focused on having a great week of practice. That's not coach-speak."

Familiar Foe
Memphis is facing Cincinnati for the third time in its past eight games. The Tigers defeated the Bearcats 34-24 in the 2019 regular-season finale last November and 29-24 a week later in the AAC Championship Game.

"This is probably a game (Cincinnati) had circled on the calendar," Silverfield said. "It's probably up in their weight room, this game circled, with the Memphis logo on there. We also understand there are a lot of chips on the table for us in this one. It's a big-time game."

In the series overall, Memphis holds a 23-13 advantage. The Tigers have won the past five meetings and the past two in Cincinnati.

Nearing History
Brady White earned his 23rd victory as the starting quarterback for the Tigers last Saturday, moving him into a tie with Lloyd Patterson (1975-78) for the most in Memphis history.

White, a three-year starter currently working on his doctorate in the classroom, is also just six passing touchdowns shy of setting the school career record and 178 yards short of moving into second in school history for career passing yards.

Battle of the Best
White enters Saturday averaging an AAC-best 4.25 touchdowns per game. He plays behind an offensive line that has allowed just 1.25 sacks per game and has paved the way for running back Rodrigues Clark's conference-leading 105.25 rushing yards per game. Wide receiver Calvin Austin III is averaging 177.5 receiving yards the past two games, giving Memphis elite production across the board offensively.

On the other side of the ball, the Cincinnati defense is equally as impressive. The Bearcats lead the AAC in scoring defense (12.5 points per game) and total defense (302.5 yards per game). Last week, the unit held SMU 29.6 points below its per-game average entering the game.

Top 10 Wins
Memphis is searching for its third-ever win over a team ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Tigers' last win against a top-10 team came in 1996 when they defeated No. 6 Tennessee, 21-17, at the Liberty Bowl. A 31-20 victory at Auburn in 1975 is the program's only road victory over a top-10 team.

The Bearcats, ranked No. 7 in both the Associated Press and coaches' polls, are 8-1 all-time when ranked in the top 10. Cincinnati spent most of the 2009 season in the top 10 when it started 12-0 before losing to No. 5 Florida in the Sugar Bowl.