Cincinnati Bearcats Now Bowl Eligible For Third Consecutive Season

Led by another solid effort from starting quarterback Brendon Kay, the Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the Memphis Tigers on Wednesday night by a final score of 34-21. The senior completed 27 of 35 pass attempts for 321 yards and a score. This was the second-straight 300-yard effort through the air for Kay, who is sporting a completion rate of 72.5 percent with 1,707 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through eight games.

Gone are the days of 2009 when Cincinnati, under then head coach Brian Kelly, finished the regular season at a perfect 12-0 and earned a trip to the Sugar Bowl. However, the team is still enjoying a decent level of success and is now bowl eligible for the third consecutive season. This time, they’re doing it under Tommy Tuberville, who is in his first year as the school’s head football coach.

Tuberville was hired by Cincinnati on Dec. 8 of last year and came to the position with an extensive history of success at various other programs including Ole Miss, Texas Tech and most of all Auburn. Known for building strong defensive units, the one-time Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award winner has succeeded in that department once again, as the Bearcats have given up an average of just 15.3 points over the last six games.

Now in his 18th overall season as a head coach, Tuberville has the team at 6-2 overall and on a three-game winning streak. Cincinnati will look to make it four in a row when the SMU Mustangs come to town on Nov. 9.

Nate Miller is an Atlanta Braves writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Miller_RotoRant, add him to your network on Google or like him on Facebook