Cincinnati @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2014 ) Memphis 41, Cincinnati 14

Two of the nation’s most prolific offenses meet in an American Athletic Conference showdown when Cincinnati visits Memphis on Thursday night. While Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch looks to lead the Tigers to their 11th consecutive victory, Cincinnati signal-caller Gunner Kiel suffered a shoulder injury last Saturday and is considered day-to-day.

“He’ll have a good chance to play,” Bearcats coach Tommy Tuberville told reporters Tuesday of Kiel, who has thrown for 805 yards and five touchdowns in three games. Freshman Hayden Moore is the backup for Cincinnati, which has six players with at least 128 receiving yards. The 6-7 Lynch has completed 76.6 percent of his passes with six touchdown strikes and no interceptions for Memphis, which has totaled 162 points in three wins as it prepares for its toughest test yet. “I think we have one of the best offenses in the country,” Tigers running back Sam Craft told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “We’re just trying to prove it day in and day out.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Memphis -10.5

ABOUT CINCINNATI (2-1, 0-1 AAC): Kiel has completed 63 percent of his passes, but threw four interceptions in the Bearcats’ 34-26 loss to Temple on Sept. 12, and Moore had two picks in the 37-33 win over Miami (Ohio) last week. Cincinnati boasts three players with at least 220 rushing yards while Johnny Holton (eight catches, 167 yards) and Shaq Washington (17, 166) are the top receiving targets. The Bearcats, who are allowing a conference-best 152.3 yards per game through the air, lost senior cornerback Adrian Witty (ankle) indefinitely last week.

ABOUT MEMPHIS (3-0, 0-0): The Tigers average 570.3 yards to rank eighth in the country – one spot behind Cincinnati (579.3) – and never have scored more points in a three-game stretch in team history after the 44-41 win over Bowling Green last Saturday. Jarvis Cooper (174 yards, three TDs) leads a deep running back corps that has accumulated 12 rushing scores. Mose Frazier is Lynch’s first option with 17 receptions and 232 yards to go along with two touchdowns while the Tigers have recorded eight sacks – led by lineman Donald Pennington’s 2.5.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Memphis K Jake Elliott, who is 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts this season, was named AAC special teams player of the week Monday for the fifth time in his career.

2. Cincinnati RB Mike Boone, who has scored three times and is averaging 9.6 yards per carry, is expected to play despite being slowed by an ankle injury.

3. The teams were picked to win their respective divisions in the preseason AAC poll and the Tigers lead the all-time series 19-13 with the Bearcats, taking five of the last seven.

PREDICTION: Memphis 38, Cincinnati 21