MEMPHIS — Troy Evans would have liked to have seen the play that sealed a 13-10 overtime victory Saturday for the University of Cincinnati, but he was face-down in the Liberty Bowl's turf.

        In the same position was Memphis quarterback Scott Scherer, who had gotten walloped by the UC senior linebacker and had to get rid of the ball early into the hands of...

        Evans' roommate — Kirk Thompson, a 6-foot-1, 261-pound junior defensive tackle, — who had read the pass into the left-flat, 15 yards away from UC's end zone.

        “If I had dropped that ball, after all our defense had done (seven turnovers), I'd have hated myself,” Thompson said.

        He was buried beneath a swarm of teammates.

        “I couldn't breathe, but what a wonderful feeling,” Thompson said.

        His game-saving pick was set up moments earlier by UC's Jonathan Ruffin, who hit a 37-yard field goal in the first possession of OT.

        Upon Thompson's interception, Ruffin and the rest of the Bearcats burst from the sideline. Backup quarterback Adam Hoover grabbed the big Bearcats' flag from the mascot and waved it ... special-teamer Mel Lewis fell at the 40-yard line ... numerous Bearcat arms went skyward.

        UC (6-4, 4-2 in Conference USA) had been winless (0-4) on the road until Saturday, and hadn't won a C-USA game on the road since 1996. They snapped a road-conference losing streak of 12 games.

        UC linebacker coach Greg Hudson had seen to it that a box of rubbery black granules that are regularly brushed into Nippert Stadium's field turf (UC is 5-0 there) was brought along. In the Friday evening walk-through, the Bearcats each sprinkled handsful into the grass where they wanted to make “big plays.”

        Thompson sprinkled granules at the 15-yard line.

        UC cornerback Ivan Fields had three big plays — his first career interception and two fumble recoveries, one for an 82-yard touchdown that was UC's lone first-half score.

        “The running back didn't have control of the ball as he came to the line of scrimmage,” Fields said. “I said to myself, “Take him out or take the ball.” I chose the ball.”

        He looked like the running back he was in high school as he raced downfield, and then — with a defender draped on his back — held the ball out in front of him and dove across the goal-line.

        “I wanted to do something pretty,” he said.

        Ruffin was wishing he'd sprinkled some of the magic dust in the area where he lined up to make the go-ahead field goal.

        “When I was putting my spot down — 37, left-hash — I looked at it and said, “Oh, man, this is the spot I missed from three times in a row in warmups before the game,'” Ruffin said.

        Adding to the angst was Ruffin had hooked a 22-yard chip-shot from the right-hash on UC's first possession of the second half. That was just after the Bearcats' under-seige offense (1 yard rushing and 13 yards passing in the first-half) had finally gotten something going.

        They actually got to the half-yard line, but an offside's penalty drove them back five yards and ultimately called for the field-goal attempt. Ruffin is 24-of-27 on field goals this year.

        “The last one was the biggest,” he said.

        Cincinnati ....... 7 0 0 3 3—13

        Memphis ....... 0 3 7 0 0—10

        First Quarter

        Cin—Fields 82 fumble return (Ruffin kick), 10:48

        Second Quarter

        Mem—FG White 46, 4:49.

        Third Quarter

        Mem—FG White 46, 4:49.

        Fourth Quarter

        Cin—FG Ruffin 30, 10:01.

        Overtime

        CIN—FG Ruffin 37.

        A—21,862.

        INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

        RUSHING—Cincinnati, McClesky 16-42, Jackson 11-22, Kenner 4-2. Memphis, Sanders 21-122, Wherry 4-16, Bonds 3-9, Rooney 1-5, Scherer 13-0.

        PASSING—Cincinnati, Kenner 15-33-2-124. Memphis, Scherer 20-32-3-203, Johnson 0-1-1-0, Team 0-1-0-0.

        RECEIVING—Cincinnati, Colins-Baker 4-23, Vann 3-37, Chatman 3-26, Keith 3-24, Jackson 2-14. Memphis, Johnson 6-73, Perkins 5-38, Sermon 3-32, Kendall 2-15, Wherry 2-14, Higgins 1-26, Bonds 1-5.

UC 13, Memphis 10 UC 119, Budapest 53 Huggins mixing it up with Bearcats' lineup

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