Only time will tell whether University of Cincinnati quarterback Deontey Kenner suffered a serious setback in last Saturday's loss to Louisville.

        But the belief is he tore scar tissue around his healing torn abdominal muscle and will be ready for UC's next game, said UC coach Rick Minter. Next up is Miami University Oct. 28.

        This week's bye comes at a good time for the Bearcats (3-4), as they strive to get Kenner healthy. They need to go on a minimal 3-1 run over the remaining four games to finish with a winning record and a top-four finish in Conference USA to earn a bowl berth.

        After hosting Miami, UC has three straight conference games to end the regular season: home vs. Alabama-Birmingham, at Memphis and home vs. C-USA power Southern Miss.

        UC is 2-2 in C-USA; to ensure itself a top four finish, the Bearcats are seeking to run the table against C-USA foes. Presently, the strength of the league is Southern Miss, Louisville and East Carolina; of those, only one has a C-USA loss — ECU.

        UC wound up in a situation in Louisville it probably would like to avoid the rest of the way: Kenner started the game, aggravated his torn muscle, and gave way to backup Adam Hoover for the second half. UC led 24-14 at half, ultimately losing 38-24.

        That wasn't all due to Kenner's absence. But it's a fact of football life that practice repetitions for the quarterback are hard to come by for anybody but the starter. Hoover played well in a loss to Tulane and in a victory over Houston; in both, he was the starter.

UC's McElroy ready for anything UC hopes Kenner OK for Miami Bearcat bench warmer hopes book inspires youth

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