The Tulsa Golden Hurricane and the Cincinnati Bearcats finally succeeded in meeting after two postponements in a game to settle the American Athletic Conference Championship.
A 34-yard field goal by Cole Smith as time ran out gave the Bearcats its first AAC Football Championship with a 27-24 decision. It was a simple play that Cole Smith said, he's practiced thousands of times since training camp at Higher Ground began in August.
The implications and all the events that led up to the fateful kick are much more complicated for Cincinnati, who was ranked ninth in the country and completed a perfect 9-0 season.
The Bearcats had a break of 28 days with two games canceled. A bout with Temple and the second attempt to travel to Tulsa (6-2) to determine the home field advantage for the big game were scrapped in favor just playing the title game in Cincinnati. Some how with out a defeat or even a game the Bearcats lost two spots in the rankings which allows just four teams to compete for the National Championship in a mini-playoff format that chooses four team somewhat arbitrarily. Cincinnati is trying to squeeze into a mix of four teams with more of a reputation than any real claim to superiority. Notre Dame which lost big to Clemson for the ACC Championship after beating them earlier is expected to join Ohio State and Alabama in addition to the Tigers.
Texas A&M has its nose pressed against the window to the party like the Bearcats.
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell said, "I don't see how my team can be denied. They have done everything they have been asked to do. We are solid in all three phases of the game."
As he keeps kicking a field goal simple Smith was asked what he would say to the committee before they announce the playoff participants at noon on Sunday. His answer was just as simple, "Watch the film. We just win."
The rain, the cold, the 28-days of inaction along with a very good, competitive Tulsa team complicated the Bearcats task. There were two fumbles which can be partially blamed on the weather and several untimely pre snap penalties that are the products of missing practice time. Even Smith's simple task was made more difficult because he missed two weeks in Covid isolation and dealt with a slight groin pull but kicked two field goals in three attempts. One was partially blocked.
Cincinnati never trailed in fact with the game tied at 24 with three minutes remaining, it was the only time they were even tied that late, and never trailed that late.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder and wide out Alec Pierce hooked up twice in the first half on big plays to allow the Bearcats to score its two touchdowns in the first half. Pierce made a remarkable one-handed catch for 31 yards to put Cincinnati on Tulsa's side of the field. Jerome Ford ran 42 yards for the first score. Cincinnati reached the Tulsa three near the end of the first quarter but two false starts forced the Bearcats to settle for Smith's 25-yard field goal.
The Bearcats knew that Tulsa wasn't going to go quietly. The Golden Hurricane made a habit out of coming from behind. Four times this season they trailed at some point in the game by at least 14 points but rallied to win. A measly 10-point deficit was not going to scare them.
"I am so proud of my guys," Tulsa coach Phil Montgomery said. "We compete to the end. We don't quit."
It was not an idle boast.
Tulsa got behind quarterback Zach Smith and running back Corey Taylor, who finished with 130 yards rushing. A 43-yard field goal by Zack Long and Taylor's 10-yard scamper tied the score.
Ridder connected with Pierce on a 36-yard touchdown pass to give the Bearcats its ninth halftime lead of the season at 17-10.
Deneric Prince capped a 55-yard drive with an eight-yard run on the opening possession of the second half to tie the score with 10:05 in the third quarter.
Ridder answered with an 10-yard touchdown run three minutes later to put Cincinnati back on top.
The Bearcats had two decent attempts to put the game away in the fourth quarter while holding Tulsa scoreless. Cincinnati lost three yards on a fourth and two from the five-yard line.
They stopped Tulsa again then had a first and 10 from the 12 yard line but a false start and a fumbled snap pushed the Bearcats back. Smith had a 37-yard field goal attempt tipped by Jaxon Player.
Smith brought the Hurricane back into the game. He completed a 54-yard pass to a tightly covered Sam Crawford. Cincinnati's Ja'von Hicks got two hands on the ball but Crawford came down with it. Smith found JuanCarlos Santana with a 13-yard, game tying pass with 3:41 left.
Ridder's offense got the ball on its own 32 with 3:34 to go. He converted a third and nine with a 20-yard pass to Pierce to the Tulsa 47. With 1:04 left, the Bearcats faced a fourth and two at the Tulsa 24. A hard count brought Player offside for a penalty. Ridder had nothing to lose and threw incomplete into the endzone intended for Michael Young that went incomplete but the Bearcats got the first down.
"Jaxson Player made so many important plays for us," Montgomery said. "We're not going to blame the loss on him. He was aggressive and just trying to get off the ball to make a play. He played that way the whole game which is why he made some important plays for us."
Smith's game winning kick came after the Bearcats ran the clock down to three seconds.
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