No. 3 Cincinnati claims AAC crown, possible playoff spot

CINCINNATI — Jerome Ford rushed for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns, Desmond Ridder threw 3 touchdown passes and No. 3 Cincinnati broke unfastened a adjacent crippled successful the 3rd 4th and rolled past No. 16 Houston 35-20 successful the American Athletic Conference title crippled Saturday.

The Bearcats who are ranked No. 4 successful the latest College Football Playoff rankings, are successful presumption to go the archetypal non-Power 5 squad to qualify. The last rankings volition beryllium announced Sunday.

Head manager Luke Fickell believes the Bearcats person done enough.

“The resounding connection is what we did connected that shot field,” Fickell said. “Nobody is going to telephone and inquire america what we think. I don’t deliberation these guys tin beryllium denied that opportunity. It would beryllium a shame.”

Cincinnati (13-0) which extended the nation’s second-longest location winning streak to 27, scored 3 touchdowns successful less than 8 minutes to decorativeness disconnected its 2nd consecutive AAC crown. The fans rushed the tract amid a ablution of confetti.

“I don’t truly retrieve past twelvemonth (after beating UCF successful the AAC rubric game), but this twelvemonth I wanted to get retired determination and observe with the fans,” Ridder said. “It’s a blessing to person ne'er mislaid a crippled I’ve played astatine Nippert. We person specified a large ambiance here.”

Cougars inferior QB Clayton Tune passed for 250 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception arsenic Houston (11-2) mislaid for the archetypal clip since dropping its season-opener to Texas Tech connected Sept. 4.

It was a chaotic archetypal 4th connected Saturday with the teams combining for 24 points and 316 yards.

After the Cougars settled for a tract extremity connected their opening possession, the Bearcats responded by going 82 yards successful 5 plays capped by Ridder’s 25-yard TD walk to Tyler Scott.

Nathaniel Dell’s diving 16-yard TD drawback enactment the Cougars backmost successful front, 10-7. But connected the archetypal play of Cincinnati’s adjacent possession, Ford broke escaped for a 79-yard TD tally to springiness the Bearcats a four-point lead.

“We went toed to toed with them for arsenic agelong arsenic we could,” Houston caput manager Dana Holgorsen said. “They are first-class and deserving of apical four. I don’t cognize however you support Cincinnati out.”

Cincinnati led 14-13 astatine halftime contempt Houston having possession for much than 22 minutes.

“Going into the half, it was a battle,” Fickell said.

But momentum shifted to the Bearcats aboriginal successful the 3rd quarter.

After a walk interference punishment connected Marcus Jones negated a fourth-down halt by the Cougars, Ridder tossed an 8-yard TD walk to Leonard Taylor.

“During halftime we wanted to support our ft connected the gas,” Jones said. “We wanted to bounds large plays.”

But those large plays kept coming for Cincinnati.

On Houston’s adjacent play, Bearcats linebacker Joel Dublanko intercepted Tune and Ridder deed Alec Pierce for a 21-yard TD. Just similar that, it was 28-13 Bearcats.

“They were attacking the mediate of the field. I conscionable work the QB’s eyes and made a play,” Dublanko said.

Ford had different agelong touchdown tally of 42 yards, and wrong less than 8 minutes, Cincinnati turned a one-point pb into a 22-point advantage.

As for reaching the playoff, the Bearcats accidental they are acceptable if an invitation comes.

“Put the shot down and fto america play,” Dublanko said.

TURNING POINT

The walk interference telephone connected Jones shifted the momentum successful the 3rd 4th and the Cougars ne'er recovered. Holgorsen said helium didn’t deliberation it was the close call, but helium besides wasn’t going to pin the nonaccomplishment astatine that 1 moment. “I played his hands,” Jones said. “It looked similar helium didn’t privation to propulsion the flag, past helium threw it. I can’t get huffy astatine him for doing his job.”

HALFTIME SPEECH

There person been a fewer occasions this play erstwhile things weren’t looking large for the Bearcats astatine halftime. Each time, the elder players managed to rally their teammates resulting successful an contiguous effect successful the 3rd quarter. On Saturday, it was Ridder and elder cornerback Coby Bryant who led the locker country charge. “When you person an older group, you tin benignant of spot the look successful their eyes,” said Fickell. “They came retired successful the 2nd fractional connected a mission.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Houston: Momentum was connected Houston’s broadside astatine halftime erstwhile they trailed 14-13. But 2 important plays successful the 3rd quarter, starring to 21 consecutive points for the Bearcats. The archetypal 1 was the walk interference punishment connected Jones. The 2nd was an interception thrown by Tune connected the archetypal play aft the Bearcats scored. “We didn’t play good capable to bushed a bully squad similar that,” Holgorsen said.

Cincinnati: Despite being 12-0, the Bearcats person mostly relied connected assistance from different teams to gain a spot successful the College Football Playoff. They got much assistance earlier connected Saturday erstwhile Baylor held connected to bushed Oklahoma State successful the BIG 12 title game. The Bearcats besides needed a prime triumph to enactment alongside winning astatine Notre Dame and beating Houston helps with that. “We ne'er wanted to transportation the torch for the non-Blue Bloods, oregon anyone else,” Fickell said. “We conscionable privation to beryllium us.”