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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} |
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{{current sport|sport=American football|event=conference championship game}} |
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{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game |
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game |
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| game_name = American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game |
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| title_sponsor = |
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| subheader = 7th AAC Championship Game |
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| image = 2021_American_Athletic_Conference_Football_Championship_Game_logo.jpg |
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| Image = |
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| Image_size = |
| Image_size = |
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| caption = |
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| date_game_played = December 4 |
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| year_game_played = 2021 |
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| football_season = 2021 |
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| stadium = [[Nippert Stadium]] |
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| city = [[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, Ohio]] |
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| visitor_school = University of Houston |
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| visitor_name_short = Houston |
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| visitor_nickname = Cougars |
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| visitor_record = 11–1 |
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| visitor_rank_AP = 16 |
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| visitor_rank_coaches = 16 |
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| visitor_rank_CFP = 21 |
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| visitor_coach = [[Dana Holgorsen]] |
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| visitor_1q = 10 |
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| visitor_2q = 3 |
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| visitor_3q = 0 |
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| visitor_4q = 7 |
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| home_school = University of Cincinnati |
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| home_name_short = Cincinnati |
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| home_nickname = Bearcats |
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| home_record = 12–0 |
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| home_rank_AP = 3 |
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| home_rank_coaches = 4 |
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| home_rank_CFP = 4 |
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| home_coach = [[Luke Fickell]] |
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| home_1q = 14 |
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| home_2q = 0 |
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| home_3q = 21 |
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| home_4q = 0 |
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| MVP = |
| MVP = [[Jerome Ford]], RB, Cincinnati |
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| odds = Cincinnati by 10.5 |
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| anthem = |
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| referee = Hank Johns<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footballzebras.com/2021/11/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-college-football-conference-championship-games/ |title=Officiating crews for the 2021 college football conference championship games |website=footballzebras.com |date=November 30, 2021 |accessdate=December 4, 2021}}</ref> |
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| Referee = |
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| halftime = |
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| attendance = 37,978 |
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| us_network = [[ESPN College Football on ABC|ABC]] |
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| us_announcers = [[Joe Tessitore]] (play-by-play), [[Greg McElroy]] (analyst), and [[Katie George (sportscaster)|Katie George]] (sideline) |
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| ratings = |
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| intl_network = |
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| intl_announcers = |
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}} |
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{{2021 American Athletic Conference football standings}} |
{{2021 American Athletic Conference football standings}} |
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The '''2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game''' |
The '''2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game''' was a [[college football]] game played on December 4, 2021, at [[Nippert Stadium]] in [[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, Ohio]]. It was the seventh [[American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game]] and determined the champion of the [[American Athletic Conference]] (AAC) for the [[2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2021 season]]. The game began at 4:00 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]] and aired on [[ESPN College Football on ABC|ABC]]. The game featured the regular season champions, the [[2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati Bearcats]], and the regular season runners-up, the [[2021 Houston Cougars football team|Houston Cougars]]. Sponsored by RoofClaim.com, a roofing services company, the game was officially known as the '''2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game presented by RoofClaim.com'''.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://theamerican.org/news/2021/11/17/roofclaim-com-named-as-presenting-partner-of-the-2021-american-athletic-conference-football-championship-game.aspx |title=RoofClaim.com Named as Presenting Partner of the 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game |website=theamerican.org |date=November 17, 2021 |accessdate=December 4, 2021}}</ref> |
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==Teams== |
==Teams== |
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This |
This was the second year of the current division-less format of the game; instead of representatives from two divisions, the two teams with the best conference records earned a spot in the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theamerican.org/news/2020/8/5/football-american-athletic-conference-announces-plans-for-2020-fall-sports-seasons.aspx|title=American Athletic Conference Announces Plans for 2020 Fall Sports Seasons|website=theamerican.org}}</ref> |
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===Houston=== |
===Houston=== |
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{{main|2021 Houston Cougars football team}} |
{{main|2021 Houston Cougars football team}} |
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[[2021 Houston Cougars football team|Houston]] clinched a berth in the championship game following its win over [[2021 Temple Owls football team|Temple]] on November 13.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Duarte |first1=Joseph |title=Houston routs Temple, clinches berth in AAC championship game |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/college/article/Houston-37-Temple-8-clinch-spot-in-AAC-title-game-16618479.php |website=Texas Sports Nation |publisher=Houston Chronicle |access-date=November 13, 2021 |date=November 13, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> This |
[[2021 Houston Cougars football team|Houston]] clinched a berth in the championship game following its win over [[2021 Temple Owls football team|Temple]] on November 13.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Duarte |first1=Joseph |title=Houston routs Temple, clinches berth in AAC championship game |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/college/article/Houston-37-Temple-8-clinch-spot-in-AAC-title-game-16618479.php |website=Texas Sports Nation |publisher=Houston Chronicle |access-date=November 13, 2021 |date=November 13, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113202918/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/college/article/Houston-37-Temple-8-clinch-spot-in-AAC-title-game-16618479.php |archive-date=November 13, 2021 }}</ref> This was the Cougars' second appearance in the American Championship Game, having won the inaugural contest 24–13 over Temple in 2015. |
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===Cincinnati=== |
===Cincinnati=== |
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{{main|2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team}} |
{{main|2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team}} |
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[[2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] clinched a berth in the championship game following its win over [[2021 SMU Mustangs football team|SMU]] on November 20.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ridder Leads Cincinnati to 48-14 Win over SMU on Senior Day |url=https://gobearcats.com/news/2021/11/20/football-ridder-leads-cincinnati-to-blowout-win-over-smu-on-senior-day.aspx |website=GoBearcats.com |publisher=University of Cincinnati Athletics Department |access-date=November 21, 2021 |date=November 21, 2021}}</ref> The Bearcats secured home-field advantage for the championship game on November 26, defeating [[2021 East Carolina Pirates football team|East Carolina]] 35–13 to complete an undefeated regular season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401301051 |title=No. 4 Cincinnati stays unbeaten, beats East Carolina 35-13 |agency=Associated Press |website=ESPN.com |date=November 26, 2021 |accessdate=November 27, 2021}}</ref> This |
[[2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] clinched a berth in the championship game following its win over [[2021 SMU Mustangs football team|SMU]] on November 20.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ridder Leads Cincinnati to 48-14 Win over SMU on Senior Day |url=https://gobearcats.com/news/2021/11/20/football-ridder-leads-cincinnati-to-blowout-win-over-smu-on-senior-day.aspx |website=GoBearcats.com |publisher=University of Cincinnati Athletics Department |access-date=November 21, 2021 |date=November 21, 2021}}</ref> The Bearcats secured home-field advantage for the championship game on November 26, defeating [[2021 East Carolina Pirates football team|East Carolina]] 35–13 to complete an undefeated regular season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401301051 |title=No. 4 Cincinnati stays unbeaten, beats East Carolina 35-13 |agency=Associated Press |website=ESPN.com |date=November 26, 2021 |accessdate=November 27, 2021}}</ref> This was the Bearcats' third straight championship game appearance, having lost to Memphis 29–24 in 2019 and defeating Tulsa 27–24 in 2020. Entering the game, the fourth-ranked Bearcats held the highest College Football Playoff ranking of any team to play in the American Championship Game. |
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{{clear}} |
{{clear}} |
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==Game summary== |
==Game summary== |
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Taking the opening kickoff, the Cougars marched right down the field mixing runs and passes to get into Cincinnati territory. The Bearcats defense stiffened and forced the Cougars to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Dalton Witherspoon to take an early 3–0 lead. The Bearcats responded with a crisp 5-play, 82-yard drive with QB Desmond Ridder completing passes to four different receivers. Ridder found WR Tyler Scott on a 25-yard post pattern pass in the end zone to give the Bearcats a 7–3 lead. The Cougars responded with a solid touchdown drive of their own, going 74 yards in 10 plays, capped by a QB Clayton Tune pass to WR Tank Dell. That lead was short lived as on the Bearcat first play from scrimmage following the kickoff Jerome Ford took the handoff, slipped through the right side and dashed untouched 79 yards for a touchdown. It was Ford's 4th touchdown run of 75 yards or more of the season. The Bearcats were back in front 14–10 and the sellout crowd of 37,978 buckled in for what was shaping up to be a high scoring shootout. The Cougars strung together another time-consuming drive but once again the Bearcats defense stopped Houston inside the 30. Witherspoon connected on a 46-yard field goal to narrow the Cincinnati lead to 14–13. The Bearcats could not extend their lead after a fine kickoff return by Tre Tucker set the Bearcats up in Houston territory. The Bearcats got inside the 10 but the drive stalled and Christian Lowery missed a 23-yard field goal. The Bearcats took a 14–13 lead into halftime. |
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Taking the second half kickoff, the Bearcats went 75 yards on 6 plays, highlighted by a 44-yard pass from Ridder to WR Alec Pierce who made a spectacular diving catch on a seemingly overthrown ball. The Bearcats took advantage of a 4th down pass interference call on Houston and scored on an 8-yard swing pass from Ridder to TE Leonard Taylor. With the score now 21–13, the Cougars next drive ended after one play as LB [[Joel Dublanko]] intercepted a Tune pass and returned it to the Houston 23 yard line. Two plays later, Pierce out jumped Houston CB Marcus Jones in the end zone and the Bearcats now held a 28–13 lead less than 5 minutes into the 2nd half. The Cougars went three-and-out on their next series and punted. Three plays later, Ford broke over the left side finding a wide-open seam and sprinted 42 yards for a touchdown, the third of the 3rd quarter in less than 8 minutes of game time. The 3rd quarter continued to be a struggle for the Cougars as the Bearcats defense continued to stifle them at every turn. The Cougars were held to −6 yards offense in the 3rd quarter, gaining one first down, and no points. The Cougars did manage to score a touchdown midway through the 4th quarter to close the gap to 35–20, but that would be as close as they would get. At game's end, much of the sellout crowd stormed the field in celebration as the Bearcats clinched their second straight American Athletic Football Championship with the win. Jerome Ford was named the Most Outstanding Player with 187 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Desmond Ridder only completed 11 passes on 17 attempts for 190 yards. His passes were judicious and sparingly needed as the Bearcat running game rang up 210 yards. The Bearcat defense registered 8 sacks, with Joel Dublanko notching a pair to go along with 7 tackles and the games lone turnover on the 3rd quarter interception. The Bearcats won despite only having the ball 19 minutes on offense. The Bearcats ended the evening as the nation's only unbeaten team in the 2021 season and with the final results of the College Football Playoff poll the next day would be chosen as one of the final teams that would play for the national championship. |
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{{Americanfootballbox |
{{Americanfootballbox |
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|titlestyle= {{CollegePrimaryStyle|American Athletic Conference|color=white}}; text-align:center; |
|titlestyle= {{CollegePrimaryStyle|American Athletic Conference|color=white}}; text-align:center; |
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|state=autocollapse |
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|bg=#fff |
|bg=#fff |
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|bg2=#eee |
|bg2=#eee |
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|title=2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game |
|title=2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game |
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|date=December 4, 2021 |
|date=December 4, 2021 |
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|time=4: |
|time=4:08 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]<!--actual start time per http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=380461--> |
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|road=No. 21 Houston |
|road=No. 21 Houston |
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|R1=10|R2= |
|R1=10|R2=3|R3=0|R4=7 |
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|home=No. 4 Cincinnati |
|home='''No. 4 Cincinnati''' |
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|H1= |
|H1=14|H2=0|H3=21|H4=0 |
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|stadium= [[Nippert Stadium]] • [[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, OH]] |
|stadium= [[Nippert Stadium]] • [[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, OH]] |
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|attendance= |
|attendance=37,978 |
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|weather={{Convert|52|°F|°C}} • Sunny • Wind: {{convert|6|mph|kph|abbr=on}} north |
|weather={{Convert|52|°F|°C}} • Sunny • Wind: {{convert|6|mph|kph|abbr=on}} north |
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|referee=Hank Johns |
|referee=Hank Johns |
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|reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401331162 Box score] |
|reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401331162 Box score] |
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|state=uncollapsed |
|state=uncollapsed |
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|scoring= |
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;First quarter |
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* 11:55 Houston – D. Witherspoon 37 yd FG GOOD – 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:05 |
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* 9:38 Cincinnati – D. Ridder pass to T. Scott for 25 yds for a TD (C. Lowery KICK) – 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:17 |
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* 4:23 Houston – C. Tune pass to N. Dell for 16 yds for a TD (D. Witherspoon KICK) – 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:07 |
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<!-- |
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;Second quarter |
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;Third quarter |
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;Fourth quarter |
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--> |
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}} |
}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart |VisitorName=Houston|HomeName=Cincinnati|state=}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=1 |
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| Time=11:55 |
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| Team=Houston |
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| DrivePlays=7 |
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| DriveLength=50 |
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| DriveTime=2:57 |
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| Type=FG |
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| yards=37 |
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| Kicker=Dalton Witherspoon |
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| Visitor=3 |
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| Home=0 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=1 |
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| Time=9:38 |
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| Team=Cincinnati |
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| DrivePlays=5 |
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| DriveLength=82 |
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| DriveTime=2:11 |
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| Type=RecTD |
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| Receiver=[[Tyler Scott (American football)|Tyler Scott]] |
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| QB=[[Desmond Ridder]] |
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| yards=25 |
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| Kicker=Christian Lowery |
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| kickresult=good |
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| Visitor=3 |
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| Home=7 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=1 |
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| Time=4:23 |
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| Team=Houston |
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| DrivePlays=10 |
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| DriveLength=74 |
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| DriveTime=5:07 |
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| Type=RecTD |
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| Receiver=[[Tank Dell|Nathaniel Dell]] |
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| QB=[[Clayton Tune]] |
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| yards=16 |
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| Kicker=Dalton Witherspoon |
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| kickresult=good |
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| Visitor=10 |
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| Home=7 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=1 |
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| Time=4:06 |
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| Team=Cincinnati |
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| DrivePlays=1 |
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| DriveLength=79 |
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| DriveTime=0:11 |
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| Type=RushTD |
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| Runner=[[Jerome Ford]] |
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| yards=79 |
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| Kicker=Christian Lowery |
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| kickresult=good |
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| Visitor=10 |
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| Home=14 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=2 |
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| Time=11:40 |
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| Team=Houston |
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| DrivePlays=13 |
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| DriveLength=44 |
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| DriveTime=7:21 |
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| Type=FG |
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| yards=46 |
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| Kicker=Dalton Witherspoon |
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| Visitor=13 |
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| Home=14 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=3 |
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| Time=12:02 |
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| Team=Cincinnati |
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| DrivePlays=6 |
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| DriveLength=75 |
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| DriveTime=2:58 |
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| Type=RecTD |
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| Receiver=Leonard Taylor |
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| QB=Desmond Ridder |
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| yards=8 |
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| Kicker=Christian Lowery |
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| kickresult=good |
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| Visitor=13 |
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| Home=21 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=3 |
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| Time=11:04 |
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| Team=Cincinnati |
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| DrivePlays=2 |
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| DriveLength=23 |
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| DriveTime=0:41 |
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| Type=RecTD |
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| Receiver=[[Alec Pierce]] |
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| QB=Desmond Ridder |
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| yards=21 |
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| Kicker=Christian Lowery |
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| kickresult=good |
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| Visitor=13 |
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| Home=28 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=3 |
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| Time=7:38 |
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| Team=Cincinnati |
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| DrivePlays=3 |
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| DriveLength=62 |
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| DriveTime=1:18 |
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| Type=RushTD |
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| Runner=Jerome Ford |
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| yards=42 |
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| Kicker=Christian Lowery |
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| kickresult=good |
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| Visitor=13 |
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| Home=35 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry |
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| Quarter=4 |
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| Time=6:06 |
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| Team=Houston |
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| DrivePlays=13 |
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| DriveLength=90 |
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| DriveTime=7:28 |
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| Type=RecTD |
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| Receiver=Jake Herslow |
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| QB=Clayton Tune |
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| yards=7 |
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| Kicker=Dalton Witherspoon |
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| kickresult=good |
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| Visitor=20 |
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| Home=35 |
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}} |
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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd |Visitor=|Home=}} |
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===Statistics=== |
===Statistics=== |
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| Home = Cincinnati Bearcats |
| Home = Cincinnati Bearcats |
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| HomeDisplay = CIN |
| HomeDisplay = CIN |
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| VisFirsts = |
| VisFirsts = 22 |
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| VisPlaysYds = |
| VisPlaysYds = 73–336 |
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| VisRushing = |
| VisRushing = 47–86 |
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| VisPassYds = |
| VisPassYds = 250 |
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| VisPassing = |
| VisPassing = 17–26–1 |
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| VisTOP = |
| VisTOP = 40:19 |
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| HomeFirsts = |
| HomeFirsts = 14 |
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| HomePlaysYds = |
| HomePlaysYds = 45–400 |
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| HomeRushing = |
| HomeRushing = 28–210 |
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| HomePassYds = |
| HomePassYds = 190 |
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| HomePassing = |
| HomePassing = 11–17–0 |
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| HomeTOP = |
| HomeTOP = 19:41 |
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}} |
}} |
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{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers |
{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers |
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| Home = Cincinnati Bearcats |
| Home = Cincinnati Bearcats |
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| HomeDisplay = Cincinnati |
| HomeDisplay = Cincinnati |
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| VisPasser = |
| VisPasser = [[Clayton Tune]] |
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| VisPassStats = |
| VisPassStats = 17/26, 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
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| VisRusher = |
| VisRusher = [[Alton McCaskill]] |
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| VisRushStats = |
| VisRushStats = 13 carries, 39 yards |
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| VisReceiver = |
| VisReceiver = [[Tank Dell|Nathaniel Dell]] |
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| VisReceivingStats = |
| VisReceivingStats = 9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD |
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| HomePasser = |
| HomePasser = [[Desmond Ridder]] |
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| HomePassStats = |
| HomePassStats = 11/17, 190 yards, 3 TD |
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| HomeRusher = |
| HomeRusher = [[Jerome Ford]] |
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| HomeRushStats = |
| HomeRushStats = 18 carries, 187 yards, 2 TD |
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| HomeReceiver = |
| HomeReceiver = [[Alec Pierce]] |
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| HomeReceivingStats = |
| HomeReceivingStats = 2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD |
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}} |
}} |
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[[Category:Houston Cougars football games]] |
[[Category:Houston Cougars football games]] |
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[[Category:December 2021 sports events in the United States|American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game]] |
[[Category:December 2021 sports events in the United States|American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game]] |
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[[Category:2021 in sports in Ohio]] |
[[Category:2021 in sports in Ohio|American Athletic Conference Championship Game]] |
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[[Category:2020s in Cincinnati]] |
[[Category:2020s in Cincinnati]] |
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[[Category:Current sports events|American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game]] |
Latest revision as of 05:43, 18 May 2024
2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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7th AAC Championship Game | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date | December 4, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Season | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Stadium | Nippert Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Cincinnati, Ohio | ||||||||||||||||||||||
MVP | Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Favorite | Cincinnati by 10.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Referee | Hank Johns[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 37,978 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Katie George (sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Cincinnati y$^ | 8 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Houston y | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UCF | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Carolina | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tulsa | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SMU | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memphis | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Navy | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tulane | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Florida | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Temple | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Cincinnati 35, Houston 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game was a college football game played on December 4, 2021, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the seventh American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) for the 2021 season. The game began at 4:00 p.m. EST and aired on ABC. The game featured the regular season champions, the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the regular season runners-up, the Houston Cougars. Sponsored by RoofClaim.com, a roofing services company, the game was officially known as the 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game presented by RoofClaim.com.[2]
Teams
This was the second year of the current division-less format of the game; instead of representatives from two divisions, the two teams with the best conference records earned a spot in the game.[3]
Houston
Houston clinched a berth in the championship game following its win over Temple on November 13.[4] This was the Cougars' second appearance in the American Championship Game, having won the inaugural contest 24–13 over Temple in 2015.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati clinched a berth in the championship game following its win over SMU on November 20.[5] The Bearcats secured home-field advantage for the championship game on November 26, defeating East Carolina 35–13 to complete an undefeated regular season.[6] This was the Bearcats' third straight championship game appearance, having lost to Memphis 29–24 in 2019 and defeating Tulsa 27–24 in 2020. Entering the game, the fourth-ranked Bearcats held the highest College Football Playoff ranking of any team to play in the American Championship Game.
Game summary
Taking the opening kickoff, the Cougars marched right down the field mixing runs and passes to get into Cincinnati territory. The Bearcats defense stiffened and forced the Cougars to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Dalton Witherspoon to take an early 3–0 lead. The Bearcats responded with a crisp 5-play, 82-yard drive with QB Desmond Ridder completing passes to four different receivers. Ridder found WR Tyler Scott on a 25-yard post pattern pass in the end zone to give the Bearcats a 7–3 lead. The Cougars responded with a solid touchdown drive of their own, going 74 yards in 10 plays, capped by a QB Clayton Tune pass to WR Tank Dell. That lead was short lived as on the Bearcat first play from scrimmage following the kickoff Jerome Ford took the handoff, slipped through the right side and dashed untouched 79 yards for a touchdown. It was Ford's 4th touchdown run of 75 yards or more of the season. The Bearcats were back in front 14–10 and the sellout crowd of 37,978 buckled in for what was shaping up to be a high scoring shootout. The Cougars strung together another time-consuming drive but once again the Bearcats defense stopped Houston inside the 30. Witherspoon connected on a 46-yard field goal to narrow the Cincinnati lead to 14–13. The Bearcats could not extend their lead after a fine kickoff return by Tre Tucker set the Bearcats up in Houston territory. The Bearcats got inside the 10 but the drive stalled and Christian Lowery missed a 23-yard field goal. The Bearcats took a 14–13 lead into halftime.
Taking the second half kickoff, the Bearcats went 75 yards on 6 plays, highlighted by a 44-yard pass from Ridder to WR Alec Pierce who made a spectacular diving catch on a seemingly overthrown ball. The Bearcats took advantage of a 4th down pass interference call on Houston and scored on an 8-yard swing pass from Ridder to TE Leonard Taylor. With the score now 21–13, the Cougars next drive ended after one play as LB Joel Dublanko intercepted a Tune pass and returned it to the Houston 23 yard line. Two plays later, Pierce out jumped Houston CB Marcus Jones in the end zone and the Bearcats now held a 28–13 lead less than 5 minutes into the 2nd half. The Cougars went three-and-out on their next series and punted. Three plays later, Ford broke over the left side finding a wide-open seam and sprinted 42 yards for a touchdown, the third of the 3rd quarter in less than 8 minutes of game time. The 3rd quarter continued to be a struggle for the Cougars as the Bearcats defense continued to stifle them at every turn. The Cougars were held to −6 yards offense in the 3rd quarter, gaining one first down, and no points. The Cougars did manage to score a touchdown midway through the 4th quarter to close the gap to 35–20, but that would be as close as they would get. At game's end, much of the sellout crowd stormed the field in celebration as the Bearcats clinched their second straight American Athletic Football Championship with the win. Jerome Ford was named the Most Outstanding Player with 187 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Desmond Ridder only completed 11 passes on 17 attempts for 190 yards. His passes were judicious and sparingly needed as the Bearcat running game rang up 210 yards. The Bearcat defense registered 8 sacks, with Joel Dublanko notching a pair to go along with 7 tackles and the games lone turnover on the 3rd quarter interception. The Bearcats won despite only having the ball 19 minutes on offense. The Bearcats ended the evening as the nation's only unbeaten team in the 2021 season and with the final results of the College Football Playoff poll the next day would be chosen as one of the final teams that would play for the national championship.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 21 Houston | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
No. 4 Cincinnati | 14 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 35 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
- Date: December 4, 2021
- Game time: 4:08 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) • Sunny • Wind: 6 mph (9.7 km/h) north
- Game attendance: 37,978
- Referee: Hank Johns
- TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Katie George (sideline)
- Box score
Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Statistics
Statistics | HOU | CIN |
---|---|---|
First downs | 22 | 14 |
Plays–yards | 73–336 | 45–400 |
Rushes–yards | 47–86 | 28–210 |
Passing yards | 250 | 190 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 17–26–1 | 11–17–0 |
Time of possession | 40:19 | 19:41 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 17/26, 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Alton McCaskill | 13 carries, 39 yards | |
Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD | |
Cincinnati | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 11/17, 190 yards, 3 TD |
Rushing | Jerome Ford | 18 carries, 187 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Alec Pierce | 2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD |
References
- ^ "Officiating crews for the 2021 college football conference championship games". footballzebras.com. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ "RoofClaim.com Named as Presenting Partner of the 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game". theamerican.org (Press release). November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ "American Athletic Conference Announces Plans for 2020 Fall Sports Seasons". theamerican.org.
- ^ Duarte, Joseph (November 13, 2021). "Houston routs Temple, clinches berth in AAC championship game". Texas Sports Nation. Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ^ "Ridder Leads Cincinnati to 48-14 Win over SMU on Senior Day". GoBearcats.com. University of Cincinnati Athletics Department. November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ^ "No. 4 Cincinnati stays unbeaten, beats East Carolina 35-13". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
External links
- Game statistics at statbroadcast.com