♪ 24-24. 3:41 to play. cincinnati, undefeated. cincy hasn't been tied or trailing this late in the fourth quarter all season long.

tucker on the return. tucker, taken down at the 30 yard line. live mas moments, brought to you by taco bell. and that moment just happened. >> greg: it was one heck of a catch. here after the bobble. didn't know who was going to get it. but it was sam crawford that fought off two bearcat defenders to set his team up in the red zone. just an amazing effort there from the wide receiver. incredible concentration. providing much-needed life to that tulsa passing game. >> joe: desmond ridder, montgomery in the backfield. doaks, the starting running back, dealing with an ankle. we haven't seen him since the that injury. quickly to the outside is

jackson. and he is trying to maintain balance before he is forced out. >> greg: this situation in the game, not quite in two-minute operation yet. you have the entire offense. when you're the quarterback, you have to know how many time-outs. what do you need? stay with the audible. stay with yourself offensively. >> referee: false start, offense, number 55. five-yard penalty, remains second down. >> joe: 18th penalty of the game combined. remember, they hadn't played in a month. this is one of the things that concerned luke fickell. a reminder that "monday night football" coming your way right here from cincinnati. 8:00 eastern, 5:00 pacific. steelers and bengals. coverage begins with "monday night countdown" at 6:00 eastern.

eight false start penalties tonight. ridder, on second and nine. three-man rush. lofts it downfield. and incomplete. as he had jackson. third down and nine. american athletic conference, championship game. glad you're with us. joe tessitore, greg mcelroy, and holly rowe. tulsa, golden hurricane team. started with that close game with oklahoma state that they lost. and they tore through what was available to them in the american. cincinnati, who has won 19-straight home games, top-ten team, many feel snubbed in recent weeks with the college football playoff rankings, being pushed here to the limit. third and nine.

and it is complete downfield to a first down, to alec pierce. alec pierce has had a huge night. 146 yards receiving, greg. >> greg: beautifully done by ridder. you see the free safety there. cut that crossing route, that allowed pierce, one-on-one, on the over route, right behind it. just an excellent catch there by pierce. and the ball thrown slightly behind. >> joe: third and long. 20 yards. quick swing to ford. ford with blockers in front, including jackson. takes it ahead for eight yards. the clock counting down. two minutes to play. undefeated cincinnati. trying to win a championship here at home on a cold, rainy

night. gets it quickly out. and that will be a first down. it goes to tyler scott, the freshman receiver. the exclusive reveal of college football playoff match-ups, the new year's six games, everything you need to know, the four-hour special, noon eastern tomorrow. greg, you will be in-studio all day tomorrow. i can't wait to hear everybody's opinion. >> greg: where will cincinnati land if they can win this game? >> joe: what happens to tulsa if they get a signature win like this? so much still to be decided. ridder. first down run. he just gets to the 29 yard line, and tack a hard hit, as he reached the sideline there. zaven collins coming in with evans.

it's been a good job so far. mike denbrock, cincinnati coordinator. >> greg: mixing it up. reminding them of down and distance. you're worried about the clock, you're not thinking about down and distance. at this point, as they are knocking on the door of field goal range, expect tulsa here, maybe in a play or two, to start the ramp up the heat, and start thinking some pressure. see if they can't knock them out of field goal range with a sack. >> joe: time-out is used by cincinna cincinnati. this tulsa team has come to give a little something to cincinnati tonight. >> greg: i think we learned about tulsa. it's what we thought we knew. but their physicality and how they muddle the game. >> joe: the ability to run the ball set the tone, didn't it?

and a few key plays. jaxson player, i go back to the field goal attempt, when cincinnati was going to go up by ten in the fourth quarter and here he is. this is a stalky, tough, defensive lineman. who got his hand up and made the block. that was a huge play, to put them in position. >> greg: it was massive to give them a chance. and of course, they go right down and tie the ball game. cincinnati, trying to answer here. against what's been a very stingy tulsa defense all night long. >> joe: he has that decal just ripped off his jersey. that's a deep tackle, folks. second down and six. cincinnati trying to get into better position here. that's off the mark and a bit dangerous for a moment, as evans was closing on it. third down and six now. nothing is a guarantee with these weather conditions. it has been pouring rain all night long. saw a place kicker that slipped

on his plant foot earlier. third down and six. >> greg: right here on the fringe of field goal range, you want to get closer, you don't have to throw it. if you do, i highly recommend looking in the direction of the guy that's been your go-to guy all night long, alec pierce, number 12, at the bottom of your screen. >> joe: third and six, ridder will run it himself. it will be fourth down and about two there. gray made the tackle. holly? >> holly: cincinnati's kicker has been out with covid protocols. he missed 14 days recently. luke fickell told us, he's developed a little bit of a cold since he returned. he hasn't been superconfident. we saw one kick blocked. that's a little context they have to go for a game-winning field goal here. >> joe: to that point, holly -- he's not doing kickoffs tonight. they want to keep him fresh for the opportunity for the field

goals. now, he will have the biggest opportunity of all. 63 seconds left in a championship game. trying to give his team the lead. >> greg: and knowing, too, if your kicker has a bit of a tendency to pull the football, as a right-footed kicker, being on the right hash, makes a lot of sense. that way, he can aim at the near upright, and draw it right between them. that might play a factor on that third down call by mike dem brock. >> joe: jaxson player, hard up front for tulsa. >> greg: the guy to watch. four career blocked kicks. he's the one to watch in the surge. >> joe: officials are concerned

about a timing issue. they want to verify they have everything right. first time tulsa has ever played in the american conference championship game. they made it a good one, haven't they? all-time, they've been in five conference championship games. 2-2, in conference usa title games. another loss and six-straight. fourth and two. ridder out there on the field with four. >> greg: expect a hard-count and you can potentially get the draw. >> joe: and there was movement. it was player. he's going to take a shotdown field to the end zone. you saw player jumping in. offside.

>> greg: you see coach philip montgomery disappointed right there. as soon as you saw them go to the line of scrimmage, you had to think. there's going to be some semblance of a hard-count. see if you can get a free play. great job by cincinnati, staying in there, picking up the first down, without having really to snap. >> joe: want to remind you to stay tuned for the live trophy presentation here on abc. the penalty gives them a first down at the 19 yard line. jerome ford, can he get to the edge? trying to turn the corner. the ball is out. and cincinnati jumps on it. michael young was there.

>> greg: mind your backs, too. don't even think about getting close to the sideline. precollision here. right here -- very close. as a result, the clock stopped right now. it could be winding. don't go near the sideline if you're running the football and you're cincinnati. >> joe: second and six. ford again. don't worry about the sideline. he's going to roll forward. let that clock bleed down. you know, we have said it all day long. we said it all week long, as we got ready to call this championship game and i stress championship game. so much of the conversation, so much of everything this week in college football, including the

sport for a while, is about the college football playoff. we lose track of what happens. we lose track of how much championships matter, playing for something matters. so, even though you can sit back and say, hey, cincinnati's been done wrong. cincinnati didn't play. there were covid issues and all of a sudden they see themselves retreating in the college football playoff rankings, winning this game, winning this league, matters greatly. >> greg: that's their ultimate goal. and talking to desmond ridder earlier this week, we asked him, what do you think about the playoff? it is what it is. what do you think about playing in the championship game? that's when his eyes lit up. this is the game that every, single player across college football, they circle. winning your conference championship is your first goal always. being able to do that on your home field, potentially for

cincinnati, has to be a remarkable feeling after a fantastic year. 20 seconds remaining. third down and five. that's ford. taken down by jaxon player. offside penalty moments ago, extended things. allowed cincinnati to get a little more yardage, to take more clock. to set up the potential game-winner. >> greg: a little surprised they attempted to run the time out. they could have attempted the field goal with less time.

if the ball isn't bobbled or the snap isn't good, you attempt it on third down as opposed to fourth down, to give you more margin for error. opting not to do that, calling the final time-out, three seconds left, for a chance to take home the american athletic conference championship. >> joe: the snapper will be cason pfeifer. cole smith kicking. trying to win a championship for his undefeated team. this field goal unit, practice after practice, all year long, these three guys, snapper, holder, kicker, they think about moments like this. what did we say earlier? forget the playoffs. championships matter. look at the intensity. some are turning away, as cole smith tries to win it for the

bearcats. and he does. zb game-winner, cole smith. cincinnati wins the american athletic conference championship. a 34-yard field goal for cole smith caps it. tulsa made it a thriller, didn't they? tied the game twice in the second half. will they ever be able to take the lead against this undefeated team? great show, in the american tonight.

luke fickell will think about what he did with this program. had concerns about his kicker coming off of covid protocols. having a muscle issue. they didn't have him kickoff tonight. but he got it done when it mattered most. game-winner, cole smith. the reaction from his teammates. teammates, they can call themselves champions right now. the bearcats, 9-0. back-to-back 11-win seasons. and in this pandemic-impacted season, when they didn't play for a month, they had to shake

off the rust and had a team in tulsa that came out with physicality and said we're going to punch it right in the face and take it right down to the wire. let's go down to holly. >> holly: coach fickell, you have some concerns about your kicker coming up covid. all that goes into this season, what went through your mind when he put that through the upright for a championship? >> what went through my head is we should have done it earlier. i'm just so proud. there's a lot of pressure on him. he's done a great job. we haven't kicked a lot of field goals this year. he kicked it when it really counted. >> holly: the joy was palpable. you running around, hugging your kids. how hard has this championship season been? >> we were exhausted. this has been, an incredible up-and-down season. and draining emotionally. our guys are so incredible. what they withstood and handled, from everything being canceled at the beginning of the season, to being able to do this right

now, we couldn't do anything without these seniors. they've been through the ups and the downs. they've been through a four-win season. and this is what pays off, when you keep believing and keep fighting. >> holly: an undefeated cincinnati team. what opportunity has this group earned for the postseason? >> i hope they understand that this is a very good football team, that plays all three phases of the game. you find a way to win. and i don't know how they're going to be denied. our quarterback, and the way he played, we didn't play great probably early defensively, but we found a way to change things up and be successful. so proud of these guys. >> holly: so much, coach fickell. we have the quarterback here. >> joe: heard coach fickell say, this is a very good team. i don't know how they can be denie denied. the feeling is they're heading to the peach bowl. but they are champions and

undefeated. >> holly: desmond, i see you fighting off the tears. how hard is this for you tonight to bring a championship to this city? >> it's been a long time coming. put in a lot of work. you know, in the off-season and everything else. and it's just been a long time coming. >> holly: it was hard for you out there tonight. you had to show great toughness and grit. how were you able to do it in these terrible conditions? >> just keep pushing through. make sure everyone's good. we have a couple -- a lot of mistakes that happened tonight. we faced adversity and fight through. >> holly: i know you went through adversity in your life. your grandma has been there by your side. she's in the stands tonight, braving these conditions. what do you have to say to your family? >> to my family, thank you for all of the scrutiny and for everything in life. >> holly: thank you, desmond. you're a champion tonight.

thank you. >> joe: you don't think championships matter? only the college football playoffs? it matters greatly to that young man. so emotional, crying with jayjay reflecting on the path he has taken. coach fickell said he was a freshman on the scout team. he would see that competitive nature. he struggled last year. the struggle made him better and made him grow. he realizes that now. and then, there was cole smith, who capped the night with the game-winning field goal. holly? >> holly: cole, you've been battling some problems coming into this game tonight. coach said that you were really doing your best. what was going through your mind as you had to run out on the field and win the game for your team? >> i mean, it's -- i mean, we practice -- i've taken hundreds, thousands of reps this season. it was a rough week this week, as well. a groin pulled. and i just kept grinding. our team, we came out here.

we couldn't have done any better. i have to give thanks to the guys up front. the team that put me in position. >> holly: the rain is pouring down on you guys right now? how concerned were you about the conditions to get that game-winner? >> i wouldn't really worried. we went outside for a few weeks. came down to nippert and put some water on the ball and put out in the cold to prepare. >> holly: all right. what do you say to the college football playoff committee, sitting there watching your team play tonight? what does this group deserve? >> it shows that we can fight, no matter what. we're going to come and work hard. >> holly: thank you so much. congratulations. >> joe: we have a championship to hand out. >> the golden hurricane and their coach, phillip montgomery on a great season. give them a hand.

and now, the cincinnati bearcats and their great coach, luke fickell. but this team deserves to be in the playoff. now, i would like coach fickell to come and accept the championship trophy of the american athletic conference. congratulations. >> joe: signed his letter of intent, big offensive lineman.

been a busy week in the fickell household. daughter just celebrated her 13th birthday this week, as well. now, dad's a champ. >> us, thank you to everybody that endured and came out tonight. 5,831. we love every one of you. and to these young men behind me, i don't know -- how you could have done it any better this entire year. the season of sacrifice, the year of the teammate. i love you. we love you. seniors, thank you. 20 in a row in nippert stadium. one of the greatest seasons in u.c. football history. god bless you.

>> joe: a 9-0 football team. a championship football team. they will find out their fate for the postseason tomorrow. it was a thriller, folks. a 34-yard game-winning field goal by cole smith gives cincinnati the american athletic conference championship. enjoy the rest of your night.

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on abc 7 news, as more people get vaccinated we're getting our first indication of the prevalence of side effects. >> it's a killing machine, is what it is. if it finds the right victim. >> families devastated by covid-19 say vaccines can't be distributed soon enough. were doctors say the latest vaccine from moderna may be more accessible. and breaking news. officers storm a south bay mall, sending shoppers running. the chaos after gunfire.

this special edition of abc 7 news starts right now. >> announcer: now from abc 7, live breaking news. and right away we begin with that breaking news on a shooting at the great mall in milpitas. all of this happened tonight and all police will say as of right now is they are investigating a shooting. video shows paramedics putting one person into an ambulance. that gunfire caused panic and confusion with people hiding in stores or even evacuating. here's what happened when officers spotted some people trying to leave the mall. >> hey. >> ooh. >> oh, my god. >> how many people are in there? >> quite a few. >> how many? >> 40. >> 40? >> yeah. >> what store are you in? >> guess. >> guess? >> yeah. >> okay. go inside, lock yourself in. >> oh, my god. >> pretty dramatic to listen to. milpitas police put all stores

on lockdown and advised people to stay away from the mall. santa clara county deputies are also on the scene. now, this all happened during the last weekend before christmas with people at the mall doing some last-minute holiday shopping. just a short time ago milpitas police say teams are systematically searching all stores. they are also escorting employees and customers out into the parking lot. we do have a crew at the scene gathering information. we will of course have more information here on abc 7 news and on our abc 7 news app. and with that we say good evening and thank you for joining us. i'm dion lim. now to the latest information about covid-19. u.s. health officials are closely tracking possible side effects of the first authorized covid-19 vaccine. they say they've seen six cases of severe allergic reaction out of more than 250,000 shots given. for the tenth day in a row california celt a record for covid hospita