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Football Recap

THE DAILY COUGAR

January 20, 2009

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

FOOTBALL RECAP

$0/(3"56-"5*0/4 Cougar Football on your Armed Forces Bowl Game

Victory!

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New editor to expand sports web coverage Welcome to the 2009 spring football team won its first bowl game edition of The Daily Cougar Sports since 1980 when they topped Air section. With help from a talented Force 34-28 in the Armed Forces Bowl. staff of writers, including familiar This section will give readers a review names such as of the season and a look toward 2009. Ronnie Turner The men’s basketball team has and Chris started its season strong, posting Elliott, I will road wins over UTEP and Sundo my best job Belt favorite Middle Tennessee. to give you inUH also scored an impressive Matt Miller depth coverage blowout victory against Alabamaof UH athletics. Birmingham at Hofheinz Pavilion. Zaneta Loh, last semester’s Sports The women’s basketball team editor, is now The Daily Cougar’s has also jumped out of the gate editor in chief, so I will take on the nicely, posting wins over Miami role this spring. We and Tulane. The still have most of Cougars erased an It is my mission to our core staff intact, 18-point second provide readers with so expect more half deficit to grab plenty of entertaining of the excellent the victory over coverage we have Green Wave. and informative sports the provided in the past. Head coach Joe coverage, so kick back, However, there Curl won his 300th will be a few relax and enjoy what we game when UH changes. Our Web defeated Texas have to offer. site has undergone Southern 64-44 on a makeover, and Dec. 5. the newspaper will also have a Track and field begins its season different look. soon, and both the men’s and There will be much more women’s teams are expected to exclusive online content this have a great year. semester, so be sure to check our The baseball and softball teams Web site at www.thedailycougar. should also give UH fans plenty of com every day. Readers should also reasons to cheer, and The Daily Cougar expect to see Web blogs that will be will be there for every moment. updated on a regular basis. It is my mission to provide The Cougars have participated in readers with plenty of entertaining numerous events since we departed and informative sports coverage, so in December, so let’s catch up. kick back, relax and enjoy what we On Dec. 31, 2008, the Cougar have to offer.

FOOTBALL RECAP

The Daily Cougar

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

SILENT ASSASSIN

Sumlin’s well-laid foundation bears fruit One could argue the Cougars took a step forward in their first season under head coach Kevin Sumlin by capturing their first bowl victory in 28 years. But even with that bowl win, the Cougars at Ronnie Turner best took only a small step forward. Their offense was a bit more explosive than in 2007, but the defense remained a painful sight. The offensive line struggled to provide consistent pass protection and the secondary was frequently tested and burned. And there was the puzzling matter of the Cougars getting off to slow starts and needing miraculous second-half comebacks to win big games. Despite all these negatives, there were plenty of positives. The Cougar offense proved it could turn on the jets when it had to. The defense played well down the stretch, limiting opponents to an average of 5.3 points in the fourth quarters. The Cougars found themselves a special freshman offensive trio in running back Bryce Beall and wideouts Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards. They also know they have their starting quarterback for the next two years in sophomore Case Keenum (5,020 passing yards, 44 touchdowns this season). The Cougars were good enough to win at least eight games for the third consecutive season. They were good enough to contend for the Conference USA West Division title down to the last regular season game, a disappointing 56-42 loss to Rice. But that’s where it stops with this group. The program won’t get any better unless significant improvements are made on both sides of the ball.

Time to hit the recruiting trail The latter task falls to Sumlin, who just completed his first season as a head coach, and his staff. They must upgrade an offensive line that’s losing three starters, a defensive line that’s losing all four of its starters — including C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Phillip Hunt — and a secondary that is losing both starting safeties. Plus, the Cougars could always use more depth in other positions. The recruiting season hasn’t ended yet, but the 2009 class looks markedly better than last year’s group. This is partly because Sumlin and Co. are not burdened by a transition period this season. Last year, Sumlin had to deal with several commitments reneging in the wake of former head coach Art Briles’ departure. Sumlin held on to the recruits he could, added a few of his own and ended up with a class that wasn’t too shabby considering the circumstances. Sumlin and his assistants see ASSASSIN ASSASSIN, page 4

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PLAYER PROFILE

Hunt ends UH career with records, titles by ZANETA LOH The Daily Cougar For Phillip Hunt, fourth time’s the charm. Hunt has pursued a bowl win since he began his collegiate career. In 2005, as a redshirt freshman, Hunt recorded 23 tackles to help the Cougars reach their second bowl game in three years, but UH fell to Kansas 42-13 in the Fort Worth Bowl. In 2006, Hunt led the team with 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks as the Cougars captured the Conference USA Championship and ended their regular season on a six-game win streak. They entered the Liberty Bowl with a 10-3 record but fell to South Carolina 44-36. In 2007, Hunt paced the team with 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as the Cougars came up one win short of making a return trip to the C-USA Championship game and lost to Texas Christian University 20-13 in the Texas Bowl.

As a senior, the defensive end for the Cougars from 1972-74 and capped off his collegiate career earned 33 career sacks. with two sacks against Air Force in “It feels great. It’s an honor. I set the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31, the record in front of my family and giving UH its first bowl win in 28 it just feels great,” Hunt said. years. Hunt was named Conference “This feels USA Defensive good because this “This feels good because Player of the Year is something like after leading the this is something like the the conference league with 12 conference championship sacks and 16.5 championship we won back we won back in ’06. Since tackles for loss in ’06,” Hunt in the regular we didn’t win the (Bayou) season. He also said. “Since we didn’t win the had 16 solo and Bucket ... this year, this (Bayou) Bucket 5 assisted tackles takes the place of it.” or we didn’t win for loss for 124 the conference — Phillip Hunt, Senior defensive end yards, ranking championship 17th in the this year, this nation. takes the place of it.” He was named C-USA Player of Hunt ranked second in the the Week for the third time in his nation with 14 sacks in 13 games career after getting three sacks in — a UH single-season record —for UH’s 44-38 win over SMU on Oct. a loss of 107 yards. His 34 career 18 in Dallas. sacks as a Cougar moves him into Hunt also earned the weekly the top spot in UH record books past Mack Mitchell, who played see PROFILE, page 8

Gregory Bohuslav The Daily Cougar

Senior defensive end Phillip Hunt, shown here in the Armed Forces Bowl, leaves UH with 34 sacks, the most in school history.

ASSASSIN continued from page 3

haven’t wasted any time this year. They have already landed two talented junior college linemen who can step in right away in Roy Watts (6-6, 335 pounds) and Jarve Dean (6-3, 330). Ty Cloud (Flower Mound Marcus High School), Keenan Flax (Cypress Ridge), Kevin Forsch (Klein Oak) and Ralph Oragwu (Fort Bend Marshall) will add much needed depth. Incoming junior college defensive back Jacky Candy (6-0, 200) can also make an immediate impact in the secondary. Dayton’s A.J. Dugat, who has also verbally committed to the Cougars, is an electrifying athlete who represents an intriguing prospect at safety. And the list goes on, including promising additions to the defensive line. Make no mistake; this class looks to be one of the best this program has seen in ages.

2009 looks promising The Cougars were far from major players in recruiting during Briles’ tenure, but Sumlin and his assistants have made huge strides in this area. If the Cougars are to become the nationally-recognized program that athletic director Dave Maggard envisions, it starts with recruiting. And that’s only half the battle. It also involves coaching, but Sumlin took care of that too. He surrounded himself with topnotch coordinators and assistants, individuals who are efficient at both coaching and recruiting. The results might not always have been indicative of this during the season, but there were occasional glimpses of what Sumlin hopes to achieve with this program. He didn’t always have all the players needed for his system, but he did what he could with what he had. Fans shouldn’t have to worry about the future of the team, because the players UH needs are on the way. With a little luck and perseverance, the Cougars could be on their way too.

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BEFORE THE THE... 6

FOOTBAL

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

1952

Jan. 1, 1952 Montgomery Stadium 4 Phoenix, Ariz.

Salad Bowl

1962 Tangerine Bowl

Bluebonnet Bowl

Jan. 1, 1980 Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas Quarterback Terry Elston found receiver Eric Herring in the endzone Houston 17 Nebraska 14 from six yards out with 12 seconds left to propel UH to its second 11-win season. Nebraska’s highly-touted offense was no match for UH’s defense, which held the Cornhuskers to 227 yards. The last-second win came a year after UH lost to 4 Joe Montana and Notre Dame in the final seconds of the 1979 Cotton Bowl. The Cougars finished the season ranked fifth in the nation.

1980 Garden State Bowl

2008 Armed Forces Bowl

Houston and Auburn entered the 1969 Bluebonnet Bowl with the top two offenses in the country, but only the Cougars backed up the hype. Houston halfback Jim Houston 36 Auburn 7 Strong rushed for 184 yards to lead the Cougar offense, which gained 516 yards. The win gave the Cougars their ninth consecutive victory and the No. 12 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.

Houston’s 40-point victory over in the 1973 Houston 47 Tulane 7 Tulane 4 Bluebonnet Bowl gave the Cougars their first 11-win season. Led by halfbacks Marshall Johnson and Donnie McGraw, UH controlled the game on the ground, rushing for 402 yards. The Cougars’ defense was also strong, forcing 5 turnovers and 9 punts.

Cotton Bowl

Dec. 31, 1969 4 Astrodome Houston, Texas

Dec. 29, 1973 Astrodome Houston, Texas

1977 1980

Houston 26 Dayton 21

Dec. 22, 1962 Tangerine Bowl Orlando, Fla. The Cougars scored 35 consecutive points after Houston 49 Miami (Ohio) 21 falling behind 7-0 to cruise to a 49-21 victory over Miami of Ohio. Quarterback Billy Roland tossed three touchdowns to earn MVP honors. UH’s defense also played well, holding the Red Hawks to 319 yards of total offense. The win was the first of several bowl victories for UH head coach Bill Yeoman.

1969 1973

The Cougars used a 13-point third quarter to overcome their 21-13 halftime deficit, defeating Dayton 26-21 and winning their first bowl appearance. Running back Gene Shannon, who rushed for all four of the Cougar touchdowns, was named Most Valuable Player. Defensive back Jack Howton led the Houston defense with two interceptions and a recovered fumble.

Houston 30 Maryland 21

Jan. 1, 1977 Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas

Dec. 22, 1980 Giants Stadium East Rutherford, N.J. Cougar running back Terald Clark rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns, the team to a Houston 35 Navy 0 leading dominating 35-0 win over Navy. The Cougars gained 405 yards on the ground and threw only seven passes because of inclement weather. Turnovers played a huge part in this game, as UH fumbled the ball eight times but only lost three, while Navy committed three turnovers and had a punt blocked.

A year of shockers ended with a stunning 30-21 upset of Maryland in the Cougars’ first appearance in the Cotton Bowl. Lennard Coplin connected on a 28-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to seal the victory for the Cougars. Houston converted on early mistakes by Maryland to build a 21-0 lead, but stumbled to one of the biggest wins in school history.

Houston 34 Air Force 28 In a rematch with Air Force, Houston Dec. 31, 2008 snapped an eight-game postseason Amon G. Carter losing streak. Keenum threw for two touchdowns and became the second Stadium quarterback in UH history to pass yards on the season (5,020 in 13 Fort Worth, Texas 5,000 games). Beall ended the year with 1,247 rushing yards and led the team with 13 touchdowns on the ground, including one against the Falcons.

5 Photos Courtesy of the houstonian

RED REIGN

LL RECAP

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UH vs. Southern Aug. 30

UH at Oklahoma State Sept. 6

UH vs. Air Force Sept. 13

Kevin Sumlin and the Cougars handed Southern a 52-point defeat in the highestscoring game by a head coach in his debut in UH history. Houston’s quick offense put up 615 yards on the Jaguars in the 2008 season-opener.

Although Houston owned a 16-14 lead at halftime, the Cowboys responded and outscored Houston 42-21 in the second half for the win. OSU pounded Houston for 699 total yards, including 379 rushing yards to claim the victory.

The Cougar football team, displaced by Hurricane Ike, faced the Falcons on the SMU campus in Dallas. Air Force completed just seven passes in the game but churned out 243 yards on the ground to Houston’s 163 to send the Cougars home with a loss.

UH at East Carolina Sept. 27

UH vs. UAB Oct. 9

The Cougars battled back against ECU, upsetting the thenNo. 23 ranked Pirates on the road in their first C-USA game of the season. Houston outscored the Pirates 21-10 in the first half and held the Pirates to 149 passing yards to get their first road win under Sumlin.

In just its second home game of the season, the Cougars overcame a 17-point deficit, tying a UH record, en route to victory. The Cougars outscored the Blazers 42-0 in the second half and earned 375 of their 549 total yards in the final two quarters.

UH at SMU Oct. 18

UH at Marshall Oct. 28

UH vs. Tulane Nov. 8

Houston remained undefeated in C-USA by overcoming a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Mustangs in Dallas. Freshman running back Bryce Beall added three touchdowns on the ground to Keenum’s 404 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cougars suffered their first conference defeat at the hands of the Thundering Herd. Marshall held a 16-3 advantage after two quarters and never gave up their lead, extending it to 21 points in the third quarter. Keenum threw two interceptions in the Cougars’ nationally-televised loss.

Houston rebounded from the road loss and defeated the Green Wave in its Homecoming game. The Cougars outpaced Tulane with 299 yards on the ground compared to the Green Wave’s 61 as Beall earned three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) in the win.

UH vs. Tulsa Nov. 11 The Cougars earned their second upset of a nationally-ranked team by handing then-No. 24 Tulsa a 40-point victory at Robertson Stadium. Keenum finished with six touchdowns, a career and league record. With the win, Houston became bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

UH vs. UTEP Nov. 22 In their last home game of the season, the Cougars pulled off the largest comeback victory in UH history, outscoring the Miners 26-9 in the fourth quarter to complete an undefeated season at home. Houston posted a season-high 700 offensive yards gainst the Miners.

W55-3 L 56-37 L 31-28 L 28-25 W41-24 W45-20 W44-38 L 37-23 W42-14 W70-30 W42-37 L 56-42 W34-28

UH at Rice Nov. 29 Houston needed a win to advance to the C-USA Championship for the second time in three years, but the Owls reclaimed the Bayou Bucket for the first time since 2004 to end the Cougars’ regular season. With the loss, Houston set its sights on claiming its first bowl win since 1980.

Photos By GreGory ory Bohuslav

UH at Colorado State Sept. 20 Houston was unable to make up ground as it got off to a late start against the Rams. Behind 28-17 in the fourth quarter, Houston completed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to pull within three points. The Cougar defense forced the Rams to punt on the next drive, but quarterback Case Keenum threw an interception with 8 seconds left to give Houston its third consecutive loss.

Junior offensive lineman Carl Barnett and junior wide receiver celebrate Houston’s win over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

FOOTBALL RECAP

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

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BOWL HISTORY

Reflecting on UH highs and lows by RONNIE TURNER The Daily Cougar Although fans will remember the Cougars’ 34-28 win over Air Force in the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl as the program’s first postseason triumph in 28 years, the game might barely register a blip in the memories of older fans who have witnessed more thrilling games. Older fans have seen the Cougars play in more prestigious games such as the Cotton and Bluebonnet bowls. They’ve seen heart-stopping wins and heartbreaking losses. They’ve seen the Cougars at their best and at their absolute worst. So, where does the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl rank among the program’s eight bowl wins? Probably not as high as the casual observer may think.

Here’s my pick for top five UH bowl wins: 5. 2008 Armed Forces Bowl: UH 34, Air Force 28. 4. 1980 Garden State Bowl: UH 35, Navy 0. 3. 1973 Bluebonnet Bowl: UH 47, Tulane 7. 2. 1980 Cotton Bowl: UH 17, Nebraska 14. 1. 1977 Cotton Bowl: UH 30, Maryland 21. Of course, the Cougars have taken several bowl games down to the wire only to come up short.

GreGory Bohuslav THE DAILY COUGAR

The Air Force Academy’s Wings of Blue parachute team and the Cougar marching band entertain fans during halftime of the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl. Here are my top five UH bowl There was no overtime at that time, so until the third overtime, when the game ended in a deadlock. Hawaii went ahead by six points games that got away: 5. 2006 Liberty Bowl: South Carolina 44, UH 36. The Cougars took a slim 28-27 lead into the locker room at halftime, but the Gamecocks rattled off 17 unanswered points to open the second half to take a 44-28 lead. The Cougars cut the deficit to 44-36 on Jackie Battle’s 3-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion with 5:42 left in the game, but they would get no closer. 4. 1974 Bluebonnet Bowl: UH 31, N.C. State 31. The Cougars led 31-17 late in the fourth quarter, but the Wolfpack scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes to tie the game.

3. 1988 Aloha Bowl: Washington State 24, UH 22. The Cougars trailed 24-9 at halftime, but two touchdown passes in the second half by backup quarterback David Dacus pulled them within two points with 13:16 left in the game. Washington State’s defense shut out UH’s offense from there to hold on for the win. 2. 2003 Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii 54, UH 48 (3 OT). The Cougars were seemingly down and out in this one until Vincent Marshall took a short pass from Kevin Kolb and turned it into an 81-yard touchdown that tied the game at 34 with 22 seconds left in regulation. The two teams battled

after scoring a touchdown. The game ended when the Cougars came up short on a fourth-down play on the ensuing possession. 1. 1979 Cotton Bowl: Notre Dame 35, UH 34. This game will forever live in infamy for Cougar fans. The Cougars led 34-12 at the start of the fourth quarter, but were outscored by Notre Dame 23-0 in the final period. The Fighting Irish claimed the heartstopping win when Kris Haines reeled in an 8-yard touchdown pass as time expired. The guy who threw that touchdown pass? Oh, just a soon-to-be NFL legend named Joe Montana.

PROFILE continued from page 4

honor in 2007 after forcing a fumble and breaking up two passes against the Mustangs as a junior. In 2006, Hunt tortured SMU for nine total tackles (seven solo) and three sacks for 12 yards as Houston beat SMU to clinch the C-USA West division title. The Armed Forces bowl marked Hunt’s 52nd consecutive start as he, along with senior safety Kenneth Fontenette, set the school record for most career games played. As a junior, Hunt led the Cougars in tackles for loss (18 for 106 yards) and sacks (10.5 for a loss of 76 yards). Hunt was named to the All C-USA First Team by Phil Steele publications, and was named All-Conference USA by both the coaches and media. As a sophomore, Hunt paced the Cougars with 8 sacks for 37 yards and 12 tackles for loss for 43 yards to help the Cougars earn the C-USA Championship. Despite Hunt’s seven tackles (four solo) and a 6-yard sack against South Carolina, the Cougars extended their bowl game losing streak to eight. After helping UH reach an undefeated record at Robertson Stadium, Hunt entered his final game with the Cougars determined to get a win. Although Hunt set personal records in the game against the Falcons, he is equally proud to leave the team with a solid foundation on which it can build a winning tradition. “We got our first (bowl) win in 28 years and we set the record straight and we set a winning legacy my senior year, and it feels great,” he said.

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FOOTBALL RECAP

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Player performance reviewed by RONNIE TURNER The Daily Cougar

Offensive MVP: sophomore quarterback Case Keenum After splitting time with junior Blake Joseph last season, Keenum won the starting job in fall camp, making an immediate impact. He finished the season with 5,020 passing yards (second in the nation behind Texas Tech senior Graham Harrell) and 44 touchdowns, including seven rushing scores. He threw for over 300 yards in all but one game and was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.

been fourth in the nation if he had earned enough punts to qualify.

Best Game: UH 70, Tulsa 30 (Nov. 15) The Cougars jumped on thenNo. 24 Tulsa and never let up en route to their dominant win at Robertson Stadium. In avenging a 56-7 loss at the hands of the Golden Hurricane in 2007, the Cougars racked up 641 yards of total offense. Keenum tossed a career-high six touchdown passes to lead the Cougars’ onslaught. It was UH’s second win over a Top 25 team in 2008. The other came against East Carolina on Sept. 27.

for a game-winning 26-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds remaining in a 44-38 win over Southern Methodist on Oct. 18.

Worst Play Trailing Marshall 16-3 in the third quarter, the Cougars were at their opponent’s 1-yard line when backup quarterback Blake Joseph and freshman running back Bryce Beall had a bad exchange on a handoff and lost the ball. The fumble was recovered by Marshall’s Maurice Kitchens, who returned it 80 yards in the other direction to set up a touchdown that put the Thundering Herd ahead 23-3, giving the Cougars an embarrassing loss.

Defensive MVP: senior defensive end Phillip Hunt

Worst Game: Marshall 37, UH 23 (Oct. 28)

Best Individual Performance: Offense

The 6-2, 260-pound Hunt was the most consistent player on a largely inconsistent defense. He recorded 14 sacks (secondmost in the nation), 18.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He was also named C-USA’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Neither the offense nor defense showed up for this game. The Cougars trailed by as many as 28 points, committed three costly turnovers and lost standout freshman wideout Patrick Edwards to a broken leg during a bizarre play in the endzone in the second half. Considering that Marshall went on to finish 4-8, this loss was devastating.

Case Keenum threw a careerhigh six touchdown passes and ran for another score in the Cougars’ 70-30 thrashing of Tulsa.

Special Teams MVP: junior punter Chase Turner Turner averaged 45.5 yards on 41 punts with a long of 71 yards. His yards-per-punt average would have

Best Play Case Keenum hit redshirt freshman wideout Tyron Carrier

Best Individual Performance: Defense Sophomore cornerback Loyce Means had three interceptions, including one that was returned 69 yards for a touchdown, six tackles and two pass breakups in the Cougars’ win over Tulsa.

Best Coaching Decision Defensive coordinator Larry Skladany sent a blitz on a third-and-4 play against SMU at its 34-yard line with the Cougars trailing 38-36 late in the fourth quarter. The blitz caused SMU freshman quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell to rush a pass that fell incomplete, and after the punt, the Cougars’ offense took over at its own 15 with 1:58 remaining. Eight plays later, Case Keenum hit Tyron Carrier for the gamewinning touchdown pass.

Memorable Plays Armed Forces Bowl - Dec. 31 Senior linebacker Cody Lubojasky swats down Tim Jefferson’s fourth-down pass with 2:34 left in the game, giving the Cougars a chance to run out the clock. gg

In the drive that ensued after the Lubojasky play, sophomore quarterback Case Keenum hooks up with freshman running back Bryce Beall on a 20-yard pass play that sealed the win for UH. UH v. UTEP – Nov. 22 Keenum sneaks into the endzone from 1 yard out with 41 seconds left to complete the Cougars’ comeback from a 19-point deficit. g

Worst Coaching Decision Head coach Kevin Sumlin opted to go for the win instead of settling for a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds of the Cougars’ 28-25 loss to Colorado State. The Cougars had driven to the CSU 15-yard line with eight seconds remaining, and Sumlin rolled the dice. But the gamble failed, as Case Keenum’s fade route floater to sophomore wideout L.J. Castile was intercepted by Colorado State’s Clint Kubiak with two seconds left. That decision led directly to the Cougars’ third consecutive loss and a 1-3 start.

Best Surprise Running back Bryce Beall excelled after moving into the see PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE, page 12

UH v. SMU – Oct. 18 Freshman wide receiver Tyron Carrier snags a 26-yard touchdown pass from Keenum with 24 seconds left, giving the Cougars their second comeback victory of the season. gg

UH v. Tulsa – Nov. 15 After being spotted a 7-0 lead, the UH defense stops Tulsa’s potent offense on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. g

UH v. East Carolina – Sept. 27 The Cougars held a 7-point lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter when Keenum scrambles to avoid a sack and finds sophomore wideout Kierrie Johnson wide open for an 84-yard touchdown, giving the Cougars a 31-17 lead. gg

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Daily Cougar

New talent triumphs by MATT MILLER The Daily Cougar

GreGory Bohuslav THE DAILY COUGAR

Case Keenum, shown here against Rice, led the Cougar offense with 5,020 yards passing and 44 touchdowns.

After losing lethal weapons receiver Donnie Avery and running back Anthony Alridge to graduation, no one could have predicted the 2008 Cougar football team would end up with the No. 1 offense in the nation at the end of the regular season. But that’s exactly where UH ranked heading into its matchup with Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars’ offense gave their fans unbelievable comebacks against SMU and UTEP, 70-points against Tulsa and the football program’s first victory in a bowl game since 1980. Contributions from players such as senior tight end Mark Hafner, freshman wide receiver Tyron Carrier and freshman running back Bryce Beall allowed the Cougars to reload their offense instead of rebuilding it. The leader of the offense is sophomore quarterback Case Keenum, who threw for 5,020 yards and 44 touchdowns this season. Keenum completed 67.4 percent of his passes, 10th in the nation and third among quarterbacks who threw more than 500 passes. “The mark of a really good player is when you talk for 15 minutes and you don’t mention him, because everyone is used to it,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said in the post-game press conference after the Cougars’ 34-28 victory in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31. Keenum’s 252 passing yards in UH’s win against Air Force snapped his 13-game streak of at least 300 passing yards, but he did something that his predecessor Kevin Kolb could not — he won a bowl game. Keenum joins former quarterbacks Andre Ware and David Klinger as the only Cougars to throw more than 40 touchdowns in a season, and his 5,020 yards through the air makes him the first UH quarterback since David Klinger to pass for 5,000 yards in a season. Hafner led the Cougars with 86 receptions this season, 11 of which

were for touchdowns. In his previous two seasons at UH, Hafner had 59 receptions and five touchdowns. His abilities will certainly be missed, but there are others who are ready to shoulder more responsibility. One of those players is Carrier, who led all UH receivers with 1,026 yards, and became the first UH freshman receiver to surpass 1,000 yards. Carrier is a player whom Keenum can count on in the clutch. His 26-yard touchdown reception against SMU on Oct. 18 gave UH a 42-38 lead and helped the Cougars complete a comeback from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Beall, Conference USA Freshman of the Year, played a huge part in ending the Cougars’ losing streak in bowl games. He led the team in both rushing (135 yards) and receiving (92 yards) in the Armed Forces Bowl. “We have talked all year about this, but Bryce would have had more yards this year if I had been smart enough to play him more in the first couple of games,” Sumlin said. Despite his youth, Beall proved to be UH’s best rusher, acquiring 1,247 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He also caught 34 passes for 496 yards, including a 20-yard reception on a crucial third down that allowed the Cougars to run out the clock. “I’ve got room to get better,” Beall said. “Coach McKinney is always telling me not to settle on this. There are always ways to improve.” Beall will get better, and so will UH’s offense. Keenum will enter his junior year as an outside contender for the Heisman Trophy. Freshman wide receiver Patrick Edwards will look to recover from the season-ending injury he suffered at Marshall, and sophomore wide receivers L.J. Castile and Kierrie Johnson will also return with more experience. Considering what UH lost after the 2007 season and the fact that the Cougars entered fall camp not knowing who their starting quarterback would be, they have done a nice job of not missing a beat.

Team Awards & Stats C-USA All Conference Team First team » senior offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer Second team » sophomore quarterback Case Keenum » senior tight end Mark Hafner » freshman wide receiver Tyron Carrier g

C-USA All-Freshman Team First team » freshman Running back Bryce Beall » freshman Offensive lineman Chris Thompson » freshman wide receiver Tyron Carrier gg

C-USA Freshman of the Year Bryce Beall gg

Team Statistics 40.6 points per game (10thin the nation) 401.6 passing yards per game (2nd in nation) 562.8 yards of total offense per game (2nd in C-USA) 355 first downs (2ndin C-USA) g

Individual Statistics Case Keenum » 159.91 passer rating (9th in nation) » 44 touchdowns (tied-4th in nation) » 386.2 passing yards per game (1st in C-USA) Bryce Beall » 1247 rushing yards (3rd in C-USA) Mark Hafner » 6.62 receptions per game (4th in C-USA) Tyron Carrier » 6.15 receptions per game (5th in C-USA) g

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12 n Tuesday, January 20, 2009

FOOTBALL RECAP

The Daily Cougar

PERFORMANCE continued from page 9

starting role following injuries to the top two backs, finishing with 1,247 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns with another 496 yards and four scores receiving. He was named C-USA Freshman of the Year.

Worst Surprise The team suffered a disappointment when it lost starting defensive tackle Ell Ash and offensive tackle SirVincent Rogers to season-ending injuries in the first half of the campaign. Both seniors would have been difference-makers had they managed to stay healthy.

Unsung offensive coach Running back coach Clarence McKinney did a superb job supervising the development of Bryce Beall.

Unsung defensive coach Defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat kept his unit from crumbling despite the loss of tackle Ell Ash. He also oversaw the continued development of Phillip Hunt as C-USA’s top pass rusher.

Best offensive stat The Cougars were second in the nation behind Tulsa in total offense with 562.77 yards per game.

Worst offensive stat The Cougars committed 28 turnovers, which landed them in a five-way tie for 93rd-most in the nation.

Best defensive stat The Cougars held opponents to a paltry average of 5.3 points in the fourth quarter.

Worst defensive stat The Cougars surrendered an average of 413.46 yards per game.