Volume 80 Issue 09 Overtime

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER WEEKDAY, MONTH XX15

INSIDE PG.XX

Teaser here Headline and here and Knowing what he's playing for INSIDE PG. 8

First, second year players see extensive playing time PG. XX

Teaser Headline

Defensive standout Adrian McDonald understands This is the teaser text. Dolor aut ut ut faciunte et quidus the importance of people who helped make him quia quis explist autesto | PG. 6 the humble person he is today

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2 | Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Overtime is produced by The Cougar, the official student newspaper of the University of Houston. No part of the publication in print or online may be reproduced without the written consent of the Director of the Center for Student Media. To contact the CSM, call (713) 743-5350.

EDITORS Andrew Valderas

PHOTOGRAPHERS Justin Tijerina

COPY EDITORS Joshua Cochran

PRODUCTION Jose Cruz Alex Tomic

WRITERS Andrew Valderas Christopher Shelton CLOSING EDITORS Jenae Sitzes Cara Smith

Josue Diaz AD MANAGER Callista Brown SALES Jose Salazar

Christopher Shelton

After an impressive, come-from-behind victory at Memphis, UH will seek momentum with Greg Ward (1), who will start his second game at quarterback Friday night against Temple in a pivotal American Athletic Conference matchup at TDECU Stadium | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

5 things to watch for

ANDREW VALDERAS

OVERTIME EDITOR

@THISISDREW2010

Both UH and Temple are coming off impressive victories. UH erased an early 14-point deficit behind solid quarterback play from sophomore Greg Ward and an even more impressive defensive performance that included five forced turnovers.

Temple quarterback P.J. Walker tossed two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to put away Tulsa en route to the team’s 4-1 start.

With two teams in search for consecutive conference wins, an interesting matchup should be on full display. Here are five things to look for in the Cougars-Owls game Friday night on ESPNU. 1: Can UH's offense take care of the ball?:

The Cougars have turned the ball over three times in each of their last two games, and with Greg Ward entering his second start at quarterback, it’ll be important for him to take care of the ball.

The Owls forced 17 turnovers, (tied for sixth in the nation) and usually capitalize on offense after its defense forces a

turnover.

2: It may be a sloppy, yet close contest:

Defenses for both teams are ranked near the top in forced turnovers and opponents third-down conversion rate, but both offenses are near the bottom in total offense and third-down conversion rate.

The game will start off slow and probably turn into a game that will come down to making that play late in the fourth quarter.

UH has struggled in recent memory when it comes to close games, but may have garnered extra confidence after closing out a tough Memphis team on the road in a one-possesion game.

3: Ideal formula for Greg Ward, UH

UH utilized Greg Ward the exact way I felt he should have been in last weekend’s win over Memphis — implement designed runs to keep the defense off balance and keep his throwing attempts less than 30.

The strategy should be nearly identical against Temple, as the Owls have a tough defense and love to take the ball away. It'll be important to execute simple plays that

allow him to get the ball out of his hands and into other playmakers in the open field. Most importantly, let the Third Ward Defense ride you to victory.

4: The faster, the better:

The Cougars are 7-1 after winning the first quarter with Travis Bush as the offensive coordinator, compared to their 1-9 record when they don't.

Numbers don't lie, and a good start could provide enough momentum to ride the Cougars to their second consecutive win of the season.

5: UH’s William Jackson vs. Temple’s Jalen Fitzpatrick:

The last time cornerback William Jackson went up against a top-notch receiver, he fared well, holding UNLV’s Devante Davis to just one catch for zero yards.

He’ll have another tough task, as he will more than likely be lined up across Temple quarterback P.J. Walker’s favorite receiver, Jalen Fitzpatrick, who has 24 catches for 395 yards and five touchdowns.

ABOUT THE COVER Most fans praise athletes for performances in their respective sport, but knowing what is going on inside players' heads, like UH's defensive standout Adrian McDonald, ties a lot of importance to why they play and succeed in the game — photo by Jimmy Moreland

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014 | 3

EDITOR'S NOTE: SOLID FORMULA SHOULD KEEP UH STILL ALIVE IN CONFERENCE When UH played Central Florida on Oct. 2, I was curious to see if the Cougars had what it took to defeat the defending American Athletic Conference champion Knights on primetime.

After a strong second-half performace, sophomore ANDREW quarterback Greg VALDERAS Ward fumbled in OVERTIME EDITOR the opponent’s end zone for the potential game-winning score.

Game. Set. Match.

UH proved me wrong this go-around, erasing an early 14-point deficit at Memphis to surprise most in its 28-24 victory Saturday that potentially saved the season, as the Cougars couldn’t afford to lose two straight conference games.

It was the program's third win outside of the state of Texas since Nov 25, 2011, when star quarterback Case Keenum led UH to a 48-16 win at Tulsa.

In roughly 2 ½ seasons as head coach, it was Tony Levine’s biggest win (yes, I’m even including the 2012 TicketCity Bowl).

They showed resilience and a lot of guts in a hostile environment against a Tigers team that battled UCLA and Ole Miss until deep in the the fourth quarter.

It’s a longshot, but I believe the Cougars still have a chance at a conference title.

With Cincinnati being stomped on in its last three games, UH should be, at least for the time being, favored in its remaining schedule.

All it has to do is stick to a regimented formula: keep Ward in that 20-25 range of pass attempts; mix it up with a myriad of run packages featuring junior running backs Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson that have served you success; most importantly, let the Third Ward Defense ride you to victory, as it has bailed this team out so many times.

This is why I love college football.

So many things can happen, including memorable plays, upsets and teams that unexpectedly rise to the top and launch a program that fans all over can witness.

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Registration & Networking: 5:30 p.m.

Dinner and Program: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Hilton University of Houston - Conrad Ballroom 4800 Calhoun Houston, TX 77004 Please register online by Thursday, October 23, 2014 at http://uh.edu/technology/pti/expert-series For more information about the UH Petroleum Technology Initiative, please visit: www.uh.edu/technology

The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

4 | Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Q&A: Spavital, secondary's tight-knit group proven paramount ANDREW VALDERAS

OVERTIME EDITOR

@THISISDREW2010

Historically, UH’s secondary had been a liability. Now, it’s arguably its strongest asset — pass defense is ninth in the nation and coming off a year when the defensive backs also led it in interceptions (20). Defensive backs coach Zac ZAC Spavital has coached SPAVITAL a secondary that DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH featured some ups, but mostly downs since his arrival in 2008.

Spavital sat down with The Cougar to discuss the secondary's significant progress.

The Cougar: With the secondary not being one of the strengths in years past, how have you been able to turn it around these past two seasons?

Zac Spavital: A lot of it is (defensive coordinator) Coach Gibbs. His defensive structure has given our guys a chance. Another part of it is the maturity of the group. We were very, very young in years past.

We were kind of all over the place my first three of four years here, but now we’ve been able to get young guys in the system for more than a year. Now we’re in year three with these guys; they’re comfortable; they know what they’re doing, and they’re confident. I think that’s one of the main reasons why we’ve been able to do this.

TC: With the graduation of Zach McMillian and Thomas Bates, how do you feel the transition has been for transferees Lee Hightower and William Jackson as the two starting cornerbacks?

ZS: William played a lot last year, and Lee started at Boise State. They’ve played a lot of football, so the transition for (Hightower) has been a little cleaner.

He ran our defense for a year, ran all the defensive schemes and played spring ball for us. And that’s

One of the things defensive backs coach Zac Spavital stressed on the secondary's stellar play was that they've been able to build camaraderie with each other, whereas they had trouble in years past after shuffling new players into a new coordinator's schemes | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar why we've been so productive the last couple of years.

TC: Last season, it seemed as if the defense itself relied on its ability to force turnovers to get y’all through some games, and that’s not the case this season. How have you been able to play solid defense?

ZS: That's fair to say, but we have a lot of returning starters, and (our players) have been in the system for more than a year. Around here, we’ve changed defenses a lot over time. Now, Coach Gibbs has given us a great base, and we’ve gotten to that point where we can actually stop people. Last year, we were able to play good defense, play well and stop the run. But we also needed some turnovers to stop some guys. This year, we’re still preaching turnovers, but we also know that we can function out there

and adjust the formation in different plays that we see each week. That’s allowed us to be a little better defensively.

TC: With strong saftey Adrian McDonald, a former high school quarterback, how has he been able to play so well since he was a freshman, given that he never had a lot of experience on defense?

ZC: To me, it’s either hit or miss. Some guys, it comes natural to, and he’s just one who is. We’ve recruited several high school quarterbacks to play.

Most of them stay to offense because it’s easier for them, but he’s one of the few that actually can play this type of position. When you do get a guy like that, you get a different type of (defensive back); a guy that understands the game a little bit more. It’s something special. When you can get a guy that has

that type of offensive skillset playing this position, it’s a good deal.

TC: The secondary calls itself the “Jack Boyz,” a self-proclaimed name that illustrates the defensive backs taking the ball away from opponents. How important is the culture for them jokingly “jacking” items away from their teammates off the field so it translates on the field?

ZS: They understand the importance of it. It’s now and everyday part of practice, where it’s not in a lot of other places. They take a lot of pride in it, and it’s now become a standard. I’m excited for them because it’s something that we preach. We may not have the turnovers we had a year ago at this point, but the effort to get the ball out is still there.

Most interceptions from defensive backs since 2013

27 Houston

19

18

Florida State

Arizona State

18 Missouri

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 | 5

2014 SCHEDULE

Temple, USF, Cincinnati highlight remaining schedule

VS. UTSA

L 27-7

VS. GRAMBLING W 47-0 AT BYU

L 33-25

VS. UNLV W 47-14 VS. UCF* L 17-12 AT MEMPHIS* W 28-24 VS. TEMPLE* FRIDAY TDECU STADIUM, 8 P.M.

AT USF* SATURDAY, NOV.1, 2014 RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM, TBA.

VS. TULANE* FRIDAY, NOV. 8, 2014 TDECU STADIUM, TBA

VS. TULSA* SATURDAY, NOV. 22, 2014 TDECU STADIUM, TBA

AT SMU* FRIDAY, NOV. 28, 2014 GERALD J. FORD STADIUM, TBA

AT CINCINNATI* SATURDAY, DEC. 6, 2014 NIPPERT STADIUM, TBA * DENOTES CONFERENCE GAME

Sophomore Greg Ward Jr. accounted for two touchdowns and more than 250 total yards in his first collegiate start as a quarterback — a road win against a tough Memphis squad. He provided a much-needed spark for the Cougars' offense, which didn't score a touchdown in their last game. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

Ward adds excitement in first QB start CHRISTOPHER SHELTON

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

@CHRISSHELTONTDC

Greg Ward has become must-see TV. Whether using his accurate right arm or nimble legs, the sophomore quarterback had UH fans out of their seats, providing a spark to the Cougars’ once-slumping offense.

But there was one factor that made Ward's 95 rushing, 168 pass yards and two touchdowns more impressive — it was his first collegiate start at quarterback. Ward helped lead UH to GREG a 28-24 win in a WARD STARTING QUARTERBACK hostile environment at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

“He has a great ability to extend plays.

We gave him some designed runs. We talked about offensively all week, and I said it publicly, some of our best runs where

Greg was involved in were designed passes,” said head coach Tony Levine after the game. “There’s either coverage or pressure on the play, and Greg takes off.”

Ward replaced sophomore signal caller John O’Korn, who struggled through the first five games of the season to earn his first start.

He certainly had help from the defense; the Cougars forced five turnovers, including the game-clinching interception by senior Efrem Oliphant.

Ward made mistakes, but he was the playmaker the Cougars needed.

On his first pass, he tossed an interception that set Memphis up with good field position. The Tigers couldn’t capitalize and missed a field goal four plays later. And when the Third Ward Defense recovered a fumble, Ward put the ball on ground the ensuing possession. In key moments, though, he was money.

With the Cougars down two touchdowns and facing a raucous crowd, Ward scampered 64 yards, leaving the Tigers’ defense behind him.

The play came at a crucial moment for

UH. Memphis had gained momentum after scoring a touchdown on an 8-play drive that took nearly four minutes off the clock.

The scramble ignited an offense that hadn’t scored a touchdown in five quarters, and UH outscored Memphis 21-10 down the stretch to earn the victory.

During the first possession of the fourth quarter, Ward used his passing ability to put UH ahead for good. He completed three passes for 60 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown to senior receiver Markeith Ambles that gave the Cougars a 28-21 lead.

Memphis linebacker Tank Jakes noticed the spark Ward provided.

“Their energy definitely fed off him. You could see guys come open. He would throw the ball or make a play,” Jakes said.

For a team that has struggled against good teams — the Cougars are 3-10 against teams that finished with a winning record in the Levine era — a road win over a solid team is a good accomplishment.

It’s not clear if Ward is the long-term option at quarterback, but he certainly made a strong case to hold onto the position.

6 | Wednesday, October 15, 2014

STARTING LINE-UP

STEWART (FS) #23

OLIPHANT (SLB) #50

HIGHTOWER (CB) #18

STANSBURY (DE) #72

MATHEWS (MLB) #49

MBU (DT) #92

MCDONALD (SS) #16

TAYLOR (WLB) #41

SINGLETON (DT) #93

JACKSON (CB) #3

HARRIS (DE) #46

DEFENSE OFFENSE CROSS (LT) #68

DEW (LG) #63

REDMAN (C) #58

BEADLE (WR) #84

AMBLES (WR) #21

HARPER (LG) #74

WARD (QB) #1

COOPER (LT) #60

GREENBERRY (WR) #3

AYERS (WR) #10

FARROW (RB) #35

TEAM LEADERS

POLL

2014 stats, UH vs. Temple starters

WORTHY OF THE FOLLOW

PASSING PLAYER

CMP

ATT

YARDS

CMP%

TD

INT

AVG

Greg Ward

45

25

292

55.6

1

1

188.8

P.J. Walker

97

157

1,099

61.8

9

4

219.8

PLAYER

YPA

ATT

YARDS

LONG

TD

G

AVG

Kenneth Farrow

6.63

58

385

55

3

6

64.2

Jaime Gilmore

4.57

30

137

35

2

3

68.5

PLAYER

REC

YARDS

TD

YPC

RPG

LONG

AVG

Deontay Greenberry

25

395

2

15.8

4.2

67

65.8

Jalen Fitzpatrick

24

395

5

16.46

4.8

61

79

Running back Kenneth Farrow

Strong safety Adrian McDonald

Wide receiver Markeith Ambles

Quarterback Greg Ward

@Newtron_21

@G_Ward1

RUSHING

@F_A_R_R_O_W_

@aday_mac11

RECEIVING

@

Who do you want to see next? use hashtag #tdcunderhelmet or send your suggestions to @thedailycougar

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 | 7

THE BIG BOARD AP TOP 25

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

RK

TEAM

RECORD

PTS

1

Mississippi State (45)

6-0

1480

Temple at Houston (Friday)

2

Florida State (12)

6-0

1415

South Florida at Tulsa (Saturday)

3

Ole Miss (3)

4-0

1387

Tulane at Central Florida (Saturday)

4

Baylor

6-0

1317

Cincinnati at SMU (Saturday)

5

Notre Dame

6-0

1228

6

Auburn

5-1

1144

7

Alabama

5-1

1068

8

Michigan State

5-1

1015

9

Oregon

5-1

1014

10

Georgia

5-1

981

11

Oklahoma

5-1

935

12

TCU

4-1

917

13

Ohio State

4-1

648

14

Kansas State

4-1

626

15

Oklahoma State

5-1

620

16

Arizona

5-1

590

17

Arizona State

4-1

459

18

East Carolina

5-1

449

19

Nebraska

5-1

402

20

Utah

4-1

305

21

Texas A&M

5-2

264

22

USC

4-2

258

23

Stanford

4-2

223

24

Clemson

4-2

188

25

Marshall

6-0

148

Others receiving votes: UCLA 110, LSU 67, Duke 45, Minnesota 36, Kentucky 36, West Virginia 27, Washington 22, Georgia Tech 11, Arkansas 10, Louisville 7, Rutgers 7, Iowa 6, North Dakota State 3, Colorado State 3, South Carolina 1, Virginia 1, Wisconsin 1

Like us on SAY WHAT?

"(The secondary was) very, very young in years past. We were kind of all over the place my first three of four years here, but now we’ve been able to get young guys in the system for more than a year...they'recomfortable; they know what they’re doing, and they’re confident. I think that’s one of the main reasons why we’ve been able to do this."

defensive backs coach Zac Spavital, on the secondary's progression

Friday- Saturday

STANDINGS

NETWORK

TIME

AMERICAN

W

L

W

L

ESPNU

6 p.m.

East Carolina

5

1

2

0

ESPNEWS

11 a.m.

Temple

4

1

2

0

ESPNU

11 a.m.

Central Florida

3

2

1

0

CBS

2:30 p.m.

Memphis

3

3

1

1

South Florida

2

4

1

1

Tulsa

1

5

1

1

Tulane

2

4

1

1

Cincinnati

2

3

0

1

SMU

0

5

0

1

Connecticut

1

5

0

3

TV GUIDE Thursday- Saturday

Network

Time

Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh (Thursday)

ESPN

No. 20 Utah State at Oregon State (Thursday)

Fox Sports 1

9 p.m.

Fresno State at Boise State (Friday)

ESPN

7 p.m.

No. 4 Baylor at West Virginia

Fox Sports 1

11 a.m.

6:30 p.m.

No. 14 Kansas State at No. 11 Oklahoma

ESPN

11 a.m.

Syracuse at Wake Forest

ESPN3

11 a.m.

Iowa at Maryland

ESPN2

11 a.m.

Furman at South Carolina

SEC

11 a.m.

Virginia at Duke

ESPN3

11:30 a.m.

No. 21 Texas A&M at No. 7 Alabama

CBS

2:30 p.m.

No. 8 Michigan State at Indiana

ESPN

2:30 p.m.

Rutgers at No. 13 Ohio State

ABC

2:30 p.m.

No. 24 Clemson at Boston College

ESPNU

2:30 p.m.

UCLA at California

ABC

2:30 p.m.

Army at Kent State

ESPN3

2:30 p.m.

Ball State at Central Michigan

ESPN3

2:30 p.m.

North Carolina State at Louisville

ESPN3

2:30 p.m.

No. 10 Georgia at Arkansas

SEC

3 p.m.

FLASHBACK

Courtesy of UH Athletics

HOUSTON 22 TEMPLE 13

No. 15 Oklahoma State at No. 12 TCU

FOX Sports 1

3 p.m.

Colorado at No. 22 USC

PAC12

5 p.m.

Tennessee at No. 3 Ole Miss

ESPN

6 p.m.

Missouri at Florida

ESPN2

6 p.m.

Georgia Tech at North Carolina

ESPNU

6 p.m.

No. 19 Nebraska at Northwestern

BTN

6:30 p.m.

their first American Athletic Conference win of the season.

Kentucky at LSU

SEC

6:30 p.m.

No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Florida State

ABC

7 p.m.

Kicker Richie Leone connected on five of six field goals

Washington at No. 9 Oregon

FOX Sports 1

7 p.m.

score its lone touchdown until its eighth and final trip.

Iowa State at Texas

LGN

7 p.m.

Quarterback John O'Korn finished 23-31 for 233 yards

Nevada at BYU

ESPN2

9:15 p.m.

after taking over for David Piland, who left the game with a

No. 23 Stanford at No. 17 Arizona State

ESPN

9:30 p.m.

concussion. Receiver Deontay Greenberry caught a career-

Hawaii at San Diego State

CBS

9:30 p.m.

high 14 balls for 165 yards .

Jackson seals win for Cougars

On Sept. 7 2013, UH overcame a fourth-quarter deficit behind running back Ryan Jackson’s 118 rushing yards and game-clinching 10-yard touchdown to give the Cougars

when the offense struggled in the red zone. UH didn't

— Andrew Valderas

facebook.com/thedailycougar

8 | Wednesday, October 15, 2014

With the help of his teammates, safety Adrian McDonald (16) and the Cougars will seek a win against conference foe Temple in a critical matchup Friday night at TDECU Stadium. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

Playing for others

With inspiration from an influential family member and his high school coach who helped mold him into the man he is today, Adrian McDonald will enter Friday night with more than football on his mind ANDREW VALDERAS

OVERTIME EDITOR

@THISISDREW2010

Adrian McDonald and his grandmother became close after his parents moved in with her when he was born.

Her name is Sandra Ramirez, and the family resided a street over from Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.

Ramirez — those who know her best call her "Nina" — and McDonald insisted on servicing others and making them feel at home. Both regularly volunteered at The Salvation Army, then welcomed soldiers from the base who were stationed away from their families to pack the house and treat them with Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

“She was a cool little lady,” McDonald says. “She taught me how to make French Toast.”

Unfortunately, Ramirez’s health was deteriorating due to strokes.

Ramirez suffered her first one when McDonald was in the eighth grade. She recovered after the first, but then suffered multiple ones.

ADRIAN “It just went downhill from there,” MCDONALD McDonald says.

STRONG SAFETY Tragedy strikes

When McDonald was a senior in high school, Ramirez passed away. She was 68.

McDonald would give an arm for her — literally. Nina loved lighthouses, and the tattoo of one on McDonald’s right triceps symbolizes his remembrance of her.

McDonald, a junior, will say his prayers in memory of Nina before storming onto the field in a pivotal conference matchup against Temple on Friday — it will be the threeyear anniversary of her death.

“She basically raised me. It was (a hard time for me), but you still got to live,” McDonald says. “You can’t just hold your head on something. You have to still go on.”

With years of giving gratitude toward others in his normal life, McDonald has willingly converted into a taker for the Third Ward Defense on the field, which took flight in last season’s conference opener.

Temple remembers McDonald In week 2 last season, the strong safety made a leaping interception late in the fourth quarter, then maneuvered around tacklers for a 40-yard return to set up the game-clinching touchdown.

McDonald finished 2013 tied for seventh nationally with six interceptions. Since Nov 23, 2013, no one has more turnovers responsible for than McDonald ( five interceptions,

two fumble recoveries). Junior free safety teammate Trevon Stewart led the nation in that department last season with 10 (six fumble recoveries, four interceptions), and both are competing for that title this season.

“I told him he wasn't going to beat it because I was going to beat it again this year,” said Stewart, who has one interception. “I just started off a little slow.

“If (McDonald) does get it, though, I’m proud of him.

That’s my boy. That’s like my brother.”

Whenever McDonald intercepts, forces or recovers the ball, he often celebrates them by waving his middle and index finger and thumb on each hand. What does it symbolize? — “Jack,” he says with a laugh.

‘Bullies of the team’ McDonald is the creator of the “Jack Boyz,” the self-proclaimed name to the secondary that led the nation with 20 interceptions. The defense forced a total of 43.

McDonald, who leads the defensive backs with two interceptions, and sophomore defensive back Steven Aikens promoted the “Jack Boyz” during practice early last season.

“If you’re walking on campus, and you got your phone

MCDONALD

Continues on page 10

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 | 9

POWER RANKINGS 2

1

THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS

Photo courtesy of Memphis Athletic Media Relations

3

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Photo from Justin Tijerina/TheCougar

Photo courtesy of East Carolina Athletic Media Relations

MEMPHIS STOMPED OVER CINCINNATI, TOOK

PIRATES HAVE BEEN HEAD AND SHOULDERS

KNIGHTS HAVE TWO LOSSES BUT HAVE BEEN

UCLA TO THE WIRE, WAS IN DOGFIGHT WITH OLE

ABOVE AAC WITH STIFF DEFENSE AND STRONG

AGAINST TOUGH TEAMS, AND THEY'VE BEEN

MISS UNTIL 4TH QUARTER — ALL ON THE ROAD

QUARTERBACK PLAY FROM SHANE CARDEN (5)

ABLE TO EKE OUT CLOSE GAMES VS. UH AND BYU

4

5

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

10 | Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Adrian McDonald

91

10

202

Career tackles

Career interceptions

Interception return yards

Mind of a quarterback The junior saftey has used his ability as a former quarterback to know what opposing signal callers are thinking — and McDonald has used it to his advantage, after leading last season's Cougars with six interceptions. This season, he is tied for a team-high two interceptions

Height: 5' 10" Weight: 190 Hometown: Lawton, Okla.

High School: Eisenhower Nickname(s): A-Mac, A-Day

Watch the hands McDonald's hands always seems to find the football, whether he's recovering or intercepting it.

Since Nov 23, 2013, McDonald leads the nation in turnovers responsible for (five interceptions; two fumble recoveries)

MCDONALD

Continued from page 8 in your hand, and you’re a receiver, I’ll say, ‘Jack, give me your phone.’ We just make everybody mad at us,” Aikens said. “We’re the bullies of the team. We got to be.”

The team has embraced it so much that it printed red and gray T-shirts with a player’s name and number on the back along with the hand gesture.

Whether it is “jacking” a football or a teammate’s backpack, the result has translated to a positive one on the field. It also helps keep the defensive mindset intact.

“That’s how you know getting the ball out is always on our mind,” Stewart said. “We work on it so much that, when we do it off the field, it becomes natural to us when we’re on the field.”

Said McDonald: “If you have a weakness, you can make up for it by doing something else — and that’s getting the ball, for us. It crosses out those negatives.”

McDonald was searching for a more positive theme off the field after struggling to cope with the passing of Nina.

‘Becoming a man’ He started going to church with his high school football coach Boone Copeland, whom McDonald said “took me under his wing and mold me into becoming a man.”

“Whenever you get an opportunity to establish a relationship with a person like that, it’s something special,” said Copeland, who attended Nina's funeral with McDonald. “There’s no question he falls into that type of person, and it’s great to see the impact I had in his life.”

McDonald starred at quarterback for Copeland at Eisenhower High School in Lawton as a dual-threat, tallying nearly 2,000 rushing yards in two seasons en route to a district Co-Offensive Player of the Year award.

A versatile player, though he never played defense was going to be “hit or miss,” said defensive backs coach Zac Spavital. But McDonald’s intellect of reading his opponents was a valuable asset he could bring to the Cougars.

“When you bring a player like (McDonald) on the team, you’ve got a different type of defensive back who understands the game. You get something special,” Spavital said.

“When you can function with a guy with that kind of offensive skillset, it’s a good deal.”

To his core, McDonald doesn’t takes anythig for granted — Nina's death was a turning point for him. She was his paradigm.

“That’s who I do it for, man — my grandma. She was such a big fan. "

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 | 11

Perfecting the craft IF THEY ARE TO HAVE ANY SAY IN THE QUEST FOR AN AAC CHAMPIONSHIP, THE COUGARS MUST BE METICULOUS IN ALL AREAS

Junior inside receiver Deontay Greenberry looks to be sharp for Friday's matchup against Temple at TDECU Stadium. | Photos by Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

12 | Wednesday, October 15, 2014

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