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Issue 13, Volume 81
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Follow the leader Senior safety Adrian McDonald leads UH in interceptions and the captain is looking to keep the Cougars on track. | PG. 9
NEWS
Pharmacy college sets funding record
The College of Pharmacy reached a record setting $7.64 million in research funding for the 2014-15 fiscal year, topping 2010's record of $6 million. | PG. 2
OPINION
Remember your veterans
From World War I to today, veterans have been a prominent group in society. We should thank them every Veterans Day. | PG. 7
2 | Wednesday, November 11, 2015
NEWS
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Rebecca Hennes, Editor
FUNDRAISING
Pharmacy college sets record in research funding ALYSSA SMITH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The College of Pharmacy reached a record-setting $7.64 million in research funding for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The awarded funding exceeded the previous record of roughly $6 million in 2010. “In the previous fiscal year from Oct. 2013 to the end of Sept. 2014, we were ranked 38th nationally in research funding by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy,” College of Pharmacy Dean F. Lamar Pritchard said. “If we compare our most recent research milestone to the other institutions’ funding last year, we would fall between 25th and 26th place in the AACP rankings.” Some of the highest grants went to Joydip Das, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry, Bradley McConnell, an associate professor of pharmacology, Samina Salim, an assistant professor of pharmacology and Yang Zhang, an associate professor of pharmacology. “This research funding will ultimately lead to the discovery and development of novel therapeutics and novel drug targets to treat a range of deadly and debilitating diseases,
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ABOUT THE COVER Adrian McDonald leads UH in interceptions. — Photo by Justin Tijerina
Assistant professor of pharmacology Samina Salim believes this funding will serve for new discoveries and developement for the College of Pharmacy. | Courtesy of Salim
including neurological disease, cardiovascular disease, alcohol abuse, cancer, hypertension, asthma and infectious diseases," Pritchard said. Das was awarded $1.79 million from the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse.
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He will use the funding for specialized equipment and to hire students and post-doctoral fellows to conduct research for his study characterizing a protein that regulates the actions of alcohol in the brain, Das said. "This research is highly significant, because it may lead to development of therapeutics for alcohol addiction," Das said. "Very few medications are available for treating alcohol abuse and addiction." McConnell was awarded $451,500 from the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute that be used on research for his project in biophysical, cellular and physiological properties of a protein complex called A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins. “We’re using molecular-defined mutants to understand the integrated structure, function and relationships in sub-cellular signaling that’s associated with cardiac cell signaling,” McConnell said. The National Institute for Mental Health awarded Salim $451,500 that she said will be used for her research examining the biochemical basis of behavioral and cognitive impairments that occur in response to psychological stress. “This new funding will enable my team to investigate and carve out a mechanism that I believe is central to functional impairment in behavior and cognition,” Salim said. “The study is expected to provide novel clues that would inform
drug design and therapeutic intervention for anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment.” Zhang was awarded $3.4 million from the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute that he said will be used towards his research in the molecular and immunological mechanisms involving the initiation of chronic cardiovascular diseases. “The funding from NHLBI helped us build (a) strong research team and acquire stateof-art equipment to advance these research programs," Zhang said. “Hopefully, our research will lead to the discovery of novel methodology and/or therapeutic targets which help diagnose or prevent atherogenesis at the early stage.” Pritchard said these research projects will produce new findings and therapies in addition to providing an increase in scholarly activity and resources to train future researchers in the graduate and professional degree programs at the College of Pharmacy. “We are committed to advancing the college and, in turn, advancing the University as part of President Renu Khator’s Tier One vision for UH and, specifically the UH Health Initiative, in improving the health of our communities,” Pritchard said. news@thedailycougar.com
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NEWS
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Rebecca Hennes, Editor
Parking has been an issue for students since the beginning of the semester, but things are looking up for those who were fined at the Oct. 8 football game. | File photo/ The Cougar
CAMPUS
Students to be reimbursed for game day parking citations REBECCA HENNES
NEWS EDITOR @BECCAGHENNES
Students who were issued parking citations at the Oct. 8 home football game against Southern Methodist University can expect a nice surprise in their wallets soon, after a proposal was approved by the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee to reimburse them. "TPAC has endorsed (the proposal) and we are already communicating with Parking and Transportation Services and Auxiliary Services to move forward with reimbursing those tickets," Student Government Association President Shaun Theriot-Smith said. Theriot-Smith said students can expect to be refunded by the end of the semester. Around 50 citations were issued, all of which were for V8 or V10 violations, which consist of parking on or blocking a driving lane or blocking a sidewalk, crosswalk or parking on the grass, respectively. Each citation costs between $35 and $40, and doubled in price if they were not paid within 30 days. Theriot-Smith said the reimbursement would cover any increases that students may have experienced.
Being on a Thursday, the parking situation added stress for commuters and students trying to get to class. SGA senator and TPAC Chair Eliott Kauffman stressed that there was still available parking at the game, students just weren't looking in the right places. "At no time did we run out of parking," Kauffman said. "There was parking at the Energy Research Park, but we ran into the same problem as always which is students don’t generally want to park there. Students are more willing to drive for an hour in these parking lots than go to ERP and take a 15-minute shuttle back here." SGA said they were not on top of their game in regards to the parking situation, and that they could have increased marketing about the available parking at ERP. "Nonetheless, students were ticked off about the fact that we were not on top of the situation," SGA Vice President Tanzeem Chowdhury said. "We did have more shuttles, but that was not marketed at all. We tried to reach out to our constituents but, at the end of the day, it's hard to reach out to this many students." Aside from ERP parking,
Chowdhury said SGA and TPAC should be and are working to provide more options to students for on-campus parking. "I think the solution is how can we improve parking, and that is something that TPAC is looking at very seriously," Chowdhury said. Theriot-Smith said that SGA would like to help prevent parking problems in the future by planning ahead and holding all campus organizations responsible for presenting parking plans to TPAC. Most student organizations are responsible for presenting to TPAC ahead of an event to plan accordingly. Organizations like Frontier Fiesta presented a parking plan in October for their event that occurs in March. Athletics was aware of the Thursday game, but did not present to TPAC until two weeks prior to the event. "That’s, in my view, not acceptable when we have all of these other entities that do the same thing," Theriot-Smith said. "Generally speaking, if they know an event is happening on campus, especially during the week, they should be presenting to TPAC and Parking Transportation Services and plan ahead of time." Kauffman said he would like
students to know that SGA and TPAC are working to alleviate the parking problems and plan for additional parking that will help students in the future. "We are all here because we are impacted just as much as the next guy," Kauffman said. "We want these problems to be solved, and I care when students feel like they can’t make it to class. We care, we are listening, we are working on solutions and we are making progress." Kauffman said TPAC is actively seeking solutions and has plans for additional parking in the works. A new parking garage will be built next to the UH Law Center and should be completed by 2019, but construction will displace spots. Kauffman said in order to offset this loss, 1,000 new spots will be added to the ERP lot by Fall 2016. "It's not something that’s an immediate fix because you can't just put up a parking lot in three months, that’s not how it works — but there are plans in place that will help alleviate the problem," Kauffman said. "A thousand new spots at ERP is a giant, giant expansion. " news@thedailycougar.com
Where to park on game day Although students with V8 and V10 citations received on Oct. 8 will be refunded, the same can't be said for future games. To avoid future citations, here's a list of some of the parking options.
If you have a garage pass You can still park in the East garage, Welcome Center garage and Welcome Center Student garage for free. Stadium garage parkers are out of luck. UH closes the Stadium garage at midnight on Friday.
Where do I park if I have a stadium garage pass? Not there. On Saturday students with stadium garage parking permits can park in lots 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, 19B, 19C, 19E, 1B, 1E, 4A, 8A or anywhere not being used for game day parking.
If you're paying cash Try the East garage, Welcome Center garage or the Welcome Center Student garage four hours before kick off. Follow us on Twitter
@thedailycougar
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 | 5 thedailycougar.com/news
news@thedailycougar.com
NEWS
Rebecca Hennes, Editor
CAMPUS
Counselor helps veteran students combat obstacles, attain success MICHAEL CALDERON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The VetSuccess on Campus program, under the guidance of a counselor who has been making a difference for many military veteran students at UH since its establishment in October 2013. The VSOC program is a nationwide effort by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to guide veterans through their college careers and educate them on the benefits available to them after serving. “The VA has been doing really well with putting people out into the community, instead of just sitting in the office over there where nobody will see them,” guidance counselor Ralph Harrison said. “Here we can make direct contact with people. Basically, I'm the face of the VA here at UH.” As a link between UH and the VA, Harrison is a one-stop liaison, helping veterans with everything from information on educational benefits, to college credits, to life insurance information and referrals on and off campus. As a certified rehabilitation counselor, Harrison specializes in
helping veterans with disabilities. “It’s really a hurdle for veterans to admit that they have either mental or physical disabilities; most of them don’t want to say they have a problem,” Harrison said. “Being here in the office lets them to talk to other veterans, share experiences and allows them to seek help as well.” One of the biggest parts of Harrison’s job is helping veterans understand the post-9/11 GI Bill and the benefits it entitles them in their pursuit of an education. “I wasn’t getting paid the amount that I need to survive for the month because the GI Bill hadn’t been correctly documented,” physics sophomore Tommy Wade said. “Mr. Harrison settled it for me in one day." The bill gives veterans up to 36 months of education in most cases, but what’s often not considered is that many of them are so far removed from their high school education that they have to catch up on basic courses, such as math and English. Those courses take up bene-
fits but don’t count toward their degree plan and effectively leave them short on benefits when it comes time to complete their degree. “What I do is determine if they have a disability or not, because in many cases, they report injuries but have never applied for the benefits,” Harrison said. “I can take their medical data and submit an application for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program, which gives them an additional 12 months of education benefits, so they can then finish their degree.” Aside from signing up veterans for additional programs, the VSOC program also deals with each case in a more in-depth manner than the VA office can provide. “You get this one-on-one, personal interaction with Mr. Harrison here and you know he has your best interest at heart,” corporate communications junior Anthony Marks said. “He is going to provide us with everything you need to know.” The personable touch the VSOC provides has left many veteran stu-
Harrison aims to help veteran student by supplying resources and personal guidance. | Michael Calderon/The Cougar
dents at UH appreciative to have the program on campus. For many veterans, the transition after leaving the military can be a tough one, but dealing faceto-face with someone who has been in their shoes goes a long way toward easing into it. “After you serve, it’s like night and day. You come back to civilian
life and it’s a different world,” Marks said. “To have this comradery, to have these amenities and to be around other service members who have been through what you’ve been through and are trying to achieve what you’re trying to achieve is like a breath of fresh air.” news@thedailycougar.com
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OPINION 713-743-5304
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Anthony Torres, EDITOR
THE OCTOGENARIAN
Don't forget the Vets on Veterans Day KEN LEVIN
OPINION COLUMNIST
I
n elementary school, back in my day, on Nov. 11 at exactly 11 a.m., my entire school stood for a minute of silent reflection to commemorate the end of hostilities in World War I. It was also KEN LEN referred to as OPINION the "war to COLUMNIST end all wars," but of course, we were wrong about that. When I was 10 years old, we experienced the start of World War II. Armistice Day was primarily set aside to honor veterans of World War I. But in 1954, after World War II and after American forces had fought in Korea, Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by replacing “armistice" with the word "veterans."
With the approval of this legislation, on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor the American Veterans of all wars. Later that same year, on Oct. 8, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veteran’s Day Proclamation" which said that in order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. In between these two acts of collaborating congresses, there was another veteran’s action that is appropriate to be looked at today. When I was a boy, we were experiencing the Great Depression. The Depression did not actually end until 1944 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill. It was originally created to help veterans of World War II by establishing hospitals, creating low-interest mortgages
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and granting stipends to cover tuition and expenses for veterans attending college or trade schools. From 1944 to 1949, nearly nine million veterans received close to $4 billion from the bill’s unemployment compensation program. The education and training provisions existed until 1956. I started my long college
career under this part of the GI Bill. The Veterans’ Administration offered insured loans until 1962. The Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966 extended these benefits to all veterans of the armed forces, including those who served during peacetime. But what the GI Bill actually cause was the creation of the great American middle class.
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Opinion columnist Ken Levin is a political science senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com
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Many great men and women have fought for this country and there is a reason we have a holiday to honor them. | Graphic by Courtney Williams/The Cougar
Both Republicans and Democrats acknowledge that we are losing our middle class. Yet the GI Bill is the blueprint for the re-creation of this economic group to our society. Unfortunately, no one has the guts to propose what is necessary to bring the middle class back. In an ideal world, the U.S. would be a nation with health care for all, a population educated through free education from pre-K through grade 16 and adequate leave time for family emergencies. If we are going to revert, let’s stop the rush back to the 1930s and put the brakes on in the 1960s. I’ve lived in both eras, and I can tell you the 1960s were a lot better. In the meantime, remember to shake the hand of a veteran today.
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Wednesday, November 11, 2015 | 7
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OPINION
Anthony Torres, EDITOR
MEDIA
EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF
SPORTS EDITOR
Glissette Santana
Bryce Dodds
MANAGING EDITOR
COOGLIFE EDITOR
Mónica Rojas
Karis Johnson
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
PHOTO EDITOR
Sean Alder
NEWS EDITOR
Rebecca Hennes CHIEF COPY EDITOR
Taelor Marquetti-Gadison COMMUNITY MANAGER
Jasmine Morris
Justin Tijerina OPINION EDITOR
Anthony Torres ASSISTANT EDITORS
Leen Basharat Efren Diosdado Sarah Kim Brittaney Penney Sonia Zuniga
STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author. Opinions expressed in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the students as a whole.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing.
GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. Deliver submissions to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.
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The media and its biases: people control the content SARAH KIM ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR
A
udiences are primarily responsible for the pieces and materials that begin to trend and receive media attention. Working at The Cougar, I’ve experienced firsthand something that I’ve always known but never fully realized: the public controls the media. I watched the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance go from a local issue to national television in SARAH KIM less than three ASSISTANT days. OPINION EDITOR Opponents referred to it as the “bathroom issue” while proponents received over $1 million in donations in October. Both sides spent over $1 million in advertisements because they knew that in order to succeed, their position had to become popular. HERO was trending online and on every major media network. Both Democrats and Republicans at every level complain endlessly about how the media distorts what they say, or fails by misinforming the public. But for the most part, it's our fault as readers and viewers. We tend to comment and share only what elicits a powerful response. These types of materials are what begin to trend and appear more frequently in the media. Art Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, said online comments "are extraordinarily aggressive, without resolving anything," according to Scientific American, I understand that each of us have at least one issue that really strikes a nerve, and we feel personally disgusted when a news source neglects even one aspect of an issue. Or when we completely agree with a piece, we must rave and bask in its glory. But there are also countless pieces that we read, enjoy and then ignore. This creates a two-fold problem first initiated and perpetuated by commenters, viewers and other members of the digital audience – myself included. First, viewers control the media by choosing to only
Media bias may exist, news outlets tend to report on what people want to see. | Cartoon by Tamor Khan/The Cougar
respond to pieces that either cause a powerful negative reaction like outrage or a strong positive response. Afterward, the media notice this and begin to produce more and more popular material fully knowing how the audience will react. But why does this happen? Some of us are familiar with Search Engine Optimization and how companies like Google use algorithms and data centers to bring us the relevant information we seek. For example, the more popular a particular piece is, the more likely it will appear when we search for it. It's about marketing. The public and online audience are the consumers, and for media outlets, success depends on our ability to captivate them. "The media should control itself and not depend on the public, but sometimes that is not always the case," marketing junior Hoc Nguyen said. Not everyone agrees. Some experts believe it is not the responsibility of the audience, but the media. Edward Wasserman, professor in Journalism Ethics at Washington and Lee University, supports this idea. "Unfortunately, mainstream media have made a fortune teaching people the wrong ways to talk to each other, offering up Jerry Springer, Crossfire (and) Bill O'Reilly," he said. However, just as with any business or organization, the media seeks to be useful and cater to its consumers. Even if the media decided it was time to move on from HERO, the public continues to revive it and make it relevant to the public so the media must
follow its lead. Assistant opinion editor Sarah Kim
is a political science senior and may be reached at opinionassist@ thedailycougar.com
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SPORTS 713-743-5303
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Bryce Dodds, EDITOR
ROUND TABLE
Cougars continue winning, but toughest tests ahead In this week's round table , The Cougar sports staff breaks down the close win over Cincinnati and UH's conference title chances
SHARDANNA JONES Senior staff writer
What do you think of the Cougars' chances to win out or clinch a conference title?
Houston picked up its ninth win of the season against Cincinnati on Saturday. Memphis will pay a visit Saturday. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
There is a chance. At the start of the season, I predicted the Cougars’ biggest challenge to be the Navy Midshipmen. It is not impossible to beat them, and it is also not impossible for the Cougars to clinch the AAC title.
MICHAEL CALDERON Senior staff writer
Were you impressed with Houston's win over Cincinnati?
Cincinnati may be having a down season by its standards, but it still have one of the best offenses in the country. For the Cougars to come out with a win in which the Bearcats offense was rolling on all cylinders is very impressive. UH's play was far from flawless, but it is still a win regardless of style.
BRYCE DODDS Sports editor
What was the biggest area of concern you took away from the game?
The play calling was my biggest concern. I know the rain may have affected the plan, but the constant “three yards and a cloud of dust” rungame right up the middle was frustrating. Once they opened up a lead, they looked like they were playing not to lose, not playing to win, and that’s no way to play at all.
FOOTBALL
There's a new top team in the American Athletic Conference BRYCE DODDS
SPORTS EDITOR
After a busy weekend in the American Athletic Conference, there’s a shakeup in the power rankings and a new top team in the conference. A couple of undefeated teams in the AAC squared off with a somewhat surprising result, the Cougars survived a late comeback attempt and a top-five team struggled with one of the weaker teams in the conference.
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No.1 The Navy Midshipmen came into their meeting against the Memphis Tigers undefeated in conference, and they showed why their only loss of the season came against the Notre Dame's Fighting Irish. The Midshipmen controlled the tempo of the game through their dynamic triple-option offense and cruised to a 45-20 win, knocking the Tigers from the ranks of the unbeaten and looking great in the process. No. 2 While Memphis suffered its first loss of the year, Navy is a tough game for anyone, especially when you don’t play against an offensive scheme like Navy’s every week. The Tigers
looked out of sync that night, but that’s not likely to happen again. They’ll be looking to bounce back this weekend when they come to Houston for a meeting with the Cougars. No. 3 Speaking of, the Cougars were able to hold on to their undefeated record, but the win didn’t look pretty. The Cougars' offense struggled to find consistency at times, and the defense gave up huge chunks of yards to the Cincinnati Bearcats. Add in the sprained MCL of senior corner back William Jackson III and the game against Memphis started to look a lot tougher. No. 4 This spot is definitely a contentious one, but I gave the Temple Owls the slight edge over the Cincinnati Bearcats because they won their game. The Owls played the 1-8 SMU Mustangs in what should have been a blowout, but was a lot closer than expected. We’ll see if they can regain their strong form against the USF Bulls on the building site. Ralph Frede of the Development Office wanted the tree to remain. It still stands today.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 | 9 713-743-5303
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SPORTS
Bryce Dodds, EDITOR
FOOTBALL
Senior safety is leader in every aspect of the word SHARDANNA JONES
from Saturday’s game and it’s raining outside? I still have to motivate the team. But I’m still more of a lead-by-example kind of guy.
SENIOR STAFF WRITER @SHAYGOTIT
Senior safety Adrian McDonald has made UH history. After beating the previous school record of 16 career interceptions, McDonald now has the opportunity to win the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. But that isn’t what he’s eying. McDonald’s only concern is winning games, elevating status as a team and being wherever the ball is.
TC: What do you believe sticks out about you for the team to have appointed you as captain? AM: I just try to do the right thing, even something as simple as picking up trash on the floor if I see it. On the field, they see me running hard to the ball and it hypes them. If someone leaves a mess behind or is slacking in some way, I’ll confront them and tell them about the lifestyle and how you can’t be sloppy. I try to sharpen things up and get everyone on board.
The Cougar: What does it mean to you to be in your school’s record books? Adrian McDonald: It’s great because it’s an accomplishment, so it shows that I’ve been coming out and working hard. Celebrating with my teammates is the best part.
TC: How have you grown as an individual and as an athlete at UH? AM: Time flew by fast. I came in as a freshman and made a pretty solid
Senior safety Adrian McDonald (left) is a statistical leader for UH, but he goes beyond that for the best of his team. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar impact, but I’ve tried to clean some things up. As an athlete, making more plays is a big part of my game now, and I’ve also been put in a leadership role. I have a lot of guys that look up to me, so I have to do the right thing.
TC: Would you consider yourself a vocal leader? AM: It depends on the setting. I do set goals and I’m a constant motivator of the team. It’s Sunday, and you’re tired
TC: Being that it’s your last year, is there anything more that you feel you need to accomplish? AM: (We) have never won a conference championship. We’ve won a bowl game, but that’s in the past. Going undefeated, that’d be very exciting. I want the JackBoyz legacy to remain. We're first in the nation in turnover margin right now. I want us to have something in the record books.
TC: Is there any matchup that you’re most looking getting after? AM: Teams that put the ball up in the air a lot, because that’s a lot of opportunities for me and my JackBoyz. I feel like we can make something happen. TC: Is it understood among the defense that the secondary is relied on to make plays and secure points? AM: Playing in the back end, that’s the last level of the defense. If anything gets behind us, that’s points scored. It’s up to us to not let that happen, unless it's us scoring.
TC: You've been named a finalist for this year's Jim Thorpe Award. Have you been keeping an eye out on that? AM: It’s just a blessing. Any accomplishment is great, but it’s not what I’m going for. If I do make it to the final list, that’s an honor and I’ll take it. But I’m really concentrated on winning ball games and finishing up a good season..
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SPORTS
Bryce Dodds, EDITOR
FOOTBALL
Cougars get the victory, but at a big cost MICHAEL CALDERON
SENIOR STAFF WRITER @ MWC0052
The Cougars fought off the conference rival University of Cincinnati Bearcats in a down-to-the-wire finish to stay undefeated at 9-0, but leaving plenty of question marks. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from the Cougars’ homecoming victory.
The Good: Winning in adversity Despite coming into the game with a 5-4 record, the Bearcats still boast one of the best offenses in the country, particularly the passing game. Led by senior quarterback Gunner Kiel, projected to be an NFL talent, the Tigers are fifth in the NCAA in passing offense with an average of 387 yards per game and 25 touchdowns on the year. Even with the rainy conditions during the game, Cincinnati was able throw the ball efficiently and give the Houston all it could handle. UH came into the game having beaten opponents by an average of 28 points per game, with most contests being wrapped up long before the clock ran out. The Bearcats however, were down just a field goal with a chance to score in the closing seconds of the game. The Cougars had yet to face such a challenge at home this season, but were able to answer the bell when called. After getting picked apart much of the night, the defense came up big, getting pressure on Kiel and putting an end to a possible Cincinnati comeback.
One of the key injuries for the Cougars was senior running back Ryan Jackson, middle, who is out for the year with a broken collar bone. Sophomore Javin Webb will now carry the brunt of the duties at back-up running back. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
“This is the last stretch of the season and to be tested like this, throwing the ball and putting it in the air, because a lot of teams haven’t, it was time for us to face that,” senior safety Trevon Stewart said. “I feel we held our own for the most part, and we can only go up from here.”
The Bad: Secondary concerns While the UH defense was able to step up when it mattered most, the performance by the secondary has to be alarming. Kiel was able to shred the
Cougar defense for 523 yards and four touchdowns while tossing two interceptions on 51 passing attempts. With much of the damage coming on big yardage plays by the Bearcats, 10 passing plays of 20 yards or longer, the secondary was playing catch up all game long. With the toughest part of the Cougars schedule in full swing now, the secondary has to be the biggest concern on this 9-0 team, and, spoiler alert, it gets worse.
The Ugly: Two Jacksons shy The Cougars may have won the game against the Bearcats, but it didn’t come without its costs. Senior Ryan Jackson, the team’s No. 2 running back suffered a broken collarbone that will sideline him for the rest of the year. Jackson took over as the primary backup to Farrow this season and had a solid season as a change of pace back, with 353 yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries and seven catches for 79 yards. Sophomore Javin Webb will return to the role, but he lacks the explosiveness and receiving skills of his counterpart. Late in the third quarter, UH suffered more injury news when senior starting corner William Jackson III suffered an apparent MCL sprain while making a tackle.
The defense had success putting pressure on Cincinnati on Saturday, and will look to produce much of the same this weekend. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
Though there is no timetable on his injury yet, but he is expected to miss the next few games. With the University of Memphis Tigers bringing the ninth best passing offense to town Saturday, the injury could not have come at a worse time for the Cougars. “For our defense, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire, back-to-back weeks against Gunner Kiel and Paxton Lynch,” head coach Tom Herman said. “I don’t know a two-week stretch in the country where you’re going to face two quarterbacks with that much talent.” Memphis’ Lynch leads the AAC with 3,014 passing yards and 19
touchdowns and likely poses the biggest passing threat Houston will face all season. Arguably the most talented of the secondary players, Jackson III regularly locks down his side of the field, often forcing opposing quarterbacks to throw the ball elsewhere and he will be impossible for the defense to replace. Though the Cougars were able to pass their toughest test of the season, they won’t have time to relish the victory with an even more daunting task facing them this Saturday when the Tigers come to TDECU Stadium. sports@thedailycougar.com
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