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Collision course

The Cougars' football season opens with a bang on Saturday as they square off against the Oklahoma Sooners, but the defense is ready for the challenge. | PG. 8

NEWS

College of the Arts emphasizes community UH's newest department officially opens Thursday, and faculty are focused on the importance of their work in the 3rd Ward and Houston. | PG. 2

OPINION

Pump the brakes on parking complaints

As with previous years, parking has been a challenge for students early in the fall semester, but the University faces its own share of hardship. | PG. 4

2 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016

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Emily Burleson, EDITOR

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The Cougar

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ABOUT THE COUGAR ACADEMICS

The arts are alive: New college opens Thursday

MacArthur Fellow, Third Ward arts pioneer among newest faculty members

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ABOUT THE COVER Junior linebacker Matthew Adams had an impactful performance to end last season, and will be looked at to continue guiding the Cougars' defense in the 2016-17 season.

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ABOUT CSM 2014 MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe, the founder of Project Row Houses, was the first professor hired to teach in the new College of the Arts. He's one of several key members of the college who believe community engagement in art is crucial to learning. | Courtesy of The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

GABE LABOUNTY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

After years of growth and expansion, the UH arts community is ready to be on its own.

Starting Thursday, the College of the Arts will break off and chart a new course of collaboration and creation within UH and in the greater Houston area.

All the programs will be under one dean, Andrew Davis, former director of the Moores School of Music, and have one central administration office.

The shift occurred in February when the Board of Regents approved the new College of the Arts, which comprises the School of Art, Moores School of Music, the School of Theatre and Dance, Blaffer Art Museum, the Cynthia Mitchell Woods Center for the Arts, Center for Arts Leadership and the Graduate Program for Arts Management.

An ideal college Three years ago, around the time when Paula Short was hired as provost, talks of a College of the Arts were fervent. Besides having a report from the chairs of each art department, Short hired Davis as "planning dean" to

transition to a college.

After breaking away from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the College of the Arts will have to fend for itself. Instead of adding any new classes or departments, Davis said they will only be re-organizing units, which is not as easy as it sounds.

"There were a surprising amount of complications, with the online aspect of admitting students into a new college," Davis said. "We had to hire advisers and find out who will oversee college facilities like the performing arts venues, which were previously kept up by the individual departments."

Even though CLASS has almost 10,000 students and and a diverse group of disciplines, Davis is thankful to the help CLASS for providing the College of the Arts with tips regarding operation.

Karen Farber, the director of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center, has been in her role since 2005. She said the College of the Arts will concentrate leadership and foster collaboration.

Eventually, the entire student body will begin to notice a bold brand emerge, said Rob Shimko, the new director of the School of

Theatre and Dance.

Shimko, who's been teaching in the department for 10 years, said talks about unlinking from CLASS had been brewing for a few years before the announcement in February. He said he immediately began planning for a more harmonious future.

“After asking organizational questions, I started dreaming,” Shimko said. “I asked what was possible. I liked the idea of spending more time in the room with my peers in the music department and at Blaffer, and that came to fruition.”

While Shimko believes artists have a tendency to find one another, having a central administration will be necessary as the college marches toward the future.

“Sometimes you hear the

administration of a college is not impacting creativity, that it is dry,” Shimko said. “But to his credit, Dean Davis is not just thinking in terms of efficiency, he’s also thinking in a visionary way about what the arts mean on a major urban campus, and that’s exciting.”

Arts students, staff and faculty members will now mingle across their separate buildings, a testament to strengthening the bond between and creating a community of artists.

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Artistic involvement

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Associate professor and MacArthur fellow Rick Lowe was the first professor the College of the Arts hired. Lowe joined the faculty because of their collaborative approach and vision for the Houston arts scene.

“It was suggested to me that the formation of the College of the Arts was representative of a broader effort of trying to beef up the college,” Lowe said. “My reputation as an artist is built on my practice at Project Row houses, and I saw it as an oppor-

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713-743-5314 tunity to build a relationship between the organization and campus.”

Lowe is teaching a course on social and community-engaged art, a close-knit class built on his vision that students should learn through engagement.

While his goal as a professor is to help the Third Ward and UH work together, Lowe tells his students not to jump right into a situation without thinking.

“My goal with my class is encouraging students as participants willing to learn from the community and not to go there with ready-made ideas about how to solve things,” Lowe said. “They should go in with an understanding that you have to pay attention and learn about the community before you start applying yourself.”

Dance senior Anastasiya Kopteva founded CotA Connects, an organization that strives to showcase and create the kind of art Lowe encourages. It allows a space for UH students and members of the community to display interdisciplinary work and form problem-solving projects.

Kopteva, who first came to school in the College of Natu-

ral Sciences and Mathematics, believes the college can shape the entire university.

“Work between the disciplines is unique as if it is the exception to the rule,” Kopteva said. “I believe that this kind of work should be encouraged and become the norm. The College of the Arts is being created to address these issues, aiming to foster a level of community and understanding between the different colleges.”

thedailycougar.com/news

H-Town nails the art down Lowe warned that universities must avoid getting bogged down with their own problems and need to explore how they can improve their surrounding communities.

"The University and the community are doing their own things, and when they come together, they rarely see what they are both doing to help each other," Lowe said. "I think it’s a special niche that the arts can play, and my practice is bridging

NEWS

news@thedailycougar.com

Emily Burleson, EDITOR

that gap.”

Shimko said it is important that the arts have a shared vision.

With the city’s theater scene blossoming into one of the most important in the country, Shimko believes it is important that College of the Arts students know they don’t have to go far to make an impact.

“It is really important to communicate to a graduating senior that you don’t need to move to New York, Chicago or Los Ange-

les,” Shimko said. “There is really interesting and exciting things happening here, that is a great city to stay in and build up on.”

Davis believes the College's goal should be focused on the concrete ways the arts can lift up the community while still amazing its patrons.

"We want this to be a destination in the city and this University," Davis said. "Not just art for art's sake." news@thedailycougar.com

4 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016

OPINION

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PUZZLES

CAMPUS

Nightmarish as it may be, give parking a break

As UH continues growing, many of the parking lots remain at capacity, frustrating students. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

C

ampus parking is groan-worthy and tedious at best. No student likes to deal with it, yet it remains like an ugly pimple ready to burst on picture day.

So what is the University doing to fix it?

As of summer 2016, three Economy lots, 16H through 16J, are closed. Another change came to lots 16E and 20C when they turned into student lots.

As if parking in Economy was not hard enough, the University has now eliminated all the lots on the north and east sides of campus. Better pack your hiking shoes as your only option is to park on the south side unless you want to be at the Energy Research Park (ERP).

CRYSTAL All of the ROSE COLUMNIST Campus Loop buses are also discontinued.

The new routes cater to those with disabilities and to the increasing number of students who have to park at ERP. Thankfully, that has added 1,000 temporary lots — but only for the next 18 months.

With all the new changes, students can expect parking permit prices to increase in Fall 2017. The campus board has yet to announce their verdict on this. If it gains approval, and depending on the type of permit, a student can expect to pay $18–52 more than what they have shelled out this semester.

Great, another payment to further break the shattered piggy bank.

To be fair to the University, they are in a tight spot.

Student enrollment increases three percent per year, which means more parking and more parking facilities are required.

The problem is a vicious cycle.

The operating costs, electricity, maintenance, supplies, equipment, outside services and payroll for parking has risen 63 percent since 2007, according to Bob Browand, the director of Parking and Transportation Services.

Trying to stay on track while adding more lots has been time-consuming, because they still have to maintain the current ones.

The Parking and Transportation Services employees are the unsung heroes of the school. They are the ones who fight to maintain and expand parking needs at an affordable cost.

And yet they are criticized for not doing enough to help.

I am thankful that the department paved the parking lots 4A, 9B, 19C and at Bayou Oaks so students do not have to step through potholes and mud.

I also appreciate the plans to build Garage 5, which is scheduled to begin this semester and will be completed in 2018.

Tough luck for the students who will graduate before then, but this will definitely benefit those in the future.

I am thankful that student garage prices here, up to this semester, are lower than prices at other Texas universities by $200-400.

The University has has incentives for students with permit discounts to carpool or be drivers for Uber. They will continue to push the trend in the coming years. The desired goal is to open more available lots for more students.

It's a situation where both sides are struggling: the students with the parking and the University with the resources to add more parking. Let’s work together to park our differences and make way for growth and expansion.

Opinion columnist Crystal Rose is a corporate communications senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

UH offers multiple kinds of parking permits. These permits can be used to access different sections based on need and price. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

ACROSS 1 Repulsive 6 Body pouch 9 Prefix with “violet” or “marine” 14 Maui veranda 15 “To ___ is human ...”

16 Banister’s end 17 Packing on the years 18 Aussie ratite 19 Take into one’s family 20 Some collectibles 23 Something to pick out 24 Common foil material 25 Assume to be 27 Like a love letter 32 Public speaker’s platform of yore 33 Traditional or Roth savings vehicle 34 “___ while they’re hot!”

36 Anti-flood embankments 39 Mimicking bird (var.)

41 Things at Six Flags 43 Fit for picking 44 Elevate 46 Automobile type 48 Teachers’ org.

49 Eggnog time 51 Wellmeaning one 53 Restaurant customer, at times 56 And so on (abbr.)

57 Animal’s gaping mouth 58 Eng or Chang, famously 64 Stay awhile 66 ___

constrictor 67 Break down grammatically 68 Oldies players 69 Measure, in music 70 Doddering 71 Thoroughly proficient 72 Accommodating place 73 Keep from happening DOWN 1 Rock genre for David Bowie 2 Hindu musical genre 3 Tending to a problem 4 Safe havens 5 Sounding wistful 6 Provide startup funds 7 Barcelona chair’s lack 8 Salad oil holder 9 Not on the guest list 10 Did a tour guide’s job .11 Poker pair 12 Copy, briefly 13 Make modifications to 21 Computer key 22 Another computer key 26 Qatar VIP 27 “The ___ of the Ancient Mariner” 28 African antelope 29 Couple for life, hopefully 30 “___ a far, far better thing ...” (Dickens) 31 Turned over, as property 35 “Love ___ (Beatles tune) 37 Sword with a bellshaped guard 38 Burn on

the outside 40 Tissue additive 42 Wise old heads 45 Minimally worded 47 Tablet 50 Hawaiian gift 52 Pump number 53 Nebraska metropolis 54 Fanatical 55 Jewish religious leader 59 Indicate agony 60 Make, as money 61 Habeas corpus, e.g.

62 “Cast Away” setting 63 Not once, poetically 65 Ballroom dancing move

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | 5

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OPINION

Frank Campos, EDITOR

ATHLETICS

Voucher system for football opener fails students EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Trey Strange

MANAGING EDITOR

Bryce Dodds

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Leah Nash

NEWS EDITOR

Emily Burleson CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Nguyen Le

SPORTS EDITOR

Reagan Earnst

COOGLIFE EDITOR

Karis Johnson PHOTO EDITOR

Justin Cross

OPINION EDITOR

Frank Campos ASSISTANT EDITORS

Alex Meyer, Gabe Labounty, Jonathan Valadez, Thom Dwyer

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.

ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole.

The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

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W

ith all of the publicity that the Advocare Texas Kickoff Classic between the Cougars and the University of Oklahoma Sooners is receiving, it's certain that tickets will be sold out fast.

Even though the Cougars are still in the American Athletic Conference, UH has already begun moving toward Big 12 policies. An example is that only 5,000 tickets are available to students.

Consequently, last Saturday at Cage Rage, you must physically stand in a line and be present to receive a voucher that will let you purchase a THOM ticket for $20 DWYER in the coming ASSISTANT week.

OPINION EDITOR This is mind-boggling, frustrating and unnecessary when you consider that 85 percent of students are commuters.

This whole ordeal sounds like the plot of "Jingle All the Way," but without Arnold Schwarzenegger

Students adopted a herd-like mentality in line. | Thomas Dwyer/ The Cougar

and Sinbad to entertain us.

One would think that the UH Athletics would be able to use the almost $4.5 million it gets from student fees to cover the cost of the tickets.

Since when was it supposed to cost money for students get a ticket to their own football game? A portion of my student fees already goes into funding the athletic department. It should, basically, get me the tickets.

On top of this, the athletics department already asked the Student Fees Advisory Committee for

a $45 increase in student in order to construct TDECU Stadium.

Now that the stadium is here, where is my money going now?

Not to my ticket for the Advocare Texas Kickoff Classic, that is for sure.

In the previous fiscal year, SFAC chose not to subsidize the athletic department anymore. The committee's reason for the denial of funds was due to the increase of student fees despite the promise that the athletics department would not do so in their funding from student fees.

The funds that were denied this fiscal year were to be used for transportation and publicity at the Cougars' 2016 opener. I would reckon that if students are willing to wait in line for a voucher and redeem it for a ticket, they will most likely take the initiative and figure out some ways to get to the game on their own.

Things are going well for the Cougars so far. With the way that the football team is looking, hopefully UH Athletics will gradually be able to shy away from funding and revenue that it does not generate by itselfIf the Cougars can manage to replicate the energy and victories they had last year, ticket sales will, no doubt, increase as the season goes on. And when the price of one ticket becomes more expensive, the athletic department has a lot to gain.

More attendance means more people buying food, beer and fan merchandise at each game. All of those things go right back to UH Athletics and send them down the road to becoming self-sufficient.

Assistant opinion editor Thomas Dwyer is a broadcast journalism sophomore and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

GUN CONTROL

The AR-15 can be just as lethal as the M4 with only minor cuztomization

F

or my first column of this school year, I discussed the need for gun control based on the continuous violence in the U.S. involving many things — including the easy access to firearms.

I did not call for a ban on guns like the popular AR-15 FRANK rifle. I certainly CAMPOS didn’t aim to OPINION propose a way EDITOR to completely end gun violence. My intention was to show that even a guy that has been in the military and has loved guns since then understands the need for gun reform.

A better background check, safety mechanism and mental health evaluation are all I am asking for. This is not setting a precedent that will lead to a gun ban, or something impossible, to implement.

In my column, I also compared

The AR-15 rifle needs very little customization to make it almost fully automatic and extremely dangerous. | Courtesy of Wikimedia commons

the M4 carbine rifle to the AR-15.

Both are easily purchased in stores like Academy and Cabela’s across Texas.

Well, this was the "smoking gun," as they say. I seem to have crossed a line that borders on deceit and stupidity among my critics for making this “mistake.”

That’s right. The best argument against my proclamation that even a veteran can understand gun control was how I tried to make it seem like the AR-15 was basically the minigun touted by Schwarzenegger in “Terminator 2.”

The AR-15 is different from the M4 in one important category, that’s true. The rifle I used in Iraq not only had single fire, but also

a three-round burst. That alone can make it much more lethal than a standard model. Now, with the implementation of the M4A1, starting a year after I left the military in 2013, soldiers have the option for fully automatic fire rate.

Despite what some may think, the customization of the AR-15 doesn’t stop at tactical flash lights and Leupold scopes. There are many ways to customize the functionality of the AR-15 and weapons like it — including making the rifle almost fully automatic.

Finding a trigger mechanism or even a buttstock that alters the rifle just enough to increase the fire rate is just a quick Google search and purchase away. Most

of these products are available for retail for under $400.

Omar Mateen used a Sig Sauer MCX and a Glock 17, 9mm semi-automatic pistol and was still able to kill 49 people while injuring 53 others. He was able to purchase these weapons even when he had previously been on an FBI terror watch list.

When will the excuses stop? Yes, people are absolutely right. The M4 I used during my deployment has an important feature that the AR-15 does not, a three-round burst, but that doesn’t make it a water gun.

Let's not take away access to these type of firearms to those who can legally obtain and responsibly own them. What we need is reform to try to keep all firearms away from people who might do others harm.

It's time to start saving lives across the country.

Opinion editor Frank Campos is a media production senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar. com

6 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016

SPORTS 713-743-5303

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sports@thedailycougar.com

Reagan Earnst

FOOTBALL

Herman: Cougars 'have chip on shoulder' entering 2016 REAGAN EARNST

SPORTS EDITOR @REAGANEARNST

With fall camp concluding, the football team can focus on one thing: beating the University of Oklahoma.

In front a media-packed auditorium in the Athletics/ Alumni Center on Monday, head coach Tom Herman addressed questions regarding his team’s matchup with one of the NCAA’s top teams.

“They’re the third-ranked team in the country for a reason,” Herman said. “Much like playing Florida State, they’re going to be better from an athletic standpoint top to bottom than we are. It’s going to take our A-game and then some, with some purpose-driven players to be able to compete.”

Herman’s team will enter NRG Stadium on Saturday as the No. 15 team in the country. Despite this being the best preseason positioning the Cougars have had in decades, they will begin the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff as more than a 10-point underdog to the University of Oklahoma

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Sooners.

Although a Heisman-hopeful quarterback, Greg Ward Jr., and a top-50 recruiting class last season are on the team, the Cougars are still not regarded as a college football power. Herman has stated that the rankings don’t mean anything to him, and he believes that the 2016 team must solidify their own legacy.

“We’re the same disrespected, little American Conference team with a giant chip on our shoulder,” Herman said. “The media and everyone else might have put us in the top 25, (and) that’s based off of what last year’s team did. We haven’t done anything.”

Since the end of last season, fans and media have circled the matchup against the Sooners because of the game's implications. The victor on the day will become the central subject in College Football Playoff conversations for months to come.

Herman does not let this noise affect his team’s mindset.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that we knew was coming in January and we

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For senior defensive end Cameron Malveaux, playing on the national stage is long awaited. | Reagan Earnst/The Cougar

have prepared our team for this,” Herman said. “If we beat Oklahoma, our conference commissioner is not going to jog out to the 50-yard line and hand us the American Conference trophy. Win, lose or draw — this game has no bearing on our goal which is to win the American Conference.”

Having talked to the conference's decision makers, Herman made it clear that this game will not be a deciding factor for the committee in charge of expan ing the Big 12. For the seniors on the football team, the OU game holds a deep meaning.

Four years ago, the Cougars

“We're the same disrespected, little American Conference team with a giant chip on our shoulder."

Tom Herman, Head Coach

were a mediocre team with little fan support and no home field as TDECU Stadium was under construction. Bouncing back-and-forth between BBVA

Compass Stadium and thennamed Reliant Stadium, football lacked identity on all fronts.

Just four years later, the seniors will run out on the field of now-named NRG Stadium as a top-20 team in front of more than 70,000 people. The progression has not gone unnoticed by the players.

“It’s always been a dream of mine and I’m sure a lot of my teammates,” said senior defensive end Cameron Malveaux.

“We’ve got a great season ahead of us and it’s a really exciting time of the year.” sports@thedailycougar.com

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Despite considerable success in 2015, Tom Herman says that this team has acheived nothing. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | 7

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SPORTS

sports@thedailycougar.com

Reagan Earnst, EDITOR

RUGBY

Commentary: Competition increases as rugby enters a new conference PETER SCAMARDO

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The players of the Cougar rugby team have a chance to make a big splash this upcoming season.

After spending their last several seasons competing in the Southwest Conference, the near40-year-old club will join as one of the newest members of the Red River Rugby Conference.

The Red River Conference is a Division 1 conference that contains the best teams in the southern U.S. In this league, several of the teams have athletes on scholarships and compete for national titles on a regular basis.

New competition The Cougars will play a total of eight games against Louisiana State University, the University of Texas, Texas A&M University and Texas Christian University.

Recent history has not been kind for the Cougars when it comes to facing these teams: A prime example is the non-conference loss against Baylor University last season.

The naming of Daniel Whetzel as rugby program's head coach might be just what they needed to avoid senseless losses.

Both the Cougars and TeShay Flowers, the commissioner of Red River Rugby, see Whetzel as able to strengthen the club to compete against bigger schools in the conference. Flowers said this coaching change as one of the reasons they accepted UH into Red River Rugby.

An appealing destination All things considered, the club needs skilled players to be able

The rugby team hopes that playing matches against high-profile teams will help increase recognition. | Courtesy of UH Rugby

to field a squad like last seasons.

The Cougars had a smart core of rugby players last year who took them all the way to the conference seven-man championship game — one win away from the national championships. However, those few were not enough to help them get through the fifteens season, as they lost games they clearly should have won.

UH has quickly made itself an appealing place for a rugby player to compete. It is already one of the top regions in the state for producing rugby talent.

Whether at youth clubs like Katy and The Woodlands or high schools such as St. Thomas or Strake Jesuit, more local youth players are learning the game in a competitive environment. Many of these players go on to play rugby at the collegiate level.

ity, as seven-man was one of the new sports in this year’s Olympics.

After 92 years away from the Games, rugby had a great showing, as Fiji claimed their first gold medal in the country's

history. The victory is significant because many people prior to the Olympics might have had no idea what rugby even was.

Sevens is not proper rugby by some standards, as it is seven-man teams playing

seven-minute halves opposed to traditional 15-man teams in 40-minute halves. Regardless, having the sport — no matter what version — in the Olympics made people intrigued about rugby.

The Cougars are hoping this newfound popularity might lead to some athletes giving the sport a chance, and see what it is like to play in-person. Coupled with UH rugby’s change of conference and the wealth of talent in the Houston-area, the Cougars should see increased success in the coming seasons.

Joining the Red River Conference may be a tough transition initially.

Soon, they will earn their right to be in a conference alongside the major universities of the South. sports@thedailycougar.com

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The Houston area is loaded with young talent and the team hopes their new conference can help in recruiting in the future. | Courtesy of UH Rugby

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Reagan Earnst, EDITOR

FOOTBALL

Big 12 rumors demand more focus from defense DEZ EWELL

be one of the fastest and most talented teams that his defense has lined up against. In order to stop the high-powered offense,

STAFF WRITER @SRA_EWELL

For more than a year now, UH transitioning to the Big 12 has been the talk among fans. That could serve as a distraction for the Cougars against the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

This is especially true for defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, whose defense finished eighth overall in the NCAA against the run last season. As with head coach Tom Herman, Orlando's staff and the players under his watch believe that the situation will work itself out.

“Honestly, that is the furthest thing from our kid’s minds right now,” Orlando said. “That hasn’t been an issue, even when it came out. Coach Herman has done a good job of saying we don’t control any of that stuff.

We just do our job and get prepared to play a great team.”

The group spent training camp coming together as a cohesive unit and identifying leaders.

“That’s what camp is for,” Orlando said. “(It’s) to find out what your identity is as a defense, so a lot of the guys that maybe last year had small roles on special teams or small roles in packages all of a sudden

“We've got a lot of young guys who are hungry. We want to come out and hit everything that's moving” Steven Taylor, Linebacker

Senior linebacker Steven Taylor led UH with 10 sacks last year, a mark he may improve in 2016. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

become the voice of your team.”

The second-year defensive coordinator’s ideologies have bled into the thoughts of his players.

Leaders on the team, such as senior linebacker Steven Taylor, have accepted their coach’s philosophy and are utilizing it

themselves. In 2016, he will look to replicate his success from the previous season, that saw him lead the team in sacks with 10.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys who are hungry,” Taylor said.

“We want to come out and hit everything that’s moving.”

Orlando is working to prepare

his team for an opponent that has an abundance of talent on their roster. The defense has found some similarities in OU’s offensive schemes compared to other schools the Cougars have played.

Despite the resemblances, Orlando said that OU is going to

Orlando recognizes the team will have to make smart adjustments to get the upper hand.

Orlando’s message is clear: The defense must adapt to OU's speed if they expect to compete.

The Cougars' defense believes that they will be ready come kickoff to face the monster nicknamed “Boomer Sooner.” The confidence that UH possesses comes from both last season’s success and an important component within the defense’s culture.

“Love,” Taylor said. “A genuine love for each other.” sports@thedailycougar.com

FOOTBALL

Major Keys: How can the Cougars find success against OU? JONATHAN VALADEZ

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @JONOUNSEEN

When the football team heads into its long-awaited season opener against the University of Oklahoma Sooners, the Cougars will need to pick up where they left off against Florida State University if they want to beat another top-10 opponent.

While there isn't a foolproof plan to beat the Sooners, here are the major keys the Cougars must enact to be successful on Saturday.

1. Use Clemson as a blueprint In last year’s first-round playoff game, the Clemson Tigers used a dominant second half to gain the lead and blow out the Sooners.

While the Cougars likely do not have as much talent overall as the Tigers, the teams are similarly

constructed.

Like Clemson’s quarterback Deshaun Watson, senior Greg Ward Jr. is a dual-threat passer who can use his legs to extend plays and force the defense to play conservatively. Watson did not have a great passing game against OU, but was able to gain 145 yards on the ground.

2. Win the takeaway battle The Cougars’ defense hangs their hat on the ability to force turnovers, something they will need to do against one of the best offenses they have seen.

UH finished second in the country in takeaway margin at plus-21 last season, but that will be just another stat if they can’t get after the ball on defense while protecting the football on offense.

3. Win the ground game Last season, the Sooners had a top-25 rushing offense before being held to just 67 yards against the Tigers. Running back Samaje Perine, a junior and Heisman Trophy-hopeful, rushed for just 57 yards.

The Cougars' front seven doesn’t have name recognition like former Clemson stars Shaq Lawson, D.J. Reader or B.J.Goodson, but senior defensive end Cameron Malveaux and company are a dominant group that finished eighth in the nation against the run.

4. Dominate time of possession Clemson was able to keep the ball away from OU’s powerful

offense by utilizing an efficient ground game.

Between Watson and junior running back Wayne Gallman, the Tigers kept the clock rolling by keeping the chains moving. Clemson had possession of the football for over 10 minutes more than the Sooners.

The Cougars will need to rely on Ward and redshirt sophomore Duke Catalon to pick up the tough yards that will keep the clock ticking.

5. Protect the secondary Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando will have to dial up a series of intricate blitzes to get after and confuse OU's redshirt junior quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Most of the players in the secondary will be making their first collegiate starts against the Soon-

Turnovers are vital for the Cougars defense. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

ers. If the front seven can do their job and hurry the quarterback, the defensive backs will have an easier time in coverage.

Senior outside linebacker Steven Taylor led the Cougars in sacks last season with 10 and will be vital force in pressuring Mayfield. sports@thedailycougar.com