Houston Blog

November 29, 2009

The Coogs Rout the Owls
By Dirty 3rd

This one was over in 15 seconds. The University of Houston jumped on Rice University at kickoff and 15 seconds later the game was all but over. The Coogs pounced on the Owls and never let up. The score was 59-0 by halftime and Case Keenum did not play start the 3rd quarter. Case finished the season with 4,922 total passing yards just 78 short of becoming the second player in Football Subdivision (D1) history to pass 5,000 yards. The Coogs will face East Carolina for the CUSA championship and a birth in the Liberty Bowl. The CUSA Championship game will be played at ECU Saturday.

November 16, 2009

UCF Run Over UH
By Dirty 3rd

I received an expected gloating message this morning from the OU Cheerleader and Lineman about the UH-UCF game Saturday. Sigh… well that didn’t hurt as much after cooling off period (24hrs) but if that message would have been forwarded while I was fuming about the outcome, let’s just say this blog may never have been written. What’s OU record this year, something like 6-4? You two have had more sad days than I this year, so be happy that your team is finally bowl eligible (6 wins) now.

I am proud of the UH Cougars football team. They have accomplished so much in such a short time. They have exceeded my expectations and provided me with a season to remember. However I knew the Cougars were playing with fire all year long. The Coogs asked one too many times for Case Keenum and the offense to pull out a victory in the fourth quarter. The defense is young, inexperienced, and injury riddled. They did their best and played their hearts out. They’re an undermanned and undersized unit and they have been dominated all year long. They could not get off the field when they needed to, got pushed around during long possessions continuously and nothing was different with UCF.

On the other side, the defense provided the offense with enough opportunities to win this game however the offense would have needed to capitalizes on nearly all of those precious chances. Asking the offense to be nearly perfect each and every possession is a monumental task as it showed.

Well the number one goal of winning C-USA championship seems to have gotten even harder with this loss. Currently SMU has the inside track to win the west with a win over UTEP. The Coogs will have to hope for a SMU loss and for the Coogs to win out to get to the title game. Let’s win out the rest of the way and do some serious hoping. GOOO COOGS!

November 9, 2009

Hogan's Hero
By Dirty 3rd

This was an unbelievable victory. Thanks to the Coogs’ newly found kicking game. Matt Hogan, the red shirt freshman place kicker nailed a 51 yard field goal as time expired. I have been raving about this kid the last three weeks and he came up big Saturday. Thank you Matt Hogan! The Coogs scored nine points in the final 21 seconds. Case Keenum was clutch, once again. James Cleveland, Patrick Edwards and Tyrone Carrier were exceptional as well.  The offense as a whole was phenomenal as usual. However, I am concerned about out running backs, they seem to take the most vicious of hits. I have not heard anything about them being injured but it’s obvious to me that they are taken a beating and it’s wearing on Bryce Beall and Charles Sims. I saw both leaving the field in obvious pain, however both would return also.
 
The other side on the ball is another story. I swear that the outcome sometimes forgives the play of the defense however I know by not saying anything about the poor play would be turning a blind eye. I think its inexperience more than anything. The Coogs are starting freshmen, sophomores and walk-ons throughout the defensive lineup, so I’ll try to reserve any thought that it could be any other thing than a lack of experience until next year. However, this year I do feel that the Coogs’ defense will hurt them somewhere down the road.
 
Overall this game should not have been this close. Tulsa was the benefactor of some questionable calls that review challenges awarded in their favor. Plus at times the Coogs were their own worst enemy. Metal mistakes, missed assignments, and turnovers are ingredients for disaster against any team. The Coogs served that particular recipe all too often Saturday. Another observation is that the team has begun to allow an uncharacteristic lack of discipline to creep in the last two week, drawing personal foul penalties during dead ball situations multiple times. I am sure Coach Sumlin will address these issues in the future.

November 4, 2009

A Trip to Tulsa to Tussle
By Dirty 3rd

Tulsa brings out the worst in me or better yet, Todd Graham brings out the worst in me. Maybe it was 2007 whipping that knock us out the conference championship game or maybe it was the manner in which he left Rice that started my disenchantment with Todd Graham. It is more likely the former rather than the latter and by the way where does he get off telling the Rice Owls they suck, that’s for us to do. Whichever one it was, I can definitely say he is not on my Christmas card list.
 
Todd Graham just seems like a ham, a hot shot, or a hot dog, for lack of better words. For instance, with most of his team jogging into the locker room for half time, he calls them back for a team huddle to give them what I presume is an undressing for a poor first half performance. This melodrama is a blatant display of posture for the television cameras, T.V. announcers and maybe the home crowd. This has happened on numerous occasions. What message was so urgent that it could not have waited until they were all in the locker room? Is it that he could not be a little less demonstrative in the locker room? Would he forget what he was going to say on his way to the locker room? I don’t think so. You know what? They have a name for that and the term is called “grand standing”. I think he does this “grand standing” at the most opportune time, mostly when he knows the camera’s will be on him. You see it’s all about Todd Graham and that’s it.
 
Oh well enough for my rant. UH faces a very dangerous team in Tulsa, some picked them to win the CUSA West title at the beginning of the season. They have explosive special teams and an offense that can be dangerously streaky if the offensive line protects the quarterback. UH needs to win to remain atop the CUSA West after last weekend’s UTEP loss to Southern Methodist. Hopefully the same UH defense from the SMU game shows up this game instead of the one that showed up against Southern Mississippi.
 
Go Coogs! Beat Todd Graham, I mean Tulsa.

November 2, 2009

Case Pulls a Victory Out for UH
By Dirty 3rd

 
The Defense held the Golden Eagles scoreless in the third quarter and appeared more like the defense that showed up for the SMU game. Who could blame me for relaxing, right? Well this team is teaching me lessons throughout the season. Lesson one this team has taught me was not to presume the once expected and inevitable let down against quality opponents (Oklahoma State and Texas Tech); Lesson two, not to jump into the prediction business (UTEP); Lesson three, never relax until there is 00:00 on the clock.
 
I saw the first half of the game from the stands at Robertson Stadium and I thought that the Coog’s had a good handle on the game but I knew there was another half to go. I hurried home to get ready for my cousin’s wedding so I listen to the game on the radio in my car and later at home. After the defensive pitched a shut out in the third quarter I was feeling pretty good and that’s when I relaxed and lesson number three was taught. With an UH 18 point lead, the two teams traded a 21-3 point explosion favoring Southern Mississippi that got my blood boiling and heart thumping.
 
I don’t know what to say about our defense but I do know that they are playing under manned and they are giving there all, however, I hope this part of the team will improve the most next year because they are going to give me an ulcer plus hypertension.
 
Hey but it all turn out good in the end because of Heisman hopeful Case Keenum. This kid is the truth and he has led 3 last possession game winning drives this year for the Coogs. Just amazing and there is no doubt who would get my has my Heisman vote if had one
 
Oh yea before I forget. UH has found a kicker for sure, Matt Hogan once again made all his field goal and extra point attempts. The kicking game was excellent.
 
Next up, Tulsa.

October 30, 2009

Cougars vs. Golden Eagles Preview

By Dirty 3rd

In comes the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, a traditional thorn in the side of the University of Houston’s football team. The Golden Eagles hold the advantage in all-time series record against UH with a 7-4 mark. USM once was the dominant program in C-USA and according to some they are not too far off from dominating once again. At 5-3 the Golden Eagles have had roller coaster of a season. They started the season 3-0 beating Alcorn State, Central Florida and Virginia in that span. That was a promising start to season and then came the lows, an obviously emotionless loss to UAB sandwich between two tough and close losses to Kansas and Louisville. Now the Golden Eagles are riding high again after two relatively easy wins over Memphis and Tulane. Talk about being streaky. UH must be careful with USM and not be lull to sleep. Southern Miss has proven that they can be competitive and in some cases beat BCS competition. The #18 rank Coogs can provide that big motivational target for a dangerous streaking Golden Eagle team.

With all that said, it also can be noted that, all of USM losses have came on the road. With this game being played in Houston, the Coogs should have at least slight psychological edge. The Cougars offense will have to deal with the always stout Southern Mississippi defense. It will be fun to see which side of the ball gets the upper hand. However it’s UH defense that may provide the bigger surprise. Let’s see if the defense can bring the same intensity, sure tackling, and ball hawking that we witnessed last week against SMU. 

Once I am out the prediction business, so I will refrain from such frivolousness. Go Coogs!

October 26, 2009

 
The UH Cougars faced an improving SMU squad for homecoming Saturday night. The game was well attended by the Cougar faithful, not like Texas Tech’s crowd but, it surpasses my expectations. Nevertheless, the crowd was a pretty good size for homecoming and at its peak may have filled over 95% of the stadium. Well that’s enough about the ever important attendance question that UH fans are faced with each week.
 
To the game, SMU could have been leading 6-0 instantly, running the opening kick off back for a touchdown, if not for a holding penalty. I guess this was a foreshadowing of the type of day the Mustangs would eventually have this evening. It was all UH the rest of the half and read carefully, the DEFENSE led the way.
 
When UH got the ball they quickly established the run and at the end of the Cougar’s first possession it was 7-0. The second SMU possession is where the defense really exploded. How it started? Well, with David Hunter applying some pressure up the middle, SMU’s quarter back Bo Levi Mitchell had to rollout the pocket. At the same time Zeke Riser sniffed out the screen play that was originally called and sat down on the running back. With Hunter chasing, followed by Tyrell Graham pursuing the QB and Hunter arrived at Mitchell first then Graham finished the QB off with a sack/fumble near SMU’s goal line. With the football bouncing free, C.J. Cavness pounced on it at the two yard line setting up UH offense first and goal at the spot. This play resulted in a separated shoulder for the SMU quarterback and putting him out of the game for the night. A Bryce Bell two yard TD run soon followed. 14-0 Houston.
 
Side note here; notice I have not mentioned anything about the kicking this week. Well it looks like the Coogs may have found them a place kicker. It seems there was an open competition during the past week and redshirt freshman Matt Hogan came out the winner and converted his first two extra point attempts. He also would add a field goal before halftime to provide the Cougar nation some much needed confidence in the kicking game. He would end the evening with four extra points and a 22 yard field goal. Good job, keep it up young man.
 
Back to the defense and Cavness, the unit played its tails off this game and I felt Cavness came away as the clear player of the game. I am most certain that he had over double digit tackles and multiple sacks plus a special team hit that put the returner flat on his back. He was all over the field.
 
As much as the defense was dominant in this game, this game could also be defined by the Mustangs’ inability catch the ball on key plays. I counted at least 5 dropped passes where Mustang receivers should have caught the ball. Although a couple would have been circus catches, the ball did hit the receiver in the hands and would have resulted in touchdowns or big gains if caught.
 
The Coogs defense stood out this game compared to other games this year, holding the run and shoot offense of the Mustangs to 15 points. This defensive showing was a welcome relief from other games in which the defense seemed to get push around. If this trend continues, UH should cruise to victories the rest of the season.

 

October 19, 2009

Cougars Ride Wave to Victory
By Dirty 3rd

University of Houston put together a mash unit for this game against Tulane. The Coogs played a ton of reserve players due to injuries. The game started off kind of slow so it gave me a sick feeling about the possible outcome of this game. As suspected UH played down to the level of its opponent in the first quarter by matching Tulane 3-3. In the second quarter the Coogs didn’t do much to pull away for the Green Wave either but managed one touchdown to take the lead by a field goal at 9-6. The missed field goals in the first half (and they would continued for most of the day) had me feeling a little nauseas about this game.

However the Coogs quickly settle my stomach with 20 unanswered points in the third quarter. Two rushing touchdowns sandwiched a James Cleveland touchdown reception from Case Kennum provided much of the scoring. In the fourth quarter Justin Johnson scored his second touchdown of the afternoon and L.J. Castille caught a TD pass from Keenum to finish off the scoring.

The Coogs will need to address their kicking woes with Ben Bell and Jordan Manisto missing opportunities. Between the two they were less that stellar and far from it. It was so bad that the UH cheering section at the Super Dome gave out a loud cheer after the first successful PAT.

Well we got away with a win and SMU comes to the Rob for homecoming.

October 16, 2009

Cougars Prepare to Crest the Green Wave
By Dirty 3rd

Well the Cougars have been on a hectic pace and I personally was hoping that this part of the schedule would provide for some relief from the high wire acts that the Coogs have come to be known for. This week UH faces a (2-3) Tulane team that in recent year has struggled against the Coogs with UH winning the previous six meeting between the two teams.

 

 

Tulane was snake bitten by four turnovers and a failed fourth down conversion in the loss to Marshall. All the while they held a time of possession advantage for the game, 33:52 to 26:08. With those two statistics alone Tulane practically gift wrapped the game to Marshall. The Coogs should expect to face the same game plan all year long, for their opponent to be physical, try to establish the run and try to keep UH offense off the field. However Tulane adds another dimension to this game, they currently are the No. 1 pass defense in C-USA that’s allowing on average 172 yards passing per game. That should get the Cougars coaching staff’s attention and it should be drilled into the young Coogs preparation. The Green Wave will be a formidable foe for the Cougars.

 

 

When the Cougars have the ball they are fortunate to have Case Keenum orchestrating the show. I am really impressed with the way Case handles the offense. He seems to know exactly what play the coaches are going to send in while in the no huddle offense. His execution of the offense is exceptional. He has a quick release when pressured and never seems to get rattled when the defense gets to him. He has an emerging force in James Cleveland and returning favorites in Tyrone Carrier and Patrick Edwards. All have shined sometime this season. I have been impressed with the running backs as well. These guys have taken some hits this year and they keep coming back for some more. I can’t say enough about Bryce Beall and Charles Sims. The two as a 1-2 punch is as good as it gets in C-USA.

 

 

This is no time for hiccup, like the one at UTEP, against an inferior foe that results in another conference loss. Coach Sumlin has his hands full with keeping the Cougars focused on their No. 1 goal for the year and that’s winning C-USA and being the conference representative in the Liberty Bowl. This game against the Green Wave will go a long ways in telling if he has the young Coogs’ attention.

 

“Correction: THE COUGARS SHOCK THE...cheerleader?... Revisited”
By Dirty 3rd

 

 

 

Sigh! Over-bearing big sister Sooner cheerleader has notified me that little brother, OSU freshman tight end Tracy Moore (#87), has 3 receptions and 2 touchdowns for the year. Ergh! AS IF….

 

 

October 14, 2009

Allow me to re-visit the Sooner cheerleader this week after Oklahoma State whipped up on a bloated Texas A&M squad, a squad that only had victories over teams with a combined record of 3-12. Let’s just say, the Cowboys were not facing a juggernaut.
 
Nevertheless, maybe it was a week ago or maybe more, I am not exactly sure but I could have sworn that my wife told me that the cheerleader extended me an invitation to join her family party on the College Station road trip to watch her little brother (T. Moore) play. If you recall from a past blog “THE COUGARS SHOCK THE...cheerleader?”, last we left the cheerleader she was clinging to an elusive glimpse of her little bother that may or may not have been. That was against the Coogs; this is against the Aggies. Yep that’s freshman Tracy Moore #87 actually ballin for the Cowboys against the Aggies. There were no phantom sightings of #87 for this game. Little brother Tracy showed up and showed out, making the most of his one catch, scoring a 51 yard touchdown.
 
As I reflected on the missed road trip, the game, possibly congratulating Tracy on his first TD, a feeling of regret started to set in at the notion that my wife may have misinterpreted my half assed response to the cheerleader’s invitation… then it was gone in a second because there is no way in hell that I would even be caught dead in Aggie Land.  O yea, congrats to Tracy Moore on his touchdown and I hope many more. As for as the cheerleader, save the protective big sister taunts, the OSU vs. UH game is history, it ended with a Cougar victory.

October 12, 2009

Mastering the Bulldogs
By Dirty 3rd

 
The UH Cougars went into SEC country and came away with a victory. It was costly victory with UH losing a hand full of players throughout the game. Some would return to play but others were lost for the duration and maybe longer. This victory was a resilient rebound from the previous week’s loss to UTEP.
 
There was no doubt Mississippi State was going to run the ball on the Cougars defense and the plan seemed to be working the entire first half of the game and some of the second half. The Bulldogs got on the board with a pick six first after an uncharacteristic mistake by Case Keenum. However the Coogs were able to battle back by scoring quickly on a fade route to James Cleveland. The two teams exchanged a pair of touchdowns and extra points. I am purposely shortened the aforementioned scoring sequence because of the manner in which Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon ragged dolled the Cougar’s defense in his 50 yard run to the end zone was… let’s just say it was embarrassing to watch young Coogs bounce off a running back as if they were demonstrating Newton’s 3rd Law. Sigh.
 
The second half is where the Coogs showed their resolve holding the MSU scoreless until 1:22 remaining in the game. All the while the Coogs were out scoring the Bulldogs 17-0 to push the score to 31-17 favoring UH. That pretty much was the game. The young Cougars should be praised for going into a very tough environment, with players dropping everywhere and having to play with second/third string player throughout the line up. With all this happening to them they were still able to pull out a victory. This was a victory where the opponent was intent on exploiting their run defense, with the plan of keeping Kennum and Co. quick strike offense off the field. With this effort, I may have witnessed a turning point for the Cougar football. I can only hope so.
 
This could have been a game where the young Coogs could have just mailed it in after being so highly regarded and falling so far within a matter of weeks. However it showed their maturity and mental toughness and heart. They came out and played a nearly penalty free game, recording the first penalty late in the fourth quarter. They cause four turnovers that were crucial in the outcome of this game, a sign of a good team. The more I think about this game the more I am certain that the Cougars just a better team than Mississippi State. They were more disciplined, better coached and executed their game plan better.
 
Next week. Tulane

October 9, 2009

UH vs Mississipi State Preview
By Dirty 3rd

I just got over the hang over of the loss to UTEP. This was a classic example of a trap game. I hadn’t had this feeling for a long time and it is not a good feeling. The euphoria of a 3-0 start, moving up the rankings, the stadium talk, chest thumping….etc. is not as loud as last week. Oh well, dreams of an undefeated season are long gone. However the Coogs must refocus and remember their No. 1 goal this season is to win C-USA and be the conference representative in the Liberty Bowl. That goal has become harder with the UTPE loss. UH will need help in order for this to happen. They must rely on someone in conference to defeat UTEP.

Enough of looking back lets look at the next opponent.

Stop the run…, Stop the run…, and Stop the run. I am sure Coach Sumlin stressed these very words this week during practice, meetings, interviews and pretty much anywhere he had a forum to speak. The Coogs must stop the run or at least contain the run to give them a chance for a win against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs boast a rushing attack that is more touted than the 300 plus yards UTEP backfield. This may pose a much tougher beast to corral. The Coogs seem to play up or down to there competition so playing a SEC opponent may raise their level of play.

I took a vow to myself after the weekend and announced that I am no longer in the prediction business after the debacle in El Paso so I will refrain from any predictions. I will simply enjoy the game by myself quietly rooting for a Coogs victory. No more predictions for this guy. Let’s hope the Coogs can pull this one out.

October 2, 2009

Coogs: To Tortoise or To Hare?
By: Dirty3rd

Before the season began this UTEP squad was picked by some as a dark horse candidate to win the C-USA West division. Many thought that the Cougars were probably too young, too inexperienced and historically too undisciplined enough to sustain success throughout out a full season. In essence some felt that the UH would play the part of the hare in the folk fable “The Tortoise and the Hare”. They whispered that UH will loss focus on its No. 1 goal for the season which is to win C-USA and be the conference representative in the Liberty Bowl. Some think this loss of focus would happen sometime within the season, if not this very game Saturday. Well I am here to reassure all that think that way, that there is a chance that their thoughts may come to fruition but they’re unlikely to happen versus UTEP. However this game really does scare me.

The main reason to be anxious about this game is that a lot of people are labeling this game a “trap game”. Seeing that UH has come away beating two Big 12 opponents and has a SEC opponent in Mississippi State looming next. UH attention may not be fully on UTEP. The Coogs could be looking forward and by looking forward they discount the Miners. This poses a very dangerous situation for the young Coogs. If they come out full of themselves they will get smacked in the mouth and the season’s No. 1 goal just got a lot harder. We’ll see how well they handle their recent success.

UTEP will be a tougher opponent than the record presents. UTEP has had a brutal schedule, so far facing No. 2 Texas longhorns, No. 18 Kansas Jayhawks and also a very solid Buffalo team. After a tough loss to the Longhorn, the Coogs should expect UTEP to very determined and give everything they got to win this game. The Miners offensive stats definitely are not eye-popping but that should not even matter to UH anyway. History has shown the Coogs will play to the level of it competition; last year’s Marshall loss comes to mind. The Coogs have too much to lose to not be focus on UTEP only this Saturday.

The Cougar faithful on the other hand have been all over the map with BCS busting talk to stadium expansion or new stadium debates to respect seeking chest thumping. You name it, I’ve heard it. The fans are “IN THE MOMENT” and they are living It up, sort of like that old hare. Within the game, the team will need a little jack rabbit in them as well; score early, often and everything should be OK. The Miners do not possess the fire power to stay with the Coogs. This will force UTEP to be one dimensional and the defensive line should have a field day. However, in the context of the season, the Coogs as well as their fans should take the tortoise approach to the season, one game at a time.

September 27, 2009

Whoose House? Coogs House!
By: Dirty3rd

First I have to congratulate the fans this weekend at the game. I could not believe it, fans started arriving Friday evening in RVs, and immediately started setting up tents, and then students arrived with couches and entertainment later that night to camp out at the stadium for tickets in the morning as well. At game time the stadium was filled to capacity, student and fans were in the seats ready for the game instead of wandering about tailgating; this was quite unusual for a UH game. I was regulated to watching the game from the roof of the stadium, yep that’s right, the roof! The press box was filled by the time I arrived (I’m guilty!…tailgating) plus the usual suites outside of the press box that had been available to anyone during other less attended games were occupied by important dignitaries. Nevertheless, the view was tremendous from the roof top however I could not help but wonder to myself, what if we had a second deck of stands at the stadium for seating….. Sigh, in due time. I’ll come back to the fans later.

 

This was a sweet win for the Cougars, not because it was a national televised ESPN game, not because it was against an old SWC foe or against the second consecutive Big 12 opponent (with all the real or unreal bitterness that is harbored for being left behind with the formulation of the Big 12), but because the Coogs didn’t play their best football in the game. They played good enough to pull out a victory against the so called big boys. The Cougars left too many big plays on the field, so many missed opportunities, they battled questionable officiating, shanks and bad kick offs, humidity along with exhaustion etc… the list is long, and was able to mount a comeback on a “BCS” squad.

 

With all this working against the Coogs, they fought and continued fighting through out the game. Two missed field goals and two interceptions that could have deterred eventual Tech scoring drives that slipped through UH defenders hands were examples of plays left on the field. The young Cougars persevered, they remained composed, and they took Tech’s best punch and returned their own. A terrible penalty called by the officials nullified the Cougars possession after an interception. Yea that’s right UH had to battle the officiating as well however not all Coogs mistakes, self-inflicted or delivered by officials, had a misfortunate outcome. Through shear determination by the coaching staff and Case Keenum there was a successful field goal to end the first half that masked a clock management mishap that was crucial. All these things working against the Coogs and they fought and somehow manage to beat another quality opponent. Tech was such a quality opponent, that the Coogs may not face a better opponent the rest of the season.

 

Back to the fans before I close, before the game there was something in the air maybe it was the smoke from the barbeque pits but I was confident that the Coogs would pull this game out and come away victorious. What was in the air could have been aided by the tailgating, the students and their couches spewed all over the parking lots, the RV’s, the tents and the partying. It could have been the blaring music with the dancing coeds mixing margaritas. I am not sure. Whatever was in the air, it made for a very eventful weekend such an eventful weekend that I had never seen the campus so lively before. We as UH Cougar fans have to make every home game an eventful weekend. We must continue to fill the stadium or at least come close to filling the stadium the rest of the year and beyond. Let’s see if we can fill it up for CUSA opponents.

September 26, 2009

UH plans to Air Raid the Red Raiders
By: Dirty3rd

The No. 17 rank University of Houston Cougar (ah that sounds good) will host Texas Tech this Saturday before a sellout crowd and a nationally televised audience on ESPN 2. The Cougars come into the game well rested after last weeks bye and will try to keep the momentum going after their defeat of then  No. 6 Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cougar will face another Big 12 opponent in Texas Tech. Tech coming off a loss to the No, 2 Texas Longhorns bring there high powered offense onto the UH campus and the Mighty Quinn Field. The Red Raiders presents some challenges to the Cougars with their passing attack that features Taylor Potts. The Cougars hope to contain Potts and his crew of receivers. If there is a sigh of relief for the Coogs defense it’s that Tech does not have the rushing prowess that OSU possessed and UH is so vulnerable to. If the Cougars can get a big lead it may be beneficial for the defensive line to pin there ears back and just put pressure on Potts all night long. On the other hand Tech defense will have its hands full with Heisman hopeful Case Keenum and company. Case has been flat out exceptional this year. Case has a host of weapons and will use anyone of them at anytime and anywhere on the field. Bryce Beall and Charles Sims will hold down the rushing duties. The receiving position is very deep however the depth chart was cut short for OSU and limited to the top 5 receivers. The Coogs can easily go as deep as nine or ten at the receiver position without missing a beat. Special teams may very well be the deciding factor in this game, with the two teams being so close to one another. Any mistake or big play on special team could be critical. If the Coogs come away victorious they would have victories over two Big 12 opponents and should be very close to breaking into the Top 10 and could very well break into the Top 10 if other teams above then fall over the weekend.

September 13, 2009

THE COUGARS SHOCK THE...cheerleader?
By: Dirty 3rd

I watched the Coogs biggest road victory since 1984 in a garage at a baby shower/watch party hosted by a married Sooner couple who now has adopted Oklahoma State as their secondary school and……. it was GREAT! He lettered in football at OU while she was a cheerleader. The reason for the unusual adoption you may ask, it seems that the cheerleader’s younger brother is T. Moore a freshman tight end for the Cowboys. I just discovered this cheerleader talks a lot of smack and having a 6’4” defensive lineman for a hubby doesn’t hurt her smack talking either. Needless to say, the majority of her badger today was constrained to an elusive T. Moore sighting for the cheerleader.
 
The Houston Cougars came into the game and stunned the crowd of over 50,000 with a quick 24-7 led at half time. They showed a mental toughness unparalleled to any UH team of the past 20 years. They jumped on the Cowboys with efficient drives in the first quarter to take the lead 10-0. The silent cheerleader, keenly aware of the score, was anticipating T. Moore anytime now. They are behind so any minute now T. Moore will be in the game.
 
In the second quarter the Coogs out scored the Cowboys two touchdowns to one. This was surprising to me as well and I was ecstatic. This Coogs team personifies the confidence of head coach Kevin Sumlin. At half time a reporter asked, whether he was surprised with his team effort as everyone else to hold the Cowboys to only one score. Sumlin smiled and said something to effect of, “No I’m not surprised. That is what YOU guys talk about, not us.” It was now 24-7 Coogs and still no T. Moore sighting. The cheerleader was still holding onto hope of a comeback led by T. Moore, hopefully.
 
 
The second half came and I have to admit after years of watching coogs football, I thought the usual let down was soon to come. The Cowboys scored all 21 points of the third quarter. The comeback had happened and it did not look good. Now the cheerleader was talking smack that the Cowboys came back without T. Moore and the UH Cougars didn’t have chance from the start. The inevitable UH melt down look to be certain.
 
The Coogs took back the lead only to lose it again. I thought to myself “that may be the last counter punch from the Coogs”; however this evening would be different. By the way, T. Moore has yet to touch the field. The Cougars showed the resolve, added with a lucky bounce, to finally take the lead for good. Even though the Coogs now had the lead, I was still apprehensive with Cowboys quick strike offense. Low and behold, the first play after the Cougar’s kickoff, the pass was tipped, intercepted and returned for a touchdown! Now that’s how great teams finish football games, I said, as the cheerleader said, “That would not have happened if T. Moore was in the game”. Okay, I am guilty of embellishment with that last statement. Oh well the better team won. Take that cheerleader.

September 11, 2009

Preview: The Shootout at the OK Corral
By: Dirty 3rd

The University of Houston Cougars is expecting a shootout at the OK corral with the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday. These two teams are loaded with exceptional weapons and should go back and forth exchanging bullets all game long. The consensus feeling is that this will be a high scoring affair and with plenty of entertaining highlights.

The Coogs take their very young squad on the road into hostile territory. No one knows how these young guns will respond. Will they be starry eyed and overwhelmed by the pressure to play well or will they be too young and naive to know any better and pull the upset.

If the Coogs are to pull the upset it is likely Case Keenum will be the reason why. The junior quarterback is as skilled as any QB in the nation and will pose a challenge to the Cowboys. He will need to be very good Saturday if the Coogs are to prevail.

OSU defensive did an excellent job holding the Georgia offense last week to 10 points. This without there best defensive player middle linebacker and Houston Yates graduate who was lost for the year with a knee injury. Last year Houston did not run the ball effectively against the Cowboys however the Coogs have two talented running backs in Bryce Beall and freshman Charles Sims that will look for running room during the game. The Coogs look to improve on last years rushing totals with the tandem. If this comes to past this will takes some pressure off Keenum.

If Keenum has less pressure due to the running game plus the offensive line plays solid, this will allow Keenum enough time to throw to a plethora of receiver. Last week Houston completed passes to 9 different receivers. The amazing thing about these receivers is that they have gotten better with their ball skills from last year as well as they gobble up yards after the catch. All of Houston receivers are capable of hitting the big plays and scoring anywhere on the field.

The Coogs’ defense is the unknown. We know the Coogs can put point on the score board but the defense will have to play well enough to not allow OSU to run away and hide. OSU has to best combination of QB, RB and WR in Zack Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant. The defense must keep this trio under wraps in order to win this game.

By winning in Stillwater the Coogs have a chance to jump into the Top 25. If the Coogs find themselves in the Top 25 next week it will be the first time in a very long time.

September 7, 2009

A Houston Recap
By: Dirty 3rd

The University of Houston Cougars finished the first game of the 2009 Season with a dominating performance of Northwestern State University Demons. The cougars scored touchdowns on their first five possessions. The score was 28-0 before the first quarter ended. The only question by mid second quarter was whether the cougars would un-wrap the highly touted freshman receiver A.J. Dugat. The coogs left there loyal followers happy and content.

Case Keenum was flawless dissecting the Demons defense for 298 by halftime and 355 for the game. He finished the game throwing for four TD and running for another. Keenum’s fantasy owners are smiling right about now. Sophomore Bryce Beall score two touchdowns running for one and one by air. However freshman Charles Sims electrified the crowd with two scores of his own. Statement here: Sims in going to be a beast this season! Both Beall and Sims shared the backfield often and this will cause opponents nightmares.

The UH receivers were as good as advertised. LJ Castille caught a TD. Tyron Carrier and the very tough Patrick Edwards were solid. Chaz Rodrigues was impressive with his own TD reception and the much anticipated Dugat did not disappoint with his very first opportunity with the ball broke at least 4 tackles before being stopped.

Defensively the cougar started great, forcing three consecutive 3 and outs to start the game. The freshmen Zeke Riser and Radermon Scypion started and were active. Tyrell Graham came in and was disruptive. The coogs will need more of that from Graham, Riser, Scypion and company. There was a moment of concern in the second half where the Demons kept running quarterback draws and running them effectively. Coach Sumlin quickly placed Isaiah Thompson in and the quarterback draws stop immediately.

All in all a very good start for the coogs season. Next up, the Oklahoma State University Cowboys!