2010 Houston Cougars football team
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Houston Cougars football team (also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH) represented the University of Houston
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
. It was the 65th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by third-year head football coach Kevin Sumlin
, and played its home games at Robertson Stadium
—a 32,000-seat stadium on campus in Houston. The program is a member of Conference USA
in its West Division. Although ranked favorably early in the season, the team finished with a 5–7 record, (4–4 in C-USA play) after season-ending injuries to starting quarterback Case Keenum
and other key players.
team defeated the nationally-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys
in their first match-up. Following the victory, the Cougars were ranked by the AP Poll
for the first time in more than twenty years. The Cougars played the Texas Tech Red Raiders
in front of a record-breaking 32,114 sold-out crowd at Robertson Stadium. The Cougars defeated the unranked Raiders to earn No. 12 spot in the AP Poll. The Cougars continued to be nationally ranked throughout the majority of the season.
and behind Oregon State
by Rivals.com
, the 2010 class was Houston's highest-ever ranking by the site. Scout.com
ranked Houston as #54, which was the highest Houston had been ranked since 2003, and the 3rd-highest-ever ranking by the site.
This was also the highest-rated recruiting class in Conference USA
by both sites for the season. In terms of position, Houston ranked No. 13 in the nation by Scout.com for best average ratings of quarterbacks recruited. This reinforced the team's depth in the position, as senior Case Keenum
was scheduled to compete in his last season in 2010.
placed Houston at No. 21 in its power rankings list. Lindy's Sports ranked Houston as #23, and Phil Steele
ranked the team as #24. Just outside the top 25, Sporting News ranked Houston as #26, and in the Coaches' Poll as #27.
Jamal Robinson
James Cleveland
Marcus McGraw
Patrick Edwards
Tyron Carrier
in its current capacity, and the largest Houston had ever hosted on-campus. This broke the record set during last season
versus Texas Tech.Denotes a tie for largest crowd to have watched a football game at Robertson Stadium in its current capacity, and a tie for the largest Houston had ever hosted on-campus. This matched the attendance of the previous week.
of the Southland Conference
(a Division I FCS conference) for the fourth time in history. However, the two teams had not competed against each other in over six decades, with the last game being in 1948. Texas State had been undefeated against Houston, and were led by fourth-year head coach Brad Wright
.
Attendance was at an all-time high for Robertson Stadium
, as 32,119 fans watched the game. The record-setting crowd at the stadium surpassed the previous season record against Texas Tech
. This marked the largest home-opening crowd to watch the Cougars play since 37,652 fans watched Houston face California
at the Astrodome on September 6, 1997. Quarterback Case Keenum
set school records for both career passing yards and career pass attempts, surpassing then-current Philadelphia Eagles
starting quarterback Kevin Kolb
.
traveled to Robertson Stadium to face-off against Houston for the eighth time in history. Prior to UTEP's defeat, Houston's record against the team stood at 3–4. During the previous season, UTEP defeated No. 12 Houston to knock the team out of the national rankings for a period of time. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Mike Price
who had previously served as head coach for Washington State
with Kevin Sumlin
as a graduate assistant. Attendance for the game was again at an all-time high, as the 32,119 fans in attendance tied the previous record from the game prior. The matchup was nationally televised on ESPN
.
The Cougars' offensive strategy appeared to be more focused on rushing rather than the passing game Houston was known for. It was the first time the team had achieved 300 rushing yards in a game since compiling 377 yards against Texas Southern
on November 24, 2007. After an interception thrown by senior Case Keenum
to UTEP's Trauvan Nixon in the third quarter of the game, the quarterback attempted to tackle the opposing player. Keenum suffered a blow to the head, and was removed from the game. Back-up quarterback Cotton Turner took his place to carry on the win. It was later reported that Keenum was exhibiting symptoms of a mild concussion, but was showing dramatic improvement two days after the game. His condition was listed as being "day-to-day".
Following the game, Houston became nationally-ranked for the first time since the previous season, as the Cougars entered both the AP Poll
and Coaches' Poll as #23. Junior running back Bryce Beall was named the Conference USA offensive player of the week. Houston's record at 2–0, made it the only team in its conference division to remain undefeated overall, and allowed the team to take the number one spot in the standings.
In the third quarter, UCLA had a 42-yard field goal by Kai Forbath
, the 2009 Lou Groza
Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
winner, and a touchdown again by Franklin (12 yards).
Houston scored twice in the fourth quarter, on James Cleveland's
10-yard pass from Terrance Broadway and on Matt Hogan's 31-yard field goal.
Two Houston quarterbacks, Case Keenum
and Cotton Turner, were injured in the game and are out for the season.
UCLA's Patrick Larimore, who had a career-high and team-high 11 tackles (10 solos), including three for loss, forced a fumble and broke up a pass in the game was named Pac-10 Conference defensive player of the week. He was also named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski
National Defensive Player of the Week.
Second quarter scoring: Tulane - Cody Sparks (13-yard pass from Kevin Moore), Devin Figaro (36-yard pass from Moore); Houston – Beall (1-yard run, 1-yard run), Michael Hayes (1-yard run).
Third quarter scoring: Tulane - Cairo Santos (29-yard field goal).
Fourth quarter scoring: Tulane - Payten Jason (9-yard run); Houston - Beall (25-yard run), Loyce Means (42-yard interception return).
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
. It was the 65th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by third-year head football coach Kevin Sumlin
Kevin Sumlin
-External links:*...
, and played its home games at Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
—a 32,000-seat stadium on campus in Houston. The program is a member of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
in its West Division. Although ranked favorably early in the season, the team finished with a 5–7 record, (4–4 in C-USA play) after season-ending injuries to starting quarterback Case Keenum
Case Keenum
Casey Austin "Case" Keenum is a redshirt senior quarterback for the Houston Cougars football team. Keenum has already set several school records at the University of Houston and has positioned himself to become the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards in 2011...
and other key players.
Previous season
The 2009 Houston Cougars2009 Houston Cougars football team
The 2009 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2009–2010 season. It was the 64th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by second year head football coach, Kevin Sumlin...
team defeated the nationally-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys
2009 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 2009 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Cowboys, led by 5th year head coach Mike Gundy, played their home games at Boone Pickens Stadium...
in their first match-up. Following the victory, the Cougars were ranked by the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
for the first time in more than twenty years. The Cougars played the Texas Tech Red Raiders
2009 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 2009 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the college football season of 2009–10. The team was coached by Mike Leach during the regular season, and was coached by interim head coach Ruffin McNeill during the 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl. The Red Raiders played...
in front of a record-breaking 32,114 sold-out crowd at Robertson Stadium. The Cougars defeated the unranked Raiders to earn No. 12 spot in the AP Poll. The Cougars continued to be nationally ranked throughout the majority of the season.
Recruits
Houston's 2010 recruiting class was highly-rated relative to its previous seasons. Rated as the No. 45 best recruiting class in the nation ahead of TCUTCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
and behind Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, the 2010 class was Houston's highest-ever ranking by the site. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
ranked Houston as #54, which was the highest Houston had been ranked since 2003, and the 3rd-highest-ever ranking by the site.
This was also the highest-rated recruiting class in Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
by both sites for the season. In terms of position, Houston ranked No. 13 in the nation by Scout.com for best average ratings of quarterbacks recruited. This reinforced the team's depth in the position, as senior Case Keenum
Case Keenum
Casey Austin "Case" Keenum is a redshirt senior quarterback for the Houston Cougars football team. Keenum has already set several school records at the University of Houston and has positioned himself to become the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards in 2011...
was scheduled to compete in his last season in 2010.
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Alma mater (Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Sumlin Kevin Sumlin -External links:*... |
Head coach | Purdue Purdue University Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and... (1986) |
| Jason Phillips Jason Phillips (wide receiver) Jason Phillips is the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Houston Cougars football team, which represents the University of Houston. He is also a former professional American football player who played as wide receiver for five seasons for the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.... |
Offensive coordinator Offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... |
Houston University of Houston The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of... (1988) |
| Brian Stewart | Defensive coordinator Defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... |
Northern Arizona Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of... (1992) |
| Tony Levine | Special teams | Minnesota University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... (1996) |
| Kliff Kingsbury Kliff Kingsbury Klifford "Kliff" Kingsbury is an American Football Coach, serving as the current co-offensive coordinator for the University of Houston Cougar football team. Prior to his current role, Kingsbury was a Quarterback in the NFL and NFL Europe, winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in a... |
Co-offensive coordinator | Texas Tech Texas Tech University Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the... (2002) |
| Leon Burtnett Leon Burtnett Leon Burtnett is an assistant football coach at the University of Houston and was the head football coach at Purdue University from 1982 to 1986.... |
Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... s |
Southwestern College Southwestern College (Kansas) Southwestern College is a four-year private college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Winfield, Kansas, United States. It was founded in 1885 and graduated its first class in 1889. In addition to its campus programs, it offers online programs.-Academics:The main campus is a... (1965) |
| Jim Jeffcoat Jim Jeffcoat James Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. is a former American football defensive lineman who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League. From 2008 to 2010 he served as defensive line coach for the Houston Cougars football team... |
Defensive line | Arizona State Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... (1982) |
| B.J. Anderson | Offensive line | Stephen F. Austin Stephen F. Austin State University Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding... (1997) |
| Clarence McKinney | Running backs | Mary University of Mary The University of Mary is a four year Catholic university near Bismarck, North Dakota.The university is the largest degree granting institution in Bismarck... (1994) |
| Charles McMillian | Defensive backs | Utah State Utah State University Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.... (1995) |
| Zac Spavital | Cornerbacks | Murray State Murray State University Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years... (2004) |
Top 25 rankings
During the pre-season, Houston was ranked in several notable top 25 polls. Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
placed Houston at No. 21 in its power rankings list. Lindy's Sports ranked Houston as #23, and Phil Steele
Phil Steele
Phil Steele is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He currently writes a column for the Orlando Sentinel, and is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media...
ranked the team as #24. Just outside the top 25, Sporting News ranked Houston as #26, and in the Coaches' Poll as #27.
Awards & award watch lists
Case KeenumCase Keenum
Casey Austin "Case" Keenum is a redshirt senior quarterback for the Houston Cougars football team. Keenum has already set several school records at the University of Houston and has positioned himself to become the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards in 2011...
- Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
watch list - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
watch list - Manning AwardManning AwardThe Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
watch list - Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
- Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
watch list - Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Conference USA Preseason offensive first team selection
Jamal Robinson
- Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Preseason defensive first team selection
James Cleveland
James Cleveland (American football)
James Lee Cleveland is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-College career:...
- Fred Biletnikoff AwardFred Biletnikoff AwardThe Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
watch list - Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Preseason offensive first team selection
Marcus McGraw
Marcus McGraw
Marcus Dujuan McGraw is a starting linebacker for the Houston Cougars football team. McGraw plays as a junior, and is on the watch list for the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award.-High school career:...
- Bronko Nagurski TrophyBronko Nagurski TrophyThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
watch list - Lombardi AwardLombardi AwardThe Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
watch list - Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Preseason defensive first team selection
Patrick Edwards
Patrick Edwards
Patrick Michael Edwards is an American college football player. He currently plays for the Houston Cougars of the University of Houston. In 2008, Edwards' gruesome leg injury in the endzone at Marshall gained national notoriety.-Early years:...
- Fred Biletnikoff AwardFred Biletnikoff AwardThe Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
watch list
Tyron Carrier
- Fred Biletnikoff AwardFred Biletnikoff AwardThe Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
watch list - Paul Hornung AwardPaul Hornung AwardThe Paul Hornung Award is a college football award that was created in January 2010 by the Louisville Sports Commission with the support of Paul Hornung, a native and resident of Louisville, Kentucky and member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
watch list - Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year - Conference USA Preseason special teams first team selection
Schedule
Denotes the largest crowd to have watched a football game at Robertson StadiumRobertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
in its current capacity, and the largest Houston had ever hosted on-campus. This broke the record set during last season
2009 Houston Cougars football team
The 2009 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2009–2010 season. It was the 64th year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by second year head football coach, Kevin Sumlin...
versus Texas Tech.Denotes a tie for largest crowd to have watched a football game at Robertson Stadium in its current capacity, and a tie for the largest Houston had ever hosted on-campus. This matched the attendance of the previous week.
Texas State
As a season opener, Houston met with Texas StateTexas State Bobcats football
The Texas State Bobcats football program is a college football team that represents Texas State University-San Marcos. The team is currently categorized as an FCS Independent as it transitions to FBS. They will become a member of the FBS Western Athletic Conference as of July 1, 2012. The program...
of the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
(a Division I FCS conference) for the fourth time in history. However, the two teams had not competed against each other in over six decades, with the last game being in 1948. Texas State had been undefeated against Houston, and were led by fourth-year head coach Brad Wright
Brad Wright (American football)
Brad Wright is an American football coach. He formerly served as head coach at Texas State University–San Marcos until being fired on November 23, 2010....
.
Attendance was at an all-time high for Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
, as 32,119 fans watched the game. The record-setting crowd at the stadium surpassed the previous season record against Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. This marked the largest home-opening crowd to watch the Cougars play since 37,652 fans watched Houston face California
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
at the Astrodome on September 6, 1997. Quarterback Case Keenum
Case Keenum
Casey Austin "Case" Keenum is a redshirt senior quarterback for the Houston Cougars football team. Keenum has already set several school records at the University of Houston and has positioned himself to become the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards in 2011...
set school records for both career passing yards and career pass attempts, surpassing then-current Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
starting quarterback Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
.
UTEP
Conference USA foe UTEP2010 UTEP Miners football team
The 2010 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the college football season of 2010-2011. The team's head football coach was Mike Price, who was coaching in his 7th season. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas and were...
traveled to Robertson Stadium to face-off against Houston for the eighth time in history. Prior to UTEP's defeat, Houston's record against the team stood at 3–4. During the previous season, UTEP defeated No. 12 Houston to knock the team out of the national rankings for a period of time. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Mike Price
Mike Price
Mike Price is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso , a position he has held since 2004...
who had previously served as head coach for Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
with Kevin Sumlin
Kevin Sumlin
-External links:*...
as a graduate assistant. Attendance for the game was again at an all-time high, as the 32,119 fans in attendance tied the previous record from the game prior. The matchup was nationally televised on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
The Cougars' offensive strategy appeared to be more focused on rushing rather than the passing game Houston was known for. It was the first time the team had achieved 300 rushing yards in a game since compiling 377 yards against Texas Southern
Texas Southern Tigers football
The Texas Southern Tigers are the college football team representing the Texas Southern University. The Tigers play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.-Alumni in the NFL:...
on November 24, 2007. After an interception thrown by senior Case Keenum
Case Keenum
Casey Austin "Case" Keenum is a redshirt senior quarterback for the Houston Cougars football team. Keenum has already set several school records at the University of Houston and has positioned himself to become the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards in 2011...
to UTEP's Trauvan Nixon in the third quarter of the game, the quarterback attempted to tackle the opposing player. Keenum suffered a blow to the head, and was removed from the game. Back-up quarterback Cotton Turner took his place to carry on the win. It was later reported that Keenum was exhibiting symptoms of a mild concussion, but was showing dramatic improvement two days after the game. His condition was listed as being "day-to-day".
Following the game, Houston became nationally-ranked for the first time since the previous season, as the Cougars entered both the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches' Poll as #23. Junior running back Bryce Beall was named the Conference USA offensive player of the week. Houston's record at 2–0, made it the only team in its conference division to remain undefeated overall, and allowed the team to take the number one spot in the standings.
UCLA
Matt Hogan kicked a 29-yard field goal to give the Cougars the first quarter lead. Johnathan Franklin answered with a 11-yard run for a Bruins 7–3 lead. The Bruins scored two touchdowns in the second quarter. Kevin Prince ran for a 2-yard touchdown and Franklin added a 1-yard run touchdown.In the third quarter, UCLA had a 42-yard field goal by Kai Forbath
Kai Forbath
Kai August Forbath is an American football placekicker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was a very successful placekicker for the University of California, Los Angeles...
, the 2009 Lou Groza
Lou Groza
Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
winner, and a touchdown again by Franklin (12 yards).
Houston scored twice in the fourth quarter, on James Cleveland's
James Cleveland (American football)
James Lee Cleveland is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-College career:...
10-yard pass from Terrance Broadway and on Matt Hogan's 31-yard field goal.
Two Houston quarterbacks, Case Keenum
Case Keenum
Casey Austin "Case" Keenum is a redshirt senior quarterback for the Houston Cougars football team. Keenum has already set several school records at the University of Houston and has positioned himself to become the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards in 2011...
and Cotton Turner, were injured in the game and are out for the season.
UCLA's Patrick Larimore, who had a career-high and team-high 11 tackles (10 solos), including three for loss, forced a fumble and broke up a pass in the game was named Pac-10 Conference defensive player of the week. He was also named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player. He was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time world heavyweight champion.-Youth and collegiate career:...
National Defensive Player of the Week.
Tulane
First quarter scoring: Houston – Bryce Beall (3-yard run).Second quarter scoring: Tulane - Cody Sparks (13-yard pass from Kevin Moore), Devin Figaro (36-yard pass from Moore); Houston – Beall (1-yard run, 1-yard run), Michael Hayes (1-yard run).
Third quarter scoring: Tulane - Cairo Santos (29-yard field goal).
Fourth quarter scoring: Tulane - Payten Jason (9-yard run); Houston - Beall (25-yard run), Loyce Means (42-yard interception return).
Poll rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | RV | RV | 23 | RV | RV | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Coaches | RV | RV | 23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Harris | Not released | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | ||||||
| BCS | Not released | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | |||||||