Cougars open C-USA play against Miners

Published online on Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2009

Following a pair of impressive non-league victories, the 12th-ranked Houston Cougars now turn their focus to Conference USA play, as they tangle with the Texas-El Paso Miners at Sun Bowl Stadium.

The Cougars have yet to play a C-USA game this season, but they are the team everyone else is gunning for thanks to a pair big victories over Big 12 opponents that launched the program into the Top 25 for the first time since 1991. Last weekend, Houston played its first game as a ranked team in 18 years and it certainly didn't disappoint, pulling out a thrilling last-minute, 29-28, victory over Texas Tech in front of a Robertson Stadium record crowd of 32,114.

"It was a great victory in light of what was happening in our stadium," said head coach Kevin Sumlin. "For it to be the largest crowd since we moved from the Astrodome, to do it for the alumni, students, the fans who showed up, for the students who lined up on Monday, for the fans who were there when we showed up this morning. It means a lot to win a game in the last few seconds in front of them to an in-state rival."

It was certainly a big victory, but all the excitement was the result of the team's prior effort, a stunning 45-35 victory over then fifth-ranked Oklahoma State in Stillwater on September 12th. That win pushed the program into the Top 25 and the Cougars moved up five spots following last weekend's win. Houston is now to 3-0 first time since 2006, when it went on to win the Conference USA title.

As for the Miners, they too have played a pair of Big 12 opponents on the season, only their results have been much different. After losing to nationally-ranked Kansas (34-7) earlier in the season, UTEP was simply trounced by second-ranked Texas, 64-7, this past weekend.

"It's hard to beat the best team in the country when you're playing really, really good, let alone when you're not playing good," said head coach Mike Price.

UTEP now sits at just 1-3 on the campaign, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around and the team is 4-0 all-time in C-USA openers.

The Miners and Cougars have split six prior meetings on the gridiron, with UTEP holding a 3-1 edge at home. Houston however, has taken the last three encounters from the Miners, including a 42-37 triumph in 2008.

In front of a frenzy crowd and a national audience, quarterback Case Keenum got a chance to show everyone what he was all about, as he rallied Houston past Texas Tech, 29-28. With the Cougars trailing 29-28 late in the fourth quarter, Keenum marched his troops 95 yards on 16 plays and capped the drive with a game-winning four-yard touchdown run with 49 seconds left.

"The whole drive for everyone was just reaction," said Keenum. "There's not a lot of thinking after four quarters of hard-nosed football. As fast as we play and as fast as the Texas Tech defense plays as well as our defense, it's just reaction. We just have to go out there and make plays and our guys did in a crucial time. There were a lot and conversions on the last drive."

Keenum finished the game with 435 yards and a score through the air, marking the 16th 300-yard passing game of his career. Kevin Kolb holds the school- record with 17 300-yard games, but that mark is in serious jeopardy. Keenum, who totaled 51 touchdowns last season, has completed 69.4 percent of his tosses this year and has passed for eight scores and run for three more.

Spreading out the ball has helped Keenum become so successful as the Cougars have five players with double-digit catches thus far. Charles Sims reeled in 10 balls for 122 yards to lead the team last weekend, while three other players had over 80 yards receiving yards in the win.