University of Houston Athletics
Bell Picks Up League Weekly Honor
9/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 16, 2002
The University of Houston today announced that sophomore kicker Dustin Bell (Houston, Texas) was selected as the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week.
Bell becomes the second Cougar in three weeks to be honored by the league office in Chicago. Senior free safety Hanik Milligan was C-USA's first Defensive Player of the Week in 2002.
Against Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday night at John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium, Bell connected on field goals of 44, 37 and 41 yards, with the 44-yarder setting a new career high for him. That 44-yarder was the longest field goal for a Cougar in three seasons (Mike Clark nailed a 48-yarder against Louisville on October 23, 1999).
Bell became the first kicker to kick more than three field goals in a game since Mike Waddell did the same against Southern Miss on November 7, 1998. With his fourth, fifth and sixth field goals of the season, Bell has now tripled the Cougar field goal total from all of last season. He is a perfect six-for-six on the year in field goals and currently leads the Cougars in total points with 25.
His first field goal came in the first quarter on the Cougars' opening drive, giving Houston a quick 3-0 lead. Bell later opened the second quarter with a 37-yarder, which completed a four-play, one-yard drive. Finally, Bell gave the Cougars a 22-3 lead in the third quarter, when his 41-yarder capped a 11-play, 46-yard drive on UH's first possession of the second half.
Bell also kicked off eight times during the game, sending five either through the back of the end zone or too deep for a ULL return. The Ragin' Cajuns had two kickoff returns all evening, one after a pooch kick as time was running down in the first half and the other that ULL's Bill Sampy caught four yards deep in the end zone and returned to the 21.
Bell becomes the first Cougar to capture the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week since Louis Hampton garnered honors on November 2, 1998.
