University of Houston Athletics
2006 Schedule Set For Cougars
2/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 9, 2006
HouSTON, Texas - For the first time since the 1987 season, the University of Houston will play host to Oklahoma State University, as the 2006 football schedule was released Thursday. The Cougars also kick off the season with Conference USA and city rival Rice on September 2, marking the first time in 23 seasons that UH will begin a campaign against a league foe.
The Cougars' September 23 clash with the Cowboys comes almost 20 years after the two teams squared off in the Astrodome in the 1987 season opener. Houston's opening-day battle with the Owls not only has the Bayou Bucket on the line, but also a 1-0 start in C-USA play. Back in 1983, the Cougars, ironically enough, knocked off Rice, 45-14, to start Southwest Conference play on September 1.
After starting the season at Rice Stadium in new Owl head coach Todd Graham's debut, the Cougars return to the friendly confines of John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium to play host to the Tulane Green Wave. UH has won three straight against Tulane, including a 35-14 triumph last season at Cajun Field in Lafayette, La. The back-to-back conference games to start a season are a first in the 61 years of Cougar Football.
Despite kicking off the campaign in league action, both UH head coach Art Briles and Director of Athletics Dave Maggard are extremely pleased with the 2006 docket.
"First of all, I like the fact that the schedule is 12 games straight," said Briles. "Every game is on a Saturday, so we know what we're getting each week and how we're getting it. So, that part of it I like.
"We come out and play two conference games to start with, and we're going to have a good idea how we stand in conference. Then we get four straight non-conference games and then finish up with six conference games and an open date before the (Conference USA) championship game. To us, everything falls positive for the University of Houston."
"Even though we begin the season with a conference game, we feel good about the challenge of the schedule," added Maggard. "We think Conference USA is going to be very competitive, and we think this schedule is very challenging, and yet at the same time, we feel pretty confident in meeting the challenges of this schedule.
"We look forward to opening the year against Rice."
After the consecutive league games, the Cougars play four straight non-conference games, including a first-ever match-up with New Mexico State on September 16 in Las Cruces. The OSU tilt comes next at Robertson, and then the Cougars make a trip to the Sunshine State to face the Miami Hurricanes on September 30 in the Orange Bowl. The trip to south Florida marks the first for UH since the Cougars visited Miami in 1991.
Houston concludes its non-conference slate with an October 7 home contest versus the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Cougars have downed the Ragin' Cajuns six consecutive times, including a 21-14 win on the road in 2003.
The Cougars look to make it two in a row against Southern Miss, as UH travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., on October 14 in a crossover contest. Houston snapped a six-game losing streak to the Golden Eagles with a 27-24 win last season.
UTEP makes its first-ever appearance at Robertson Stadium on October 21, in the first of three straight home games for the Cougars. Eastern Division champion UCF invades "The Quinn" on October 28, followed by 2005 C-USA champions Tulsa on November 4. The Cougars defeated the Golden Hurricane, 30-23, in Tulsa last season.
Finally, the Cougars conclude the campaign with road trips to SMU on November 11 and Memphis on November 18. The trip to Dallas is the first for the Cougars since knocking off the Mustangs, 39-33, in 1994.
Houston will face six bowl teams from a year ago (Miami, Southern Miss, UTEP, UCF, Tulsa & Memphis), including four straight (USM, UTEP, UCF & Tulsa) and five of its last six. This schedule also marks the second time in the last three seasons the Cougars have faced both a team from the Big XII and a team from the ACC. In 2004, UH played host to Miami (Fla.) and traveled to Oklahoma.
The Cougars begin their quest for the conference crown when spring football begins on Wednesday, March 8. Houston returns 17 starters from last season's 6-6 team that played Kansas in the Fort Worth Bowl.
---www.UHcougars.com---
2006 Schedule
9/2 at Rice* 9/9 vs. Tulane * 9/16 at New Mexico State 9/23 vs. Oklahoma State 9/30 at Miami (Fla.) 10/7 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 10/14 at Southern Miss* 10/21 vs. UTEP* 10/28 vs. UCF* 11/4 vs. Tulsa* 11/11 at SMU* 11/18 at Memphis*
*-Conference USA game
