University of Houston Athletics
Football Opens C-USA Season at Tulane This Weekend
9/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 14, 2007
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NEW ORLEANS - The University of Houston football team opens its Conference USA season at 6 p.m., Saturday, when it squares off against Tulane inside the Louisiana Superdome.
Fans can hear the game live on 790 AM The Sports Animal with Tom Franklin calling the play-by-play action, Ted Pardee providing color analysis and Chuck Brown reporting from the sideline. The pregame show is slated to begin one hour before kickoff.
Fans also can follow live stats by clicking on the GameTracker link at UHCougars.com.
The Cougars come into the game after a 48-27 loss at Oregon on Sept. 1 followed by their lone bye weekend of the season. Against the Ducks, senior running back Anthony Alridge rushed for 205 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The Denton native finished with 325 all-purpose yards, thanks to an additional 88 receiving yards and a 32-yard kickoff return.
Competing in his first collegiate game, redshirt freshman quarterback Case Keenum threw for 179 yards on 14-of-27 passing with a touchdown against the Ducks. Sophomore Blake Joseph, making his first collegiate start, accounted 51 yards on 8-of-12 passing.
Senior wideouts Donnie Avery and Jeron Harvey led all players with six receptions apiece, adding 66 yards and 41 yards, respectively.
Senior kicker T.J. Lawrence booted a pair of field goals in the loss the Ducks for the first multi-field goal game of his career.
For the sixth consecutive year and the 11th time in the last 12 seasons, the Cougars will face Tulane on the gridiron. With the exception of the 2001 campaign, the two teams have met every season since 1996.
The Cougars own an 8-4 (.667) lead in the all-time series, which began during the 1968 season opener. UH also brings a four-game winning streak into Saturday's game and has not lost to the Green Wave since a 34-13 setback on Sept. 2, 2002, in Houston.
This weekend's game will be the first time since 2003 that the Cougars will face Tulane in the Big Easy. The two teams were scheduled to meet in 2005, but Hurricane Katrina forced the game to be played at Cajun Field in Lafayette, La.
This will be the first time since 2000 that the Cougars have played in the Louisiana Superdome.
Tulane comes into the game after suffering a 38-17 setback to Mississippi State on Saturday. Although the game was tied 17-17 at the halftime break, the Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to take the win.
In that game, quarterback Scott Elliott threw for 197 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-26 passing. Matt Forte hauled in a game-high six catches for 49 yards and added a team-best 47 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Jeremy Williams led all players with 85 receiving yards.
Defensively, junior linebacker James Dillard led all players with 16 catches, including 10 solo stops. Junior cornerback Josh Lumar and junior linebacker Evan Lee finished second among the Green Wave with nine tackles each.
