University of Houston Athletics
Football Ready to Go for Saturday Showdown vs. Memphis
11/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
GAME 8
MEMPHIS TIGERS (2-8 • 1-5 C-USA East) at #24/22 HOUSTON COUGARS (8-2 • 4-2 C-USA West)
Nov. 21, 2009 • John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium (32,000) • Houston, Texas • Noon
MEDIA INFORMATION
RADIO: Houston-ISP Sports Radio Network • 790 AM The Sports Animal-Houston • Tom Franklin, PxP; Ted Pardee, analyst; Chuck Brown, sideline
TELEVISION: CSS (Comcast ch. 129) • Matt Stewart, PxP; Chuck Oliver, analyst; Allison Williams
INTERNET AUDIO: live audio broadcast at UHCougars.com
LIVE STATS:
GAME NOTES
Houston Notes vs. Memphis (Nov. 21, 2009) 
Memphis Game Notes vs. Houston (Nov. 21, 2009)
Conference USA Notebook (Nov. 14, 2009)
Houston-Memphis Flip Card (Nov. 21, 2009)
HOUSTON - The University of Houston football team comes down the home stretch of its regular-season schedule when it plays host to Conference USA-rival Memphis at noon, Saturday, on John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium.
The Cougars (8-2 * 4-2 C-USA West) come into this weekend's game in second place in the division, one game behind SMU. Houston needs to win each of its final two regular-season games and hope for an SMU loss at Marshall on Saturday or against Tulane on Nov. 28 to advance to the C-USA Championship Game on Dec. 5.
Junior quarterback Case Keenum leads the nation's top ranked offense with 4,194 yards, 31 touchdowns and only six interceptions on 358-of-514 passing. The Abilene, Texas, native has thrown for at least 300 yards in all but one game and leads the nation with 429.7 yards of total offense per game.
Junior wide receiver James Cleveland leads the Cougars and ranks among the national leaders with 82 catches for 941 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is one of six Houston players with least 25 catches and one touchdown this season.
Sophomores Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards have combined for 133 catches for 1,601 yards and nine touchdowns, while freshman running back Charles Sims has added 48 catches for 522 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, sophomore running back Bryce Beall leads the team with 598 yards and six touchdowns on 129 carries, while Sims tops the group with 5.4 yards per carry.
ABOUT MEMPHIS
Memphis (2-8 * 1-5 C-USA East) comes into this weekend's game on the heels of a 31-21 loss to league-rival UAB last weekend. That was the Tigers' fourth straight loss.
Senior quarterback Will Hudgens leads the Memphis offense with 1,484 yards and seven touchdowns on 134-of-218 passing. Senior wide receiver Duke Calhoun tops the wideouts with 59 catches for 881 yard and five touchdowns.
On the ground, senior tailback Curtis Steele paces the team with 847 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 151 carries.
Defensively, senior cornerback Deante Lamar leads the Tigers with 59 tackles, while senior linebacker Greg Jackson and freshman nose tackle Dontari Poe are tops with 6.5 tackles for a loss. Senior defensive end Josh Weaver paces the team with four sacks for a loss of 30 yards, while junior defensive back Marcus Ball leads the team with two interceptions.
RADIO/TELEVISION INFORMATION
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 at 11 a.m., Saturday.
In addition, fans can watch the game live on Comcast Sports Southwest (Comcast channel 129) with Matt Stewart calling the play-by-play action, Chuck Oliver serving as the analyst and Allison Williams on the sidelines.
LIVE STATS INFORMATION
Fans can follow live stats over the Internet by clicking the Gametracker link at UHCougars.com.
SERIES HISTORY
For the first time since 2006, the Cougars will face Memphis on the gridiron. The Cougars own a 10-9 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1963.
In the most recent action, the Cougars claimed a 23-20 win in overtime at the Liberty Bowl on Nov. 18, 2006. That win clinched the C-USA West Division title for the Cougars and allowed the team to host the C-USA Championship Game against Southern Miss.
It also snapped a three-game losing streak against Memphis.
The Cougars have posted a 4-4 all-time record against the Tigers in Houston, including a 1-3 mark at Robertson Stadium. Houston has not won at home against Memphis since a 35-14 victory on Oct. 3, 1998.
ATHLETICS TICKET OFFICE INFORMATION
The Athletics Ticket Office will be open from 8 a.m., to 10 a.m., Saturday, in its first-floor office at the Athletics/Alumni Center. Officials will sell tickets at Gate 4 and Gate 11 at Robertson Stadium, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The will call window is located between Gate 9 and Gate 10 at Robertson Stadium. The Students Gate (Gate 10) will open at 10 a.m., while gates for the general public will open at 10:30 a.m.
To order tickets before the game, fans can visit the Athletics Ticket Office (located on the first floor of the Athletics/Alumni Center, 3100 Cullen Blvd.), or call 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) Monday through Friday, during regular business hours.
Fans always can purchase tickets to UH events, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by visiting UHCougars.com and clicking the Tickets link.
