Houston Football Postgame Notes
12/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
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2009 HOUSTON COUGARS FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
2009 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
RV/#25Houston Cougars (10-4 * 6-2 C-USA) vs. Air Force Falcons (8-5 * 5-3 C-USA)
Friday, Dec. 31, 2009 * Amon G. Carter Stadium * Fort Worth, Texas
TEAM NOTES
** Houston is 24-13-1 (.644) all-time during the month of December.
** Houston is 2-2 (.500) when playing on Dec. 31... This marked the second straight season that Houston played on Dec. 31.
** Friday's game was the 61st non-Saturday game in school history... Houston is 35-25-1 (.581) all-time during non-Saturday games... Houston is 20-10 (.667) all-time when playing on Friday.
BOWL HISTORY
** This marked the fifth straight season that the Cougars competed in a bowl game, a first in school history.
** Houston made its 20th all-time appearance in a bowl game... The Cougars are 8-12-1 (.404) in bowl games.
** This marked only the seventh time in the history of college football that two schools faced one another in back-to-back postseason games... It was the first time since Ohio State and South Carolina squared off in the 2001 and 2002 Outback Bowls.
** Senior center Carl Barnett, senior cornerback Brandon Brinkley and senior safety Carson Blackmon became the 11th, 12th and 13th players in school history to compete in four bowl games during their careers. They joined Michael Bloesch (2005-08), Kenneth Fontenette (2005-08), Phillip Hunt (2005-08), Donnie Love (1978-81), Cody Lubojasky (2005-08), Ernest Miller (2005-08), Lonell Phea (1978-81), Chris Pilot (2005-08), Cody Pree (2005-08) and Quinte Williams (2005-08) in that exclusive group.
SERIES HISTORY vs. AIR FORCE
** This marked the third time in the last 467 days that the Cougars faced Air Force... The Falcons claimed a 31-28 win on Sept. 20, 2008, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas (The game, originally scheduled to be played in Houston, was moved to Dallas to avoid Hurricane Ike)... Houston enjoyed a 34-28 win during the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31, 2008... Air Force won the third meeting 47-20 on Dec. 31, 2009.
** The Cougars are 1-2 (.334) during the all-time series against Air Force.
** The Cougars are 1-1 (.500) against Air Force in bowl games... Houston claimed a 34-28 win against the Falcons on Dec. 31, 2008, during the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
HEAD COACH Kevin Sumlin NOTES
** Head coach Kevin Sumlin is the only coach in school history to lead the Cougars to bowl games during each of his first two seasons.
** Head coach Kevin Sumlin is 1-1 (.500) in bowl games during his career.
** Head coach Kevin Sumlin is 1-1 (.500) against Air Force in bowl games during his career.
** Head coach Kevin Sumlin is 1-2 (.334) against Air Force during his career.
** Head coach Kevin Sumlin is 18-9 (.667) during his collegiate career... That is the best start by any Houston football head coach through his first 27 games.
** Head coach Kevin Sumlin is 2-2 (.500) when playing non-Saturday games during his career... Sumlin is 0-1 when playing on Thursday.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
** Junior quarterback Case Keenum joined Texas Tech's Graham Harrell as the only players in NCAA Division I history with multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons during their careers... Keenum now has 5,671 passing yards in 2009 after throwing for 5,020 yards in 2008... Harrell threw for 5,705 yards (2007) and 5,111 yards (2008).
** With 222 passing yards on Thursday, junior quarterback Case Keenum now has 5,671 passing yards this season... That ranks as the third-highest single-season total in NCAA Division I history... He trails only B.J. Symons (5,833 yards, Texas Tech, 2003) and Graham Harrell (5,705 yards, Texas Tech, 2007).
** Junior quarterback Case Keenum has thrown a touchdown pass in his last 30 consecutive games, extending his school record... The previous record was 18 consecutive games by Andre Ware from 1988 to 1991.
** With one touchdown pass, junior quarterback Case Keenum has thrown for at least one touchdown in 29 consecutive games and 38 of 40 games during his career... Keenum's last game without a touchdown pass came against Tulsa on Nov. 10, 2007. ** Junior quarterback Case Keenum set a career-high with six interceptions... His previous high was three at Colorado State (Sept. 20, 2008) and at East Carolina (Dec. 5, 2009).
** Senior cornerback Brandon Brinkley set a Houston career record by competing in the 53rd consecutive game of his career... He topped the record of 52 straight games set by Kenneth Fontenette (2005-08) and Phillip Hunt (2005-08).
** Senior center Carl Barnett and senior cornerback Brandon Brinkley set a Houston career record by competing in the 53rd games of their careers... They bested the mark set of 52 games by Kenneth Fontenette (2005-08) and Phillip Hunt (2005-08).
** With his fumble recovery in the first quarter, sophomore cornerback Carson Blackmon recorded the second fumble recovery of his career... His first was against Tulsa on Nov. 7, 2009.
** Junior quarterback Case Keenum's 41-yard punt was the second of his career and a career long... His also recorded a 15-yard punt against Oklahoma State on Sept. 12, 2009.
** With his two field goals, freshman kicker Matt Hogan recorded the fourth multi-field goal game of his career.
** With his 79-yard kickoff return to start the second half, sophomore wide receiver Tyron Carrier returned his fourth kickoff return for a touchdown this season and the fifth of his career.
** Sophomore wide receiver Tyron Carrier's 79-yard kickoff return is the third longest in UH bowl history.
** With his 1,029 receiving yards this season, sophomore wide receiver Tyron Carrier passed the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career... He joins Elmo Wright (1968-69) as the only players with multiple 1,000-yard seasons in their career.
** With his 1,021 receiving yards this season, sophomore wide receiver Patrick Edwards passed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.
** By surpassing the 1,000-yard receiving mark this season, sophomore wide receivers Tyron Carrier and Patrick Edwards will join with junior wide receiver James Cleveland to give Houston three 1,000-yard receivers in one season.
KEENUM IN THE NCAA RECORDS BOOK
** ** With 222 passing yards, junior quarterback Case Keenum moved into seventh place in NCAA FBS career history... Keenum finished the 2009 season with 12,950 passing yards during his career... Up next in the NCAA FBS records book is NC State's Philip Rivers, who compiled 13,484 passing yards from 2000 to 2003.
** With 248 yards of total offense (222 pass, 26 rush), junior quarterback Case Keenum moved into third place in NCAA FBS single-season history... Keenum finished the 2009 season with 5,829 yards (5,671 pass, 158 rush) of total offense... Only Texas Tech's Graham Harrell (5,976 yards, 2003) and Hawai'I's Colt Brennan (5,915, 2006) accumulated more yards in a single season..
** With 248 yards of total offense (222 pass, 26 rush), junior quarterback Case Keenum moved into seventh place in NCAA FBS career history... Keenum finished the 2009 season with 14,041 yards (12,950 pass, 791 rush) of total offense during his career... Up next in the NCAA FBS records book is BYU's Ty Detmer, who compiled 14,665 yards of total offense from 2003 to 2006.
** With 24 completions, junior quarterback Case Keenum moved into 10th place in NCAA FBS career history... Keenum finished the 2009 season with 1,076 completions during his career... Up next in the NCAA FBS records book is New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook, who completed 1,087 passes from 2005 to 2008.
KEENUM IN THE C-USA RECORDS BOOK
** With 222 passing yards, junior quarterback Case Keenum set a Conference USA career record ... Keenum now has 12,956 passing yards during his career... He moved past Houston's Kevin Kolb, who threw for 12,964 yards from 2003 to 2006.
** With 41 passing attempts, junior quarterback Case Keenum moved into second place in Conference USA history... Keenum now has 1,562 attempts during his career... Up next in the C-USA records book is Louisville's Chris Redman, who set a C-USA with 1,679 pass attempts from 1996 to 1999.
** With 61 plays (41 pass, 20 rush), junior quarterback Case Keenum moved into fourth place in Conference USA career history... Keenum now has 1,817 plays during his career... Up next in the C-USA records book is Louisville's Chris Redman, who competed in 1,836 plays from 1996 to 1999.
KEENUM IN THE HOUSTON RECORDS BOOK
** With one touchdown pass, junior quarterback Case Keenum added to his Houston career record... Keenum now has 102 touchdown passes during his career.
** With 24 completions, junior quarterback Case Keenum added to his Houston career record... Keenum now has 1,076 completions during his career.
** With 41 passing attempts, junior quarterback Case Keenum ranks second in the UH record books ... Keenum now has 1,562 passing attempts during his career... Up next is Kevin Kolb, who threw 1,565 passes from 2003 to 2006.
** With 248 yards of total offense (222 pass, 26 rush), junior quarterback Case Keenum set a Houston career record... Keenum now has 13,741 yards of total offense (12,950 pass, 791 rush) during his career... Keenum moved past Kevin Kolb, who compiled 13,715 yards of total offense (12,964 pass, 751 rush from 2003 to 2006.
