University of Houston Athletics
Game Notes - Houston at Rutgers
10/22/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 22, 2013
Game Notes (PDF) | Game Notes Central | Weekly Press Conference
TV/Radio Broadcast Schedule
| THE GAME AT A GLANCE | |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 |
| Time | 11 a.m. |
| Location | New Brunswick, N.J. |
| Venue | High Point Solutions Stadium |
| Capacity | 52,454 |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| TV | ESPNews / Watch ESPN |
| Radio | SportsTalk 790 |
| Audio | All Access |
| Live Stats | |
 | THE GAME |
» Houston's all-time record in its first 67 years of existence is 393-342-15 and this season marks Houston's first in The American and its first opportunity to automatically qualify for a BCS Bowl by winning its league crown. The American is Houston's sixth conference since the program started in 1946. The Cougars are 32-22-1 when the first years as a conference newcomer are combined.
» Houston opened the season 5-0 for just the fifth time in program history and the first time since 2011 before suffering its first loss of the season, 47-46 to BYU last Saturday.
» Houston has scored in all 24 quarters this season and now has 31 straight quarters with a score dating back to Nov. 17, 2012.
» Houston's depth chart sports 23 underclassmen, including five true freshmen, vs. 23 upperclassmen, including just seven seniors.
» The Cougars lead the nation with a turnover margin of +14 and with 21 turnovers gained. They are third nationally with seven turnovers lost.
» UH has outscored its opponents 123-46 in the second half of games this season.
» QB John O'Korn leads all true freshmen nationally with 14 passing touchdowns and an efficiency rating of 146.7.
» Houston returns on campus to the Houston Football Stadium in 2014 as its new stadium is being constructed on the footprint of its former home, Robertson Stadium. Houston will #PaintHoustonRed as it plays its 2013 games at three sites across the nation's fourth-largest city. The Cougars will play five games in Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans, one game at BBVA Compass Stadium, home of MLS' Houston Dynamo, and one game at Rice Stadium.
| | THE COACHES |
Kyle Flood | Iona 1993 | 13-6 (2nd at Rutgers)
| | FAST FACTS ON THE SERIES |
| | PLAYERS TO WATCH |
 | Daniel Spencer, WR, JR. Fresh off a career-high receiving game against BYU, junior receiver Daniel Spencer will look to keep his momentum rolling against Rutgers. Spencer hauled in seven receptions for a career-high 186 yards including a 41-yard touchdown pass from John O'Korn that saw Spencer keep his balance before making a sideline-to-sideline jaunt on his way to the endzone. Spencer opened the year with nine catches, 102 yards and two touchdowns against Southern. |
 | Tyus Bowser, DE, FR. In his first season on the collegiate level, true freshman Tyus Bowser has quickly become a thorn in the side of opposing offenses. The Tyler, Texas, native leads Houston with 3.5 sacks for a loss of 27 yards and with eight quarterback hurries. He has just one start on the year, but is a major factor in the defensive end rotation behind Trevor Harris with 18 total tackles and an interception vs. Rice. Bowser, who will also play basketball for Houston, had 24 sacks as a senior at John Tyler High School in 2012. |
The weekly one-hour call-in radio show will take place each Tuesday from 8-9 p.m. CT and will air live on KPRC 950 AM (Weeks 1-5, 10, 12) and KBMF-AM SportsTalk 790 (Weeks 6-9, 11, 13). Join Houston head coach Tony Levine and host Jeremy Branham each Tuesday at Ragin Cajun restaurant at 4302 Richmond Ave. for the show.
| TEAM COMPARISON | ||
|---|---|---|
| STATS | UH | RU |
| Points Scored | 40.8 | 35.0 |
| Points Allowed | 23.7 | 27.0 |
| First Downs | 25.5 | 19.0 |
| First Down Def. | 24.8 | 20.3 |
| Rushing Yards | 165.3 | 151.7 |
| Rushing Def. | 149.5 | 84.0 |
| Passing Yards | 312.3 | 240.7 |
| Passing Def. | 293.5 | 306.8 |
| Total Offense | 477.7 | 392.3 |
| Total Defense | 443.0 | 390.8 |
| Int. Thrown/Def Int. | 4/11 | 8/4 |
| Sacks By/Allowed | 15/8 | 17/22 |
| 3rd Down Off./Def. | 38%/38% | 34%/34% |
| Red Zone Off./Def. | 85%/79% | 84%/80% |
| Kickoff Return Avg. | 27.0 | 25.3 |
| Punt Return Avg. | 4.2 | 12.5 |
| Fumble Lost/Gained | 3/10 | 4/6 |
| Penalties | 54/79.8 | 45/58.5 |
| Field Goals | 11-16 | 5-9 |
| THE OPPONENT |
» Rutgers is 79th nationally with an average of 392.3 yards per game while its defense is 58th nationally in allowing 390.8 yards per game.
» Junior quarterback Gary Nova (6-2, 220) has 1,373 yards through the air with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Sophomore running back Paul James (6-0, 210), who has only played in four games, averages 143.2 yards a game for Rutgers with 573 yards on 78 carries with six touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Leonte Carroo (6-1, 200) leads the team in receiving with 16 receptions for 297 yards and seven touchdowns.
» Sophomore linebacker Steve Longa (6-1, 220) leads Rutgers with 61 tackles including six tackles for loss and three sacks. Longa also leads Rutgers with two forced fumbles. Senior defensive end Marcus Thompson (6-2, 260) leads Rutgers with 3.5 sacks.
» Houston and Rutgers have never met.
| | LAST TIME OUT |
» A first half track meet turned into a second half slugfest. Houston held a 38-34 halftime lead as the two teams combined 72 points in the first half were the second-most combined points in a first half in a UH game since Houston led SMU, 59-14, at the half in 1989. Houston's 38 first half points (on 38 plays) are the second most against BYU since Colorado State posted 41 on Oct. 9, 2003.
» The Houston defense recorded three interceptions, two from Thomas Bates and a pick six from Derrick Mathews, to give the group its 14th straight game with multiple turnovers.
» The Houston defense recorded its first safety since 1992 when Mathews had back-to-back sacks with the latter resulting in the two-point score. The two sacks were part of Mathews' three sacks on the day and Houston's eight total sacks. In all, UH finished with 10 tackles for loss for a combined 69 yards lost.
» True freshman Demarcus Ayers finally broke a kickoff return as he returned his third kickoff of the game 95 yards for Houston's first touchdown of the day. The first-year Cougar finished with 167 total kickoff return yards on the day.
» Daniel Spencer and Xavier Maxwell both recorded career bests in receiving yards as Spencer led the way with seven receptions for 186 yards and a touchdown while Maxwell had five receptions for 136 yards a touchdown. Deontay Greenberry also proved his worth in the passing game with 11 receptions for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
» John O'Korn connected on a career-high 29 completions for a career-best 363 yards and three touchdowns, his fourth game this season with at least three touchdown passes.
» Richie Leone placed four of his eight punts inside the 20-yard line for an average of 47.9 yards per kick including three punts over 50 yards.
| | MOVING TO THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE |
» One of four new programs in The American Athletic Conference, Houston will host Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU and USF while traveling to UCF, Louisville, Rutgers and Temple. Non-conference action will see UH face off against Southern, Rice, UTSA and BYU. Houston has never played three of the teams - BYU, Rutgers and UTSA.
» Entering its 23rd season as a football-playing entity, The American Athletic Conference holds its BCS automatic qualifier status for the 2013 season.
| | #PaintHoustonRed |
» Houston held its official ground breaking for the Houston Football Stadium on the previous footprint of Robertson Stadium on Feb. 8, 2013. The 40,000-seat stadium is set to open August of 2014.
» With its on-campus home being constructed, the Cougars will #PaintHoustonRed as they play four of their 2013 games at Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans, one at BBVA Compass Stadium, home of the MLS' Houston Dynamo and one at Rice Stadium.
» Houston is 3-5 all time at Reliant Stadium with its first win in the stadium coming last season when it defeated crosstown rival Rice, 35-14.
» The Cougars are 55-36-3 all time at Rice Stadium, home of the Nov. 23 meeting with Cincinnati, and are now 1-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium with its 25-15 win over Memphis on Oct. 12.
| THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE STANDINGS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN | OVERALL | |||||||
| TEAM | W | L | Pct. | W | L | Pct. | LAST WEEK | THIS WEEK |
| Houston | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | 1 | .833 | L, BYU, 46-47 | at Rutgers |
| UCF | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | 1 | .833 | W, Louisville, 38-35 | Conneticut |
| USF | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 4 | .333 | - | Louisville |
| Louisville | 2 | 1 | .667 | 6 | 1 | .857 | L, UCF, 35-38 | at USF |
| Cincinnati | 2 | 1 | .667 | 5 | 2 | .714 | W, Conneticut, 41-16 | - |
| Rutgers | 1 | 1 | .500 | 4 | 2 | .667 | - | Houston |
| SMU | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2 | 4 | .333 | W, Memphis, 34-29 | Temple |
| Conneticut | 0 | 2 | .000 | 0 | 6 | .000 | L, Cincinnati, 16-41 | at UCF |
| Memphis | 0 | 3 | .000 | 1 | 5 | .167 | L, SMU, 29-34 | - |
| Temple | 0 | 3 | .000 | 1 | 6 | .143 | W, Army, 33-14 | at SMU |
| 2013 NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference | Overall | |||||||
| TEAM | W | L | Pct. | W | L | Pct. | LAST WEEK | THIS WEEK |
| Southern (SWAC) | 4 | 1 | .800 | 4 | 3 | .571 | W, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 29-21 | Alcorn State |
| Rice (C-USA) | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 4 | 2 | .667 | W, New Mexico State, 45-19 | UTEP |
| UTSA (C-USA) | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2 | 5 | .286 | - | UAB |
| BYU (Independent) | - | - | - | 5 | 2 | .714 | W, Houston, 47-46 | Boise State |
| | YOUTH IS SERVED |
» All together, the Houston offensive and defensive two-deep shows five true freshmen, three redshirt freshmen, 15 sophomores, 16 juniors and the seven seniors.
» Eight true freshmen have seen action this season: WR Demarcus Ayers, DE Tyus Bowser, K Ty Cummings, TE/DE Chauntez Jackson, WR John Leday, FB Tyler McCloskey, QB John O'Korn and QB Greg Ward Jr. with Bowser (1) and O'Korn (4) each receiving starts.
» Nine true freshmen played in 2012 for Houston including 30 starts.
» Three of Houston's top nine receivers in 2012 were true freshmen while three of the top four rushers were sophomores or freshmen.
» Trevon Stewart led all freshmen nationally with 126 tackles in 2012 en route to being named an FWAA Freshman All-American.
» Stewart and receivers Deontay Greenberry and Larry McDuffey were named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team last season. Greenberry led the league's freshmen with 47 receptions for 569 yards while McDuffey led all first-year players in the league with four receiving touchdowns.
| | DEGREES IN HAND |
» Bates earned his degree in health while Oragwu completed course work for a sociology degree.
» On the business side of things, Bamfo and Cloud received degrees in consumer sciences and marketing while Forsch earned a business degree.
» Three additional Cougars complete their degree requirements this December: Aaron Johnson, Austin Lunsford and David Piland.
| Conference | Years | Record | First Year/Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Star | 1946-48 | 12-20 | 4-6/5th |
| Gulf Coast | 1949 | 5-4-1 | 5-4-1/3rd |
| Missouri Valley | 1951-59 | 49-37-3 | 6-5/4th |
| Southwest | 1976-95 | 115-108-4 | 10-2/1st |
| Conference USA | 1996-2012 | 104-103 | 7-5/1st |
| American | 2013- | 5-1 | 2-0/? |
| | BEGINNER'S LUCK? |
» Houston has won the last tow conferences in its first year in the new league and has a combined conference record of 34-22-1 the six combined seasons as a league newcomer.
| | ABOUT THE 2013 COUGARS |
» The 12 opponents on the 2013 schedule combined for a record of 85-65 (.567), eight finished .500 or better, six won at least eight games including three with at least 10 wins and seven played in bowl games.
» The program welcomed an incoming class of 29 that is comprised of 19 high school student-athletes, eight junior college transfers and two four-year transfers. Five of the 29 newcomers enrolled in the program in January for spring workouts - DE Trevor Harris, WR D'Juan Hines, LB Elandon Roberts, LB Caleb Tucker and DB Turon Walker.
» Houston's roster sports 47 players who were not with the program in 2012 and 15 who redshirted last season in their first year on campus.
| School | C-USA Record | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | 48-17 | 72-34 |
| Houston | 45-19 | 65-39 |
| East Carolina | 44-20 | 57-46 |
| UCF | 43-22 | 60-44 |
| Southern Miss | 36-28 | 57-45 |
| | END OF CONFERENCE USA ERA |
» Houston never finished worse than third in the West Division of Conference USA after finishing in the top three in 2012.
» C-USA title game participants in 2011, 2009 and 2006, Houston and Tulsa (2012, 2008, 2007, 2005) established a grip on the C-USA West crown. Only SMU (2010) advanced from the west to the C-USA title game in the game's eight-year existence.
» Houston ended its C-USA stint with the second-best league record since 2005 when the conference split into two divisions. Over the last eight years since the divisional split, Houston accumulated a league record of 45-19 and an overall record of 65-39.
| | ON THE OFFENSIVE |
» The Houston offense has scored in all 24 quarters this season, with touchdowns in 19 quarters and double digits in 10.
» Houston ranks 17th nationally in percentage of drives resulting in a three-and-out. Just 22 of Houston's 93 offensive drives this season have resulted in a three-and-out (23.7 percent).
| Rank | Team | Total Yards (06-present) | Season Average (06-12) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | HOUSTON | 51,192 | 6,902 |
| 2. | Oregon | 49,479 | 6,387 |
| 3. | Oklahoma | 47,656 | 6,386 |
| 4. | Nevada | 47,294 | 6,334 |
| 5. | Boise State | 45,408 | 5,992 |
| | QUICK STRIKE POTENTIAL |
» Houston has returned to its ways this season as 17 of its 37 scoring drives this season have lasted under two minutes including seven in under one minute. Its quickest lasted just eight seconds as the Cougars covered 15 yards on one play, a Justin Hicks' 15-yard touchdown run at UTSA.
» Eleven drives have lasted five plays or less.
| Expolsive Plays (20 yards or longer) | ||||
| Team | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Oklahoma State | 75 | 94 | 92 | 261 |
| 2. Houston | 65 | 109 | 80 | 254 |
| 3. Oregon | 82 | 88 | 80 | 250 |
| 4.. Baylor | 69 | 93 | 86 | 248 |
| 5. Northern Illinois | 77 | 79 | 73 | 229 |
| | EXPLOSIVE PLAYS |
» After recording 12 plays of 20 yards or longer in the first two games of the season, the Cougars exploded for 24 plays of 20 yards in wins over Rice and UTSA, including seven touchdowns. UH now has 56 explosive plays on the season including 12 touchdowns.
» Demarcus Ayers owns the team lead with 13 explosive plays including one touchdown - all kick returns. Deontay Greenberry has 11 receptions, including two touchdowns, of 20 yards or more while Daniel Spencer has 10 explosive plays, nine receiving and one rushing.
» Houston's nine offensive plays of 40 yards or longer trail just the 10 from Cincinnati in The American.
» For a full breakdown of Houston's explosive plays this season, jump to page 20 of the notes.
| | OFFENSIVE COACHING CHANGES |
» Entering his second season at Houston, Travis Bush was elevated to co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach and shifted back to leading the program's running backs after taking over as play caller and quarterbacks coach during the 2012.
» Glen Elarbee joined the program on Jan. 14 as its offensive line coach after spending 2012 at Middle Tennessee State where his unit ranked second nationally with just seven sacks allowed on 344 pass attempts. The first-year Houston coach spent two seasons coaching alongside Meacham at Oklahoma State.
» Brandon Middleton and Jamie Christian both return in 2012 with Middleton coaching outside receivers and Christian taking on the inside receivers including the return of the tight end position.
| | PASSING VS. RUSHING |
» Known for years as one of the nation's top passing teams, this season those who follow the Houston program have seen a shift of sorts. While the Cougars are still running their usual spread offense, they have 225 rushing attempts on the season to 240 passing attempts.
» After rushing 50 times and attempting 38 passes against Southern, Houston was completely balanced against Temple with 48 rushing attempts and passing attempts. In the next three games, the spread between passing vs. rushing had not eclipsed seven attempts as UH threw 39 times and rushed 32 times at UTSA. Houston had its biggest spread against BYU as it had 47 passing attempts to 29 rushing attempts.
» The last time Houston had more rushing attempts than passing attempts in a season was 2007 when Houston had 599 rushing attempts for 2,911 yards and 437 passing attempts for 3,614 yards.
» With Houston offensive coordinator Doug Meacham on its staff, Oklahoma State trailed just Houston in passing yards over the 2010-12 seasons and were second nationally in scoring and total offense during that time.
| | OPENING UP A CAN OF O'KORN |
» In his first road start, O'Korn responded admirably as he led UH to a 59-28 win at UTSA with career highs in completions (24), attempts (36), yards (312) and touchdowns (4). O'Korn also added a career-high 31 yards on the ground in the win.
» O'Korn played in the first two games of the season - entering on the games' fourth series by design. Against Southern he finished with 107 yards and three touchdowns on 11-of-15 passing while recording 233 yards on 23-of-31 passing at Temple.
» O'Korn leads all true freshmen nationally with 14 passing touchdowns, a number that ranks second in The American Athletic Conference, and in passing efficiency at 146.7, which ranks fourth in the league.
» The first-year player has thrown for at least three touchdowns in four games and over 300 yards in two games.
» O'Korn knows a thing or two about winning as he led St. Thomas Aquinas to the Florida Class 7A State Title en route to earning Florida 7A Offensive Player of the Year honors. He finished the year with 2,552 passing yards and 22 touchdowns against just four interceptions while rushing 95 times for 576 yards and 15 touchdowns.
» A second true freshman, Greg Ward Jr., has provided a relief for O'Korn over the last four games, throwing for 160 yards and one touchdown on 8-of-9 passing while rushing for 88 yards on 16 attempts including his first career TD, a six-yard run at UTSA.
» One of the top quarterbacks in the state of Texas, Ward threw for 4,202 yards and 39 touchdowns against five interceptions as a senior at John Tyler High School. A dual threat, Ward also added 861 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
» The win over Rice marked just the second time in Houston history that two true freshmen QBs played in the same game. The first came in 2010 when Piland and Terrance Broadway (now at Louisiana) each played against Mississippi State and Memphis.
| Rank (FBS True Freshman) | Eff. | Rank (FBS True Freshman) | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. John O'Korn, Houston | 146.7 | 1. John O'Korn, Houston | 14 |
| 2. Davis Webb, Texas Tech | 143.8 | Christian Hackenburg, Penn State | 11 |
| Christian Jackenburg, Penn State | 131.3 | Davis Webb, Texas Tech | 11 |
| Jared Goff, Cal | 127.4 | 4. Jared Goff, Cal | 9 |
| 5. Paxton Lynch, Memphis | 113.1 | 5. Baker Mayfield, Texas Tech | 8 |
| | NO SIGN OF SOPHOMORE SLUMPS |
» Through six games, Jackson has already surpassed his 2012 rushing total of 252 yards by 200 yards. The sophomore from Angleton, Texas, has 452 yards and four touchdowns on 90 carries after totaling 252 yards and three TDs on 59 carries in 2012.
» Jackson rushed for over 100 yards in Houston's first two games, part of a three-game streak of 100-yard rushing games dating back to last season's finale.
» Jackson has scored in four of Houston's six games this season with four rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns and ranks 10th in The American with an average of 6.0 points per game.
» Sophomore walk-on RB Justin Hicks tallied his first career touchdown against Southern as he plunged in from one-yard out and has 94 yards on 18 carries this season including a second TD, a 15-yard run at UTSA.
» If the first five games are any indication, both Farrow and Jackson should easily surpass their 2012 rushing totals with Jackson having already accomplished the feat and Farrow needing 258 more rushing yards.
| | TAKE IT AWAY, DON'T GIVE IT AWAY |
» Through six games, the Houston defense leads the nation as it has forced 21 turnovers, 10 fumbles and 11 interceptions. Houston is third nationally with the 10 fumble recoveries and ninth nationally with the 11 interceptions.
» On the other side of the ball, Houston has committed just seven turnovers: three fumbles and four interceptions. The four turnovers lost rank third nationally and tie with Louisville and UCF for the lead in The American.
» Eight different players have interceptions for the Houston defense with Thomas Bates and Zach McMillian each recording two picks.
» The Cougar defensive line has collected three interceptions as end Tyus Bowser and tackles Tomme Mark and B.J. Singleton all have one interception each.
» Seven Cougars have fumble recoveries led by Trevon Stewart with three recoveries while eight have forced fumbles led by the two from Thomas Bates and Efrem Oliphant.
» The Houston defense has forced multiple turnovers in all six games this season - Southern (4), Temple (3), Rice (2), UTSA (5), Memphis (4) and BYU (3) - and has forced multiple turnovers in 14 straight games dating back to 2012.
» The 21 turnovers have resulted in 65 points including 18 scored directly by defenders (William Jackson, Brandon Wilson, Derrick Mathews).
» Players routinely credit the ability to create turnovers on the emphasis paid on turnovers in practice, especially in Turnover Tuesdays.
| | A WHOLE CAST OF CHARACTERS |
» Houston has had 100-yard receivers in its first four games this season as Daniel Spencer (102 vs. Southern) and Deontay Greenberry (165 at Temple, 146 vs. Rice, 149 at UTSA) each accomplished the feat.
» Both Greenberry (14-165) and Xavier Maxwell (8-75) set career highs for receptions and receiving yards at Temple.
» Daniel Spencer (186) and Xavier Maxwell (136) became the first Houston duo to record 100 yards through the air in 16 games with their performances against BYU. Both had a TD in the game as well.
» Greenberry added his second game this season with double-digit receptions with 11 for 68 yards and two TDs vs. BYU.
| Opponent | # with a reception | # with receiving TDs | 100-yard receivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern | 8 | 3 | 1 - Spencer |
| Temple | 6 | 0 | 1 - Greenberry |
| Rice | 7 | 3 | 1 - Greenberry |
| UTSA | 7 | 3 | 1 - Greenberry |
| Memphis | 6 | 1 | None |
| BYU | 6 | 3 | 2 - Maxwell, Spencer |
| Receptions | Yards | TDs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What Returns | 191 (56.7%) | 2,410 (61.2%) | 17 (63.0%) |
| What Was Lost | 146 | 1,531 | 10 |
| | THE LINE ON THE LINE |
» The unit took a hit in the season opener as OT Ralph Oragwu suffered a knee injury and has missed the last five games. The senior was starting his first career game at left tackle after starting 10 games at right tackle in 2012. Rowdy Harper, who owns 32 career starts including 12 at left tackle in 2012, moved back to LT over to replace Oragwu after starting the year at LG.
» The offensive line group consists of seven players with a combined 117 games of starting experience - Harper (32), LG Ty Cloud (26), RG/C Kevin Forsch (25), C Bryce Redman (14), Oragwu (11), G/T DeAnthony Sims (8) and T Zach Johnson (6).
» The group of starters sports an average height of 6-3 with an average weight of 311 pounds.
» The line currently ranks second in The American Athletic Conference and 18th nationally with five sacks given up.
» The front line unit is led by new coach Glen Elarbee who coached a Middle Tennessee State offensive line in 2012 that finished second nationally with just seven sacks given up.
| | CHANGES TO THE DEFENSIVE STAFF |
» Also new to the UH staff is linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves. The 28-year coaching veteran has been part of a staff that has played in a bowl in 12 of his last 15 seasons including back-to-back BCS National Championship appearances at Miami.
» In his second season at Houston, Ricky Logo oversees the entire defensive line while Zac Spavital, the longest tenured assistant coach, handles the secondary for a sixth season.
| | WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES |
| Opponents Totals | Total Def. | Scoring Def. | Rushing Def. | Passing Eff. Def. | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 (first 5 games) | 395.4 (60th) | 19.0 (22nd) | 126.6 (26th) | 118.5 (42nd) | 5-0 |
| 2012 (first 5 games) | 487.0 (113th) | 31.6 (94th) | 208.0 (104th) | 131.4 (73rd) | 2-3 |
| | THE THIRD WARD D |
» This season also marks the first since 1989 that UH has not allowed more than 26 points to any of its first three opponents.
» The back-to-back 13 point totals to open in the season is also the lowest combined point total from Houston opposition since the `89 team held UNLV (0) and Arizona State (7) to a combined seven points to open the season.
» Entering its game vs. BYU, Houston was one of eight teams nationally to not allow a 100-yard rusher in the first eight weeks of the season before BYU QB Taysom Hill ran for 128 yards.
» On average, the Houston defense forces 5.2 three-and-outs per game, a number that leadsThe American and is 16th nationally. On 31 of Houston opponents' 93 drives, the Houston defense has gotten off the field in three plays or less.
» Against Memphis, the Houston defense held the Tigers without a touchdown, marking the first time this season the Cougars have held an opponent without a touchdown and the first time since holding East Carolina to just a field goal in a 56-3 win on Oct. 8, 2011.
» The Houston defense ranks third in The American and 26th nationally in allowing just 24 plays of 20 yards or longer. UH has allowed just three rushes for 20 yards or more, a number that trails just Memphis (2) in the conference.
» The defense is fourth nationally and leads the American in allowing just six plays of 30 yards or longer.
» Houston ranks fifth nationally among most improved scoring defenses. In giving up 23.7 points per game, Houston is allowing 12.3 points less per game than at this time last year.
| | DEFENSIVE HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS |
| Opponents Totals | Points | Total Yards | Pass Yards | Rush Yards | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Half | 96 (67.6%) | 1,576 (59.3%) | 1,045 (59.3%) | 531 (59.2%) | 11 (52.4%) |
| Second Half | 40 (28.2%)* | 1,082 (40.7%) | 716 (40.7%) | 366 (40.8%) | 10 (47.6%) |
*does not include six points from a blocked FG returned for a TD
» After spotting Temple 13 points in the first half, the Third Ward Defense held the Owls to no points and just 105 total yards in the second half. The UH defense has given up just five second half touchdowns, third quarter TDs to Southern and UTSA, one fourth quarter TD to Rice and two fourth quarter TDs to BYU.
» On its first drive of the second half, Memphis drove 61 yards in 10 plays to hit a 42-yard field goal and take a 12-10 lead over Houston. After that, the Cougars tightened up to limit Memphis to 41 yards and 18 plays on its next five drives. On the Tigers' final drive, they drove 48 yards on 16 plays before Houston forced a turnover on downs on its own 49-yard line.
| CAREER DOUBLE DIGIT TACKLE EFFORTS | |
|---|---|
| 1. Derrick Mathews | 13 |
| 2. Trevon Stewart | 7 |
| 3. Efrem Oliphant | 6 |
| 4. Kent Brooks | 4 |
| 5. Zach McMillian | 3 |
| Adrian McDonald | 3 |
| 7. Steven Taylor | 2 |
| Colton Valencia | 1 |
| | TACKLING MACHINES |
» Mathews leads the team with 13 double-digit tackle games. Mathews had a 12 stops vs. BYU to record his 13th career double-digit tackle game.
» The junior middle linebacker is currently 18th nationally with an average of 10.2 tackles per game and seventh nationally with 6.7 solo tackles per game.
» Oliphant has come on as of late with 40 of his 58 tackles on the year coming in the last three games. The junior has at least 11 tackles in each of the last three games.
» In his first year on the collegiate level, Trevon Stewart led all freshmen nationally with 126 tackles and was second to Marshall's Dominick LeGrande (132) as the nation's top defensive back in tackles. Stewart was second behind Mathews with his six games with at least 10 tackles including a Houston season-high 21 stops against East Carolina. The 21-tackle total marked the seventh-best tackle game in Houston history.
» Mathews and Stewart finished tied for second on the team with 126 tackles each, just two behind the 128 of team leader, 2012 senior Phillip Steward.
| | SECONDARY STARTERS |
» The group has also made a name for itself in the takeaway department, recording 12 of the team's 21 turnovers.
» Behind linebacker Derrick Mathews' 32 starts, senior cornerback Zach McMillian has the most starts of all defensive players with 31 career starts. The No. 2 corner on the 2012 team until D.J. Hayden went down with a season-ending injury, McMillian stepped up into the lead role and finished the season with interceptions in four of the last five games including all three games that Hayden missed. McMillian is second in The American Athletic Conference with two interceptions in the season's first six games.
» Also affected by Hayden's injury was senior corner Thomas Bates who started the final three games of the season at the No. 2 corner. Bates led the team last season in passes broken up, with 10, including five in the three games he started. Known as a hard hitter, Bates leads the team with two forced fumbles through six games.
» At free safety, Trevon Stewart returns after starting the final 10 games of 2012 at the position en route to earning FWAA Freshman All-America honors. The Patterson, La., native also broke up seven passes. Stewart has already gotten his hand on the ball in 2013 as he has recorded three fumble recoveries and one interception. Stewart has also forced a fumble.
» Adrian McDonald started two games in 2012 at nickel back before starting the season-finale at strong safety. A high school quarterback in his first year on defense, McDonald finished his lone start at strong safety with eight tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. The Lawton, Okla., native also picked off two passes on the season. McDonald has started strong in 2013, with 46 tackles, an interception that helped seal Houston's win at Temple and a fumble recovery vs. Rice.
» William Jackson has also seen time at corner for Houston, and recorded Houston's first defensive TD, a 96-yard interception return against UTSA. Jackson also forced a fumble in the same game.
| | LOOK AT THE LINEBACKERS |
» Mathews was named The American's Defensive Player of the Week with his performance. Mathews picked off his first pass of the season midway through the first quarter and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown and Houston's first lead of the day. The middle linebacker had four tackles for loss in the game including a career-high three sacks. Mathews had back-to-back sacks late in the third quarter, the latter of which resulted in a safety.
» Mathews leads all non-seniors nationally with 293 career tackles. He is 52 stops away from cracking the Houston top-10 career list for tackles.
» Mathews' replacement on the weakside is junior Efrem Oliphant, a veteran of 29 career games with nine career starts, including three as a true freshman in 2010 when he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team. A junior, Oliphant already has six tackles for loss, eclipsing the 3.5 TFLs he recorded in his first two seasons of action. Oliphant also has his first career sacks (2) and has forced two fumbles this season.
» Against BYU, Oliphant recorded a game high 16 tackles, the most by a Houston defender in a game this year.
» Over the last three games, Oliphant has totaled 40 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
» On the strongside, redshirt-freshman Steven Taylor received his first start against Rice and did not disappoint as he finished the game with 11 tackles, a half sack and broke up a pass. A rangy backer with great speed, Taylor leads the team with five pass breakups.
» Taylor's career-high 15 stops vs. BYU were the second-most on the year for UH behind Oliphant's 16 in the same game.
| | UP FRONT |
» The only returning defensive lineman that was a regular in the 2012 starting lineup is junior defensive tackle Joey Mbu. With eight starts last season, Mbu had 27 tackles on the year while constantly holding up the point of attack.
» Mbu is paired with sophomore Tomme Mark, who had an interception in Houston's season opener, and the two are part of a rotation that includes junior Jeremiah Farley and redshirt-freshman B.J. Singleton. Mbu and Singleton lead the defensive tackle group with 14 tackles. Farley leads the group with three tackles for loss while he and Singleton both have sacks with Mark in on half of a sack.
» After starting at Houston as a defensive back before moving to linebacker, Eric Eiland has now made the move to defensive end as he continues to bulk up without losing his quickness. A former minor league baseball player, Eiland exploded in the season finale of his freshman year with four tackles, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
» Eiland missed games 2-4 with an injury suffered against Southern and junior college transfer Trevor Harris, a former wide receiver, replaced him in that span. With the return of Eiland vs. Memphis, Harris rightfully held on to his starting spot, with Eiland starting at the opposite end, and finishing the game with four tackles on just 13 plays.
» Harris, a junior college transfer, has performed admirably since moving into the starting role with 29 tackles, including five for a loss, two sacks and one forced fumble.
» True freshman Tyus Bowser exploded onto the scene in Houston's win over Rice as the defensive end had seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception while dropped back in coverage and four quarterback hurries. Bowser, who will join the Houston basketball team at the end of the season, recorded 24 sacks as a high school senior at John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas. Bowser now has 3.5 sacks on the year and will move into the top three for sacks by a freshman with his next sack.
» Junior defensive end Eric Braswell, who has 16 career starts, is involved in the defensive end rotation as is Cameron Malveaux, has bulked up to 252 pounds on his 6-6 frame.
| | LEAVE IT TO LEONE |
| START CHART | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | 2013 | Streak | Career |
| Offense | |||
| Harper (OL) | 6 | 32 | 32 |
| Cloud (OL) | - | - | 26 |
| Forsch (OL) | 6 | 7 | 25 |
| Piland (QB) | 2 | - | 20 |
| Greenberry (WR) | 6 | 16 | 17 |
| Redman (OL) | 6 | 12 | 14 |
| Spencer (WR) | 5 | 12 | 13 |
| Oragwu (OL) | 1 | - | 11 |
| Maxwell (WR) | 6 | 11 | 11 |
| McDuffey (WR) | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| Sims (OL) | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| Farrow (RB) | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Johnson (OL) | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| O'Korn (QB) | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Ros (WR) | - | - | 3 |
| Jackson (RB) | 2 | - | 3 |
| Brooks (RB) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Defense | |||
| Mathews (LB) | 6 | 32 | 32 |
| McMillian (CB) | 6 | 22 | 31 |
| Braswell (DL) | 3 | - | 16 |
| Stewart (DB) | 6 | 16 | 16 |
| Brooks (S) | - | - | 14 |
| Mbu (DT) | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| Bates (CB) | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Valencia (S) | - | - | 10 |
| McDonald (S) | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Olifphant (LB) | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Mark (DT) | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Harris (DE) | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Taylor (LB) | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Bamfo (LB) | 2 | - | 4 |
| Eiland (DE) | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Bowser (DE) | 1 | - | 1 |
» With 30 punts through six games, Leone carries an average of 42.8 yards per punt. Seventeen of Leone's 30 punts have landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line including seven inside the 10 and seven kicks over 50 yards.
» Leone currently ranks second in UH history with an average of 43.0 yards per punt on his career.
» Leone earned the Ray Guy Award Player of the Week for the second consecutive week as he recorded his best single-game punting average this season as he hit eight punts for an average of 47.9 yards per punt vs. BYU. Three of Leone's punts traveled over 50 yards including a season-best 61-yard punt. Four of Leone's eight punts landed inside the BYU 20-yard line including three inside the 10-yard line and one on the BYU three-yard line. Leone's final punt of the third quarter pinned BYU at its own nine-yard line. On the ensuing drive, back-to-back sacks from Derrick Mathews gave Houston its first safety of the year. Leone's high punts resulted in three returns from BYU for a loss of four yards while also forcing returners to call two fair catches.
» The senior was first named the Ray Guy Award Player of the Week after he had six punts with a total of 282 yards, averaging 47 yards per punt in Houston's 25-15 win over Memphis. Four of Leone's punts were marked inside the 20-yard line, including one inside the 10-yard line, with one touchback. Leone's net average was 44 yards per punt and his longest punt was 58 yards. Leone's high, hanging kicks helped to hold Memphis to just one punt return for a loss of two yards as Memphis punt returners were forced to call three fair catches.
» Leone was named The American Athletic Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week in week 1 after his first career game handling all three specialist positions. Leone averaged 47 yards on his four punts, three of which were placed inside Southern's 20-yard line, and registered his first career points as he finished the game with two field goals and six extra points. Leone also had eight kickoffs with an average of 64 yards per kick with three resulting in touchbacks.
» With his 11 field goals through six games, Leone is eighth nationally with 1.8 field goals per game. The 11 account for 33 of his 56 points on the season as he ranks 16th nationally and is second in The American Athletic Conference with an average of 9.7 points per game.
» Leone followed his first performance as a kicker with a five field goal effort at Temple. He became just the third kicker in Houston history to hit at least five field goals in a game including a career-long 40-yard field goal.
» Rounding out his duties, Leone has 41 kickoffs with 18 touchbacks.
» Sophomore Dylan Seibert backs Leone at punter after transferring to Houston from Oklahoma at the start of fall camp. The Tulsa, Okla., native did not see any game action at OU but has quickly impressed in the Houston camp. Seibert also grabbed starting holder duties in the fall.
» Freshman kicker Ty Cummings joined Houston in August. Cummings has five kickoffs this season with one touchback.
» Sophomore Nolan Frese owns deep snapping duty. Frese was ranked by Chris Sailer Kicking as the No. 1 long snapper in the state of Texas in 2010 and the No. 7 long snapper in the nation.
| | WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED |
» Fourteen of Leone's 30 punts have been fair caught by opponents.
» Houston's kick coverage group has held its opponents to an average return of 21.2 yards per return, ranking 60th nationally and fifth in The American. FB Luke Stice leads the group with seven tackles on kickoffs.
» Richie Leone (18) and Ty Cummings (1) have a combined 19 touchbacks on Houston's 47 kickoffs. Six of Leone's eight kickoffs vs. BYU resulted in touchbacks.
| | RETURN DEPARTMENT |
» At kick returner, Houston has two new faces manning the position as true freshman Demarcus Ayers and junior transfer Markeith Ambles handle the duty.
» After coming close several times, Ayers finally broke a return for a touchdown against BYU, returning a first-quarter kick 95 yards for Houston's first score of the day.
» Ayers has 17 returns on the season and leads The American Athletic Conference with an average return of 28.8 yards per return, a number that ranks fourth nationally.
» Against Memphis, Ayers had five returns over 20 yards that Ayers recorded against the Tigers as he finished with 144 return yards on five returns for an average of 28.8 yards per return.
» Ambles also took his first kick return of the season back at UTSA, and quickly established himself as a threat with a 39-yard return. He has since added a 21-yard return against BYU to his stats.
» Payne has also added two kick returns, with 41 yards of returns.
Players Mentioned
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