University of Houston Athletics
Game Notes: Houston vs. UCF
9/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
| THE GAME AT A GLANCE | |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, Oct. 2 |
| Time | 6 p.m. CST |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Venue | TDECU Stadium |
| Capacity | 40,000 |
| Surface | Synthetic Turf |
| TV | ESPN |
| Radio | KPRC 950 AM |
| Live Stats | UHCougars.com |
Hits on Houston |
» Houston opens up its second conference season as a member of The American Athletic Conference when it opens league play vs. UCF at 6 p.m. Thursday inside TDECU Stadium. Coming off a 47-14 win to even its 2014 record at 2-2, the Cougars will look to capture a winning record when they face the Knights, who defeated Baylor in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.
» Houston opened its new on-campus facility, TDECU Stadium, on Aug. 29. The 40,755 at Houston's opener set a record for games played on the UH campus and was the largest Houston home crowd since 1991.
» Houston's depth chart sports 14 underclassmen vs. 30 upperclassmen, including 13 seniors. It's a change from 2013 when 23 underclassmen dotted the Houston depth chart in the season opener. The change in numbers are evidence of the talented depth built by Tony Levine's first three recruiting classes, billed by some as the best in UH history.
» The Third Ward Defense is second in The American in scoring defense (18.5/game) and passing defense (160.5/game) while ranking third in total defense (335.0/game).
» After leading the nation in 2013 with a +25 turnover margin and 43 turnovers gained, Houston ranks second nationally with 13 turnovers forced through four games.
» Houston has forced multiple turnovers in 23 of its last 25 games and has a turnover in 27 straight games.
» In its last two games, the UH offense has shown its balanced ability with its best passing game of the season came at BYU as John O'Korn had his fourth career 300-yard passing game while falling one yard short of its first 400-yard rushing game since 1985 in its win over UNLV.
Coaches |
Tony Levine | Minnesota, 1996 | 16-14 (3rd year as HC/7th year at UH)
George O'Leary | New Hampshire, 1969| 73-58 (UCF)/125-91 (11th year at UCF/18th season overall)
Facts on the Series |
» Series Record Overall: UCF leads, 4-1 » Series Record at Houston: Series tied, 1-1 » Series Record at UCF: UCF leads, 3-0 » Last Meeting: UCF 19, Houston 14 (Nov. 9, 2013 at UCF)
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The Opponent |
» In its 11th season under head coach George O'Leary, UCF enters Thursday night's matchup at 1-2 with its lone win over an FCS opponent in Bethune-Cookman (41-7). The Knights have dropped games away from home to Penn State (26-24 in Ireland) and Missouri (38-10).
» UCF is led offensively by running back William Stanback who has 137 yards and two touchdowns in two games played. Sophomore quarterback Justin Holman has been tabbed with replacing NFL first rounder Blake Bortles and has 558 yards and four touchdowns through the air, along with two rushing touchdowns. Breshad Perriman leads UCF with 206 receiving yards and one touchdown while J.J. Worton has nine receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown.
» Defensively, linebacker Terrence Plummer leads UCF with 30 tackles including three for loss. UCF has nine sacks through three games with four turnovers forced - one fumble recovery and two interceptions. Defensive lineman Thomas Niles leads UCF with three sacks while Jacolby Glenn has two interceptions. Sophomore linebacker Tau Lotuleli leads UNLV with two-and-a-half tackles for loss including one sack.
» UCF owns a 4-1 series lead with wins in the last three meetings including last season's 19-14 win in Orlando. Houston's lone win in the series came at home on Oct. 28, 2006, a 51-31 win.
Ties With UCF |
» John O'Korn (Fort Lauderdale), Trevor Harris (Mount Dora) and Damien Parris (Miami) all hail from Florida while there is one Texan, junior linebacker Domenic Spencer, on the UCF roster.
About the Cougars |
» Twenty-eight full or part-time starters return in 2014 for Houston. The 2013 leader in every major stat category, outside of punting and field goals (Richie Leone), returns for the Cougars as well.
» The program welcomes an incoming class of 27 that is comprised of 23 high school student-athletes, one junior college transfer and three four-year transfers. Two of the 27 newcomers enrolled in the program in January for spring workouts - QB Bear Fenimore and OL Carter Wall.
» Houston's roster sports 54 upperclassmen and 58 underclassmen. Fourteen players redshirted in 2013.
» Fifty-seven players saw action in Houston's opening game of the season including 17 making their UH debut.
Honoring Andre Ware |
» This season marks the silver anniversary of Houston's Andre Ware capturing the 1989 Heisman Trophy.
» The Houston legend, who spends his weekends as a color analyst for ESPN College Football and the Houston Texans radio team, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
» Ware is being honored this year on the field with his jersey number, 11, marked on the 11-yard line in the southeast corner of John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium.
| THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE STANDINGS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN | OVERALL | |||||||
| TEAM | W | L | Pct. | W | L | Pct. | LAST WEEK | THIS WEEK |
| Temple | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 1 | .750 | W, at UConn | - |
| USF | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 3 | .400 | L, at Wisconsin | - |
| Tulsa | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 3 | .250 | L, Texas State | at Colorado State |
| ECU | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | .750 | - | SMU |
| Cincinnati | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | .667 | L, at Ohio State | Memphis |
| Houston | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | .500 | - | UCF |
| Memphis | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | .500 | L, at Ole Miss | at Cincinnati |
| UCF | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | .333 | - | at Houston |
| SMU | - | - | - | 0 | 4 | .000 | L, TCU | - |
| UConn | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 4 | .200 | L, Temple | - |
| Tulane | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 4 | .200 | L, at Rutgers | - |
| 2014 NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference | Overall | |||||||
| TEAM | W | L | Pct. | W | L | Pct. | LAST WEEK | THIS WEEK |
| UTSA (C-USA) | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 3 | .250 | L, at Florida Atlantic | New Mexico |
| Grambling (SWAC) | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 3 | .400 | W, Prairie View A&M | at Alabama A&M |
| BYU (Independent) | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | - | Utah State |
| UNLV (MWC) | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 4 | .200 | W, at San Diego State | at San Jose State |
Remembering Sam Hariston |
» University of Houston Football letterman and Sgt. 1st Class Sam Hairston was killed on Aug. 12 in Ghazni, Afghanistan when his unit took small-arms fire from the enemy.
» Hairston, 35, competed as a linebacker and defensive lineman with Houston Football from 1997 to 2000. He competed in 42 games during that time, posting 55 tackles with four sacks, an interception and fumble recovery.
» Hairston was a paratrooper and platoon sergeant with A Company, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division of Fort Bragg, N.C.
» His awards included the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Iraqi Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
» Hairston is survived by his wife, Staff Sgt. Tawana Hairston, and his son, Hayden.
» Houston will wear decals to honor both Hairston and former All-American Robert Newhouse who passed away in late July. The black circular decals feature the jersey numbers of Hairston (34) and Newhouse (46) in red font.
Degrees in Hand |
» Seven Houston seniors entered the season having already earned an undergraduate degree. Eric Braswell, Jeremiah Farley, Rowdy Harper, Bryce Redman, Shane Ros, Daniel Spencer and Jon Witten all completed degree requirements prior to this season.
» Five additional Cougars complete their degree requirements this December: Wayne Beadle, Randall Hollimon, Joey Mbu, Emeka Okafor and Efrem Oliphant.
On the Offensive |
» Since 2006, no team in college football has racked up more offensive yards than Houston who has 54,863 yards in that time.
» Houston has scored in 175 straight games dating back to Sept. 30, 2000.
» Houston scored in 41 of 52 quarters (78.8 percent) last season with TDs in 36 quarters and double digits in 19.
» UH opened 2013 by scoring in the first 32 quarters of the season and was the nation's last team to be held scoreless in a quarter before UCF posted a first-quarter shutout on Nov. 9.
» Of Houston's 65 offensive scoring drives last season, 32 came in under two minutes. Sixteen of those 32 came in under a minute. Its quickest lasted just four seconds against SMU. Twenty-four drives lasted five plays or less.
» Thirteen Houston scoring drives this season have been less than two minutes with eight less than one minute.
» Ten scoring drives this season have lasted four plays or less with three one-play touchdown drives.
Explosive Plays |
» From 2010-12, Houston trailed just Oklahoma State in explosive plays of 20 yards or longer with 254 to OSU's 261.
» UH ended 2013 with 106 explosive plays on the season including 20 touchdowns.
» Demarcus Ayers led the team with 27 explosive plays including two touchdowns. Ayers had 23 kick returns and four receptions over 20 yards. Deontay Greenberry was second with 19 receptions of 20 yards or more. Daniel Spencer had 17 explosive plays, 15 receiving and two rushing.
» Greenberry led Houston with five touchdowns of 20 yards or longer each while Spencer was second with four long TDs.
» Houston's 18 offensive plays of 40 yards or longer and seven plays of 60 yards or longer led the American.
» Through four playing weeks, Houston is 11th nationally and leads The American with four plays of 50 or more yards from scrimmage. Houston leads The American with five plays from scrimmage of 40 yards or longer.
» Ayers, Greenberry and Spencer lead Houston this season with four explosive plays each while Greenberry owns the longest play of the season, a 67-yard reception vs. Grambling. Spencer has the longest scoring play of the year, a 45-yard reception at BYU to close out the first half.
Off. Coaching Changes |
» Entering his third season at Houston, Travis Bush was elevated to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator and shifted back to leading the program's quarterbacks in January. Bush, whoc coached the running backs in 2013, served as the program's interim play caller and quarterbacks coach for the final 11 games of 2012 and also called Houston's plays in the 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl.from one-yard out against SMU.
» Houston added three offensive assistants this offseason in Dan Hammerschmidt (running backs), Tony Jeffery (outside receivers) and Gordy Shaw (offensive line). The three have a combined 70 years of coaching experience.
| '13 FBS True Freshman Passing TD | |
|---|---|
| 28 | John O'Korn, Houston |
| 20 | Davis Webb, Texas Tech |
| 20 | P.J. Walker, Temple |
| 20 | Christian Hackenburg, Penn State |
| 18 | Jared Goff, Cal |
Openin' Up a Can of O'Korn |
» When David Piland's career ended due to multiple concussions in 2013, John O'Korn received his first career start against Rice. He finished the day with 281 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-33 passing, becoming just the third player in UH history to throw for at least three TDs in his first start.
» In his first road start, O'Korn led UH to a 59-28 win at UTSA with 312 yards on 24-of-36 passing with four TDs.
» O'Korn led all true freshmen nationally with 28 passing touchdowns, a number that ranked second in The American Athletic Conference behind the 31 from Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater.
» He finished just 14 yards from the Houston record for passing yards by a freshman and captured the UH freshman records for passing touchdowns (28) and completions (259).
» O'Korn, who has added over 25 pounds this offseason, was selected to serve as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy in July.
» With his 307 yards and three touchdowns against BYU, O'Korn has thrown for at least three touchdowns in seven games and over 300 yards in four games. He has multiple passing touchdowns in nine career games.
» He has multiple passing touchdowns in 10 career games.
» The sophomore completed a career-best 30 passes at BYU, surpassing his previous high of 29 vs. the Cougars in 2013.
» He needs just 37 yards to become the 11th QB in Houston history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a career and 132 yards to move into the top 10 on the UH career passing yards chart.
» If O'Korn throws for 37 yards, he would reach the 4,000-yard mark in just 18 games, placing him in a tie as the third-fastest Cougar to reach the 4K mark.
Slice of Greenberry Pie |
» In his second collegiate season last year, Deontay Greenberry easily surpassed his 2012 numbers. The American's leading receiver with 1,202 yards, he ranked 17th nationally, despite leaving the Louisville game on the first drive of the game with a head injury and missing the SMU game. Greenberry was third in the league and 20th nationally with an average of 6.8 receptions per game. Take away the Louisville game and Greenberry averaged 109.3 yards and 7.5 receptions per game, which would have ranked among the nation's leaders - ninth and 15th, respectively.
» Greenberry was second in The American Athletic Conference with 11 receiving touchdowns, a number that ranked 10th nationally. His five 100-yard receiving games ranked second in The American.
» Greenberry became the 17th player in UH history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season last year as his 1,202 yards were the 10th best single-season total.
» Greenberry has gotten off to a quick start in 2014 with his sixth career 100-yard game against Grambling (110) after coming up just short vs. UTSA (96).
» Week three at BYU saw the junior become the 11th player in UH history to record over 2,000 yards receiving in a career and move into the top 10 on the Houston career receiving yards chart. He needs 251 yards to move up to No. 9 on the UH career charts.
» His effort at BYU with six receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns marked his third career game with multiple receiving TDs after pulling in two vs. BYU in 2013 and three vs. Rutgers last season.
» Greenberry has pulled in at least six receptions in 14 of 28 career games.
» He needs just 11 receptions to move into the top 10 on the career receptions chart at UH.
Downfield Options |
» Greenberry and Spencer are two of 10 with receptions this season including four who have touchdown receptions. Greenberry and Spencer each have two TD receptions while Greg Ward Jr. and Ryan Jackson have TD receptions as well.
» Ambles joined Greenberry and Spencer on the 100-yard list last season with 105 yards against Vanderbilt.
» Two sophomores in the starting lineup who came on strong at the end of 2013 are Ayers and Ward. The 2013 American Co-Special Teams Player of the Year, Ayers pulled in all of his receptions in the season's final seven games while Ward, who started the season at quarterback, moved to receiver for the season's final four games.
Thunder and Lightning |
» Houston's backfield features a thunder-and-lightning combination in junior RBs Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson.
» Jackson led the way for Houston in 2013 with 661 yards on 139 carries (4.8 average) and six touchdowns. Farrow matched his touchdowns, playing in two fewer games, and finished the year with 514 yards on 103 carries (4.8 average).
» Farrow notched his first career 100-yard rushing game against Grambling, finishing with 130 yards, including a career-long 55-yard run on the game's first play, and one touchdown. The junior was named to The American's weekly honor roll as he averaged 10 yards a carry on the night.
» Jackson leads The American with four career 100-yard games, including a career-high 147 rushing yards vs. UNLV. Jackson also added a 26-yard TD reception in the game vs. the Rebels.
» Redshirt-freshman Javin Webb made his debut vs. Grambling, finishing with 72 yards on eight carries. He added his first career TD against UNLV, an 11-yard score as he finished the day with 54 yards on 10 carries.
The Line on the Line |
» Two of Houston's most experienced players anchor the line in RG Rowdy Harper and C Bryce Redman, both seniors. Harper has started 43 consecutive games, every game of his career. The 43-game streak ties for the nation's longest among offensive linemen. Redman has started the last 23 games at center, taking over early in 2012 and never looking back.
» Houston welcomed three new starters to its offensive line in LT Travis Cross, RG Ben Dew and RT Alex Cooper, all juniors. Cross (Oklahoma State) and Dew (Hawaii) both transferred to Houston this season while Cooper enters his fourth season with the Cougars. Cooper has provided depth along the line for the last two seasons, recording one start in 2013 as a jumbo tight end.
» The starting line sports an average height of 6-4 with an average weight of 300 pounds.
» The group took a major hit in the spring when junior LT Zach Johnson suffered a torn ACL and was lost for the year.
Take it Away,Don't Give it Away |
» Houston led the nation in 2013 with a +25 turnover margin.
» The Houston defense led the nation with 43 forced turnovers - 18 fumbles (NCAA best) and 25 interceptions (second nationally).
» Offensively, Houston committed just 18 turnovers: eight fumbles and 10 interceptions. The 18 turnovers were second in The American behind Louisville (10).
» Ten players had interceptions for the Houston defense with Adrian McDonald leading The American with six interceptions, a number that ranked seventh nationally.
» Eleven had fumble recoveries, led by Trevon Stewart with six recoveries, a number that led the nation. Eleven players forced fumbles including five players with two apiece.
» If you haven't picked up on it yet, Stewart is a turnover machine. Stewart led the nation with a combined 10 turnovers - interceptions (4) and fumble recoveries (6).
» Houston has forced multiple turnovers in 23 of its last 25 games and has a turnover in 27 straight games.
» Houston ranks second nationally this season with 13 turnovers forced through four games.
» A nation's best seven players have interceptions this season with three accounting for five fumble recoveries.
» McDonald leads The American with four turnovers - two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
» Players routinely credited the ability to create turnovers on the emphasis paid on turnovers in practice, especially on Turnover Tuesdays.
Welcome Back, Defensive Staff |
» For the first time since the 2009 season, there was no change on the Houston Football defensive staff. Defensive coordinator David Gibbs and linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves enter their second seasons while defensive backs coach Zach Spavital enters his seventh season and defensive line coach Ricky Logo his third.
Def. Halftime Adjustments |
» The Houston defense showed its ability to clamp down in the second half of games in 2013 as UH outscored its opponents 206-106 in the second half of games...
» Three times in the season, the Houston defense shut out its opponent in the second half. After spotting Temple 13 points in the first half, the Third Ward Defense held the Owls to no points and 105 yards in the second half. The Third Ward D did it at Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights were held scoreless after scoring their second touchdown of the game with 7:03 remaining in the second quarter. The third game came in the shutout win over SMU.
Third Ward D |
» Houston ranked third nationally among most improved scoring defenses in 2013. In giving up 21.8 points per game, Houston allowed 14.2 points less per game than 2012.
» The scoring defense output was the lowest in 14 years since the 1999 defense held opponents to 19 points per game.
» On average, the Houston defense forced 5.3 three-and-outs per game, a number that led The American and was 11th nationally. On 69 of Houston opponents' 191 drives, or 36.1 percent, the Houston defense got off the field in three plays or less.
» UH allowed just two rushing attempts of 30 yards or more, a number that was second nationally.
» The defense was ninth nationally in allowing just eight plays of 40 yards or longer.
» Houston recorded its first conference shutout since 1989 with its 34-0 win over SMU to close out the regular season. It was the program's first overall shutout since Sept. 24, 2011, vs. Georgia State and marked the first time in June Jones' career to be shutout.
» The defense held UCF (19), Louisville (20) and SMU (0) to their lowest scoring outputs of the season, with both teams scoring 16 points less then their season average.
Anything but Secondary |
» The secondary group made a name for itself in the takeaway department last season, recording 29 of the team's 43 turnovers or 67 percent.
» The group has eight of the season's first 13 turnovers with interceptions from Adrian McDonald, Trevon Stewart, William Jackson, Howard Wilson and Earl Foster while McDonald also has two fumble recoveries.
» At free safety, Stewart has started the last 26 games of his career, earning FWAA Freshman All-America honors in 2012. The Patterson, La., native led the nation in 2013 with six fumble recoveries and four interceptions.
» A high school quarterback, McDonald started at strong safety in 2013 and led The American with six interceptions to go along with 99 tackles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
» Jackson has taken over one starting corner role full time after recording four starts in 2013. He made his second career interception vs. Grambling.
» The group also welcomed Boise State transfer Lee Hightower who recorded his first UH start vs. UTSA after starting 11 games at Boise. Hightower has started the first four games opposite of Jackson.
» Other corners making their mark include senior Turon Walker, sophomore Brandon Wilson and true freshman Howard Wilson. Brandon Wilson made his first career start at BYU while Howard Wilson has seen significant time at nickel back this season including an interception vs. UNLV.
Tackling Machines |
» The 2013 season saw six Cougars account for 27 games with 10 or more tackles.
» Derrick Mathews leads the team with 15 career double-digit tackle games.
» Mathews leads the nation with 392 career tackles and 41.5 career tackles for loss. He ranks fifth on Houston's career tackles chart and is seventh on the UH career tackles for loss chart. He also led all linebackers in The American and UH in 2013 with seven sacks.
» Mathews needs five tackles for loss to move into the top five on the Houston career chart.
» The 2013 leader in tackles with 134, Efrem Oliphant, had double-digit tackles in five of Houston's six final games. Oliphant finished the year 12th nationally and second in The American with an average of 10.3 tackles per game.
» Four players on the Houston roster have accumulated 10 tackles in a game this season led by Oliphant who has accomplished the feat in all four games this season.
Look at the Linebackers |
»Derrick Mathews is the defense's most experienced player with 42 career starts moved to the middle in 2013 after spending 2012 on the weakside. The junior has posted triple-digit tackles in his first three seasons including 116 stops in 2013.
» Mathews was named The American's Defensive Player of the Week with his work against BYU last season. Mathews picked off a pass midway through the first and returned it 29 yards for a TD. He 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.
» Efrem Oliphant, a veteran of 40 career games with 20 career starts - 13 in 2013, had 13 TFLs, leading The American and eclipsing the 3.5 TFLs he recorded in his first two seasons.
» Outside linebacker Steven Taylor had 10 tackles vs. BYU, his fourth career game with double-digit stops and first of his season.
» True freshman Matthew Adams has also seen action at linebacker in all four games and posted one of four sacks at BYU. Adams also forced a fumble vs. Grambling and had four tackles vs. UNLV.
Up Front |
» The Houston defensive line was hands on all season as evident by the group's three interceptions - Tyus Bowser, Tomme Mark and B.J. Singleton - along with four blocked kicks - B.J. Singleton (3) and Trevor Harris (1). Singleton's three blocks ranked second nationally.
» Joey Mbu was paired with junior Tomme Mark, who had an interception in Houston's season opener, and the two were part of a rotation that included senior Jeremiah Farley and sophomore B.J. Singleton. Mbu led the defensive tackle group with 29 tackles. Farley led the group with nine tackles for loss including three sacks.
» Harris, a junior college transfer last season, performed admirably with nine games in the starting role, finishing the year with 49 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
» Then-true freshman Tyus Bowser exploded onto the scene in Houston's win over Rice as the end had seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception and four quarterback hurries.
» The talented rush defensive end group also includes junior Eric Eiland who started eight games last season and finished with 21 tackles including two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
» On the other side of the line, sophomores Cameron Malveaux and Chauntez Jackson will be asked to step up in their second year on the field. Malveaux had 12 tackles and one fumble recovery in 12 games last year while Jackson did not record any stats in 10 games last year.
» While senior defensive end Eric Braswell was lost for the season with a torn ACL in the spring, the group added a four-year transfer in Gavin Stansbury, who was Texas A&M's Defensive MVP in 2013.
» Mbu had his second career interception with a catch of a tipped ball vs. BYU. His first career interception came in 2012 at SMU.
» Eiland made a leaping interception vs. UNLV to record his second career pick.
» Six defensive lineman have had their hands in on sacks this season, led by Mbu with 1.5 sacks.
The Book on Bullard |
» Junior Kyle Bullard took over as the team's placekicker in the seventh game of 2013 and holds the position in 2014 after being placed on scholarship in April.
» Bullard was perfect on the year, hitting all six field goal attempts including a long of 46 yards at Louisville.
» The junior has hit all eight field goal attempts and is 11-of-14 on extra points this season.
» He is the only kicker in The American with at least three field goal attempts to remain perfect on the year.
» With his two field goals vs. UNLV, Bullard recorded the fifth multi-field goal game of his career and the second of the 2014 season. The game also marked his first career game with multiple field goals of at least 40 yards or longer.
» The junior leads The American with 35 points this season.
The Other Foot |
» Ty Cummings has taken over the starting role as the team's kickoff specialist. As a freshman, Cummings had five kickoffs for an average of 60.8 yards per game including one touchback.
» Cummings has nine touchbacks in 27 kickoffs this season with an average of 62.0 yards per attempt.
Returns Department |
» Houston had six players with multiple returns in 2013 with four returning for the 2014 season.
» At kick returner, Houston sophomore Demarcus Ayers was named The American Athletic Conference's Co-Special Teams Player of the Year in 2013 as a true freshman.
» Ayers had 37 kick returns for 1,021 yards and led The American with an average return of 27.6 yards per return, a number that ranked 12th nationally. He had a return of at least 40 yards in six games.
» With his 1,021 kick return yards, Ayers set the Houston freshman record and was just 153 yards away from the UH single season record.
» 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 was second in the nation with 12 kickoff returns over 30 yards in 2013.
» Jack-of-all-trades Greg Ward Jr. took over as Houston's starting punt returner in the season's final two games, finishing with two returns for six yards.
» Markeith Ambles is the fourth UH player with multiple returns in 2013, finishing with two kickoff returns for 60 yards and one punt return for one yard.
» Ayers needs just 12 yards to move into the top five on the Houston career kick return yards chart.
Punter & Punter |
» Houston opened the year with two punters sharing the duties in juniors Dylan Seibert and Logan Piper before Piper took over the starting role vs. UNLV.
» Piper joined the program in 2013 after two years with the Houston Baseball program.
» Piper has five punts this season with two resulting in fair catches inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He had a career-long 54-yard punt vs. UNLV in his first career start.
» Seibert, an Oklahoma transfer, served as Houston's holder in 2013.
» Seibert handled all six of Houston's punt attempts vs. UTSA, with an average of 39.0 yards per attempt.
» Seibert bumped his average up vs. Grambling as he averaged 45.5 yards per kick on his two punts.
