University of Houston Athletics
Houston Duo Named American Players of the Week
11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOUSTON -- Houston linebacker Steven Taylor has been named The American Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Week and kicker Ty Cummings The American's Special Teams Players of the Week, the league announced Monday after the duo helped lead the Cougars to a 36-10 win over No. 3 Louisville.
Taylor had a game-high 14 tackles, a season best and two stops off his career high, while also racking up 2.5 sacks for a loss of 15 yards and one forced fumble in Houston's win.
In addition to his stat line, he helped lead a UH defense that held Louisville to 39.6 points below its scoring average, 169 yards below its rushing average, 102 yards below its passing average and 271 yards below its total offense average while totaling 11 sacks, two turnovers and one safety.
Taylor's honor comes ones day after being named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in Thursday's win.
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Cummings was responsible for the same amount of points as Louisville, who entered the game averaging 49.6 points per game, as he totaled 10 points off two field goals of 33 and 46 yards and four extra points. After hitting a 33-yard field goal in the first quarter, his 46-yard field goal in the fourth was one yard shy of his career long of 47 yards from earlier this year vs. Oklahoma.
In addition to his place kicking, Cummings sent five of his seven kickoff attempts through the Louisville end zone for a touchback, helping limit Louisville to just 37 yards on two returns.
Monday's honors are the seventh and eighth American Player of the Week honors this season for the Houston program. Houston leads all teams with its eight player of the week selections this season.
With its win Thursday night, Houston became the only program this season to defeat two top-5 teams after defeating then-No. 3 Oklahoma (currently No. 7), 33-23, in its season opener. Entering last week, seven teams had played multiple top-5 teams resulting in a combined record of 4-11 in the games including No. 5 Wisconsin at 1-2.
With its double-digit wins over OU and Louisville, Houston and Alabama are the only two teams nationally with two wins by double digits over top-10 opponents.
Thursday's win was Houston's sixth straight win over an AP Top 25 team (all coming in the last two season), a streak that ranks second behind only Alabama. It also marked its fourth straight win over an AP Top 10 team (three of which have come in the last 12 games), also second behind Alabama (7).
In Thursday's win, Houston held Louisville to 39.6 points below its scoring average, 169 yards below its rushing average, 102 yards below its passing average and 271 yards below its total offense average while totaling 11 sacks. Louisville's 312 yards of total offense was its lowest of the season, with the next closest at 469 yards vs. Duke.
Houston scored 16 points above Louisville's defensive scoring average and scored the most on UL since on the Cardinals' defense gave up 42 to No. 5 Clemson.
In its other top-5 win over Oklahoma, Houston held the Sooners to its lowest offensive output of the year in total offense (393 yards) and points (23).
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