POSTGAME NOTES: Houston 28, USF 24
10/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
Recap | Final Stats | USATSI Gallery 
BY THE NUMBERS1-0 2 2-2 3 3-1 3-2 4-3 5-3 5-4 7 11 20 21 30 38-96-5 137 146-131-6 220 376-324-14 431-359-15 397 32,316 |
GAME NOTES
• Houston improved to 4-4 in 2017.
• Houston fell to 431-359-15 all-time.
• Houston won the toss and elected to defer. USF chose to receive. Cougars defended the north end zone. Junior safety Garrett Davis, senior linebacker Matthews Adams, senior running back Dillon Birden and senior wide receiver Steven Dunbar were captains.
• Attendance was 32,316.
HEAD COACH Major Applewhite
• Applewhite improved to 5-4 during his Houston career.
• Applewhite improved to 5-3 in the regular season during his career.
• Applewhite improved to 5-3 in games played on Saturdays.
• Applewhite improved to 3-1 in road games during his career.
• Applewhite improved to 2-2 in day games.
• Applewhite improved to 1-0 against USF during his career.
USF SERIES HISTORY
• Houston is 3-2 all-time in the series and 2-1 when playing USF on the road.
• Saturday's game marked the first meeting between the two teams since a 27-3 win at Tampa on Nov. 1, 2014.
BY MONTHS
• Houston improved to 146-131-6 in games played during the month of October.
BY DAYS
• Houston improved to 376-324-14 all-time in games played on Saturdays.
vs. RANKED OPPONENTS
• Houston is 38-96-5 all-time against ranked opponents.
• Houston is 1-1 against nationally ranked opponents in 2017.
• Houston is 3-5 all-time when playing the No. 17 team (Associated Press)
• 2017 marks the third straight season that Houston has defeated at least one nationally ranked opponent.
• Saturday's game marked the first time Houston has faced the No. 17 team (AP) since a 19-3 loss to ECU at Robertson Stadium in Houston on Oct. 30, 1999.
• This marked the third straight season in which Houston has played at least two nationally ranked opponents.
• Saturday's game marked the first time Houston faced nationally ranked opponents in consecutive weeks in the same season since 2015. Houston defeated No. 20/21 Temple in the American Athletic Conference Championship inside TDECU Stadium on Dec. 5, 2016, and knocked off No. 9/8 Florida State, 38-24, in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, 2015, in Atlanta.
SCORING
• With sophomore wide receiver Courtney Lark's 39-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, the Cougars have now scored in 220 consecutive games dating back to a 48-0 loss at No. 15 Texas on Sept. 23, 2000. Major Applewhite split repetitions at quarterback for the Longhorns in the game.
OFFENSE
• Houston's first drive of the second quarter concluded with a 39-yard touchdown pass from D'Eriq King to Courtney Lark.
• Mulbah Carr recorded his second rushing touchdown this season on a four-yard rush late in the third quarter.
• D'Eriq King rushed three yards into the end zone for his second career rushing touchdown.
• The Houston offense has produced on 11 drives lasting less than two minutes and five drives lasting less than one minute this season.
• D'Eriq King rushed 20-yards into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown this season and the third of his career.
• USF ranked ninth nationally and first in the American coming into the game only giving up 94.9 yards per game. Houston finished with 397 yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Senior wide receiver John Leday returned a USF kick return for 43 yards early in the second quarter. The return marked Leday's third return for 40 yards or more this season.
• Leday entered the game ranked sixth nationally with two kickoff returns of at least 40 yards.
• Leday also returned a kickoff for 29-yards midway through the third quarter.
DEFENSE
• The Houston defense shutout USF in the first quarter. The Cougars have held their opponent to seven or less points in 22 of 32 quarters.
• USF has only been held scoreless in the first quarter one other time this season and that was in its season opener against San Jose State on Aug. 26.
• Houston held USF to its lowest first half scoring total (7) since its week two game against Stony Brook on Sept. 2.
• With 12 tackles for loss Houston broke its previous season-high of nine which was set earlier this season against Rice.
• This is the fifth time this season that Houston has faced a top-15 scoring offense and of those five USF is the third that Houston has held below its scoring average.
• Houston stopped USF two times on fourth down.
• Houston forced six three and outs.
Kyle Postma
• Senior quarterback Kyle Postma made his seventh career start against Memphis. Postma also made starts on Nov. 21, 2015, at UConn, on Sept. 10, 2016, against Lamar and Sept. 30, 2017, at Temple on Sept. 30, 2017, against SMU on Oct. 7, 2017, at Tulsa on Oct. 14, 2017, and against Memphis on Oct. 19.
• Postma improved to 4-3 in his career as a starting quarterback.
• Postma finished two-for-five with five yards.
Courtney Lark
• Sophomore wide reciever Courtney Lark recorded his first career start.
• Lark recorded his first career touchdown in the opening drive of the third quarter, pulling in a 39-yard reception from D'Eriq King. The reception marked a career-long for Lark.
• Lark pulled down a 30-yard reception from D'Eriq King with under a minute to play.
• Lark finished with two receptions 69 for yards.
Mulbah Car
• Sophomore running back Mulbah Car recorded the longest rush of his career late in the third quarter off of a 46-yard rush.
• Car recorded his second touchdown this season late in the third quarter on a four-yard rush into the end zone. The touchdown is the fourth of his career.
• Car recorded the second 100-yard rushing performance of his career and his first this season.
The running back recorded a career-high 137 yards, surpassing his previous career-high of 109 yards
• Car finished with 137 yards on 18 carries.
Dane Roy
• Sophomore punter Dane Roy recorded four punts inside the 20-yard line.
• All four of Roy's punts were 50 yards or longer. He had three entering the game.
• Roy now has 21 punts within the 20-yard line this season.
• Roy finished with eight punts for 384 yards.
Jerard Carter
• Junior defensive end Jerard Carter played his first minutes of the 2017 season after missing the first seven games due to a foot injury.
• Carter finished with two tackles one for loss.
D'Eriq King
• Sophomore D'Eriq King saw action at the quarterback position beginning on the third Houston drive of the game.
• D'Eriq King recorded the third passing touchdown of his career in the opening drive of the third quarter. The touchdown is his second passing touchdown this season.
• Midway though the fourth quarter King recorded the second rushing touchdown of his career, as well as his second of this season. Both touchdowns have come in 2017.
• King recorded the third rushing touchdown of both this season and his career with under a minute to play, rushing for 20-yards.
• King recorded a career-long 44-yard rush midway through the fourth quarter.
• The sophomore finished with a career-high 83 rushing yards and career-high 20 rushing attempts.
• King finished 12-for-20 with 137 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
D'Juan Hines
• Senior linebacker D'Juan Hines recorded 13 tackles for the fourth double-digit tackle performance of his career, and the third this season.
• Hines finished with 13 tackles two for loss.
Leroy Godfrey
• Sophomore linebacker Leroy Godfrey recorded a career-high six tackles, as well as a career-high two tackles for loss.
• Godfrey finished with six tackles two for loss.
David Anenih
• Freshman linebacker David Anenih recorded his second career sack in as many weeks. His first sack was against Memphis on Oct. 19.
• Anenih finished with three tackles one for loss.
Austin Robinson
• Senior linebacker Austin Robinson recorded his second career sack late in the third quarter.
• Robinson finished with seven tackles two for loss.
Alexander Myres
• Junior cornerback Alexander Myres recorded a career-high six tackles.
Brandon McDowell
• Senior defensive backBrandon McDowell recorded the punt return of his career late in the fourth quarter, rushing for 50-yards.
• McDowell finished with 12 yards on four carries.
Ed Oliver
• Sophomore defensive tackle Ed Oliver had two tackles for loss on Saturday to give him 32 for his career in 21 career games.
• Oliver entered the game leading all active players with 1.48 tackles for loss per game.
• Oliver now has 11 career game with a tackle for loss. He has posted 2.5 this season and 7.5 for his career.
• Oliver finished with seven tackles two for loss.
Steven Dunbar
• Senior wide receiver Steven Dunbar moved into 15th all-time at Houston for career receptions. He finished with three catches to give him 154 for his career for 15th all-time outright.
• With 19 receiving yards, Dunbar sits 14th all-time at Houston for career receiving yards with 1,884 yards.
Linell Bonner
• Senior wide receiver Linell Bonner finished with six receptions for 40 yards.
• With six catches, Bonner is ninth all-time in receptions with 174 for his career.
• Bonner finished the game with 40 yards receiving, passing Marcus Grant (1,927; 1989-91) on the Houston receiving yards list with 1,940.
• Bonner pulled in a 23-yard reception late in the second quarter from quarterback D'Eriq King.
