University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
No. 25 Cincinnati
Game Primer: Houston vs. Cincinnati
10/10/2019 9:40:00 AM | Football
GAME 6
Houston vs. No. 25/RV Cincinnati
Oct. 12 | 2:30 p.m. CT | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas
Broadcast: ESPN2
Radio: KPRC 950-AM
TuneIn: https://bit.ly/2lz8Pp6
Game Notes: UH | Cincinnati | The American
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
« Houston returns to TDECU Stadium for its first home game in 35 days as the Cougars host No. 25/RV Cincinnati on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins (pxp), Anthony Becht (analyst) and Rocky Boiman (sideline) on the call. Radio coverage on KPRC 950-AM begins at 1:30 p.m. CT.
« Saturday's game will mark the 26th meeting between Houston and Cincinnati, with the Cougars leading the all-time series, 15-10. The Cougars are 10-4 all-time against the Bearcats in Houston and won the last meeting between the two teams, 40-16, in 2016 on the road inside Nippert Stadium.
« Houston is 5-1 against ranked opponents inside TDECU Stadium since its opening in 2014. The Cougars' last win over a ranked opponent came in 2018 as Houston defeated then No. 17 USF, 57-36. The Cougars are 36-98-5 all-time against ranked opponents.
« Houston is third in The American and 12th in FBS averaging 255.0 yards per game rushing. The Cougars are one of four programs to have four players with at least one 100-yard rushing game this season, joining Georgia Southern, Louisiana, South Carolina and Wyoming.
« Sophomore quarterback Clayton Tune will make his fourth career start for the Cougars this Saturday. Tune threw for 124 yards on 16-of-20 passing with one touchdown in the Cougars' 45-26 win over North Texas on Sept. 28. In his first action of the season, the sophomore also picked up his first career 100-yard rushing game, logging 11 carries for 100 yards.
« Junior receiver Marquez Stevenson is tied for fifth in The American with three touchdown receptions. The junior leads the Cougars in receptions (24) and receiving yards (298) through five games and the Shreveport, La., native is tied for 26th in school history with 12 career receiving touchdowns. Against North Texas, Stevenson scored on an 82-yard kickoff return touchdown, the first of his career.
« Junior nickel back Grant Stuard has emerged as Houston's defensive leader in 2019. Stuard ranks first in The American in tackles per game (8.8), solo tackles (34) and total tackles (44). The Conroe, Texas, native has finished with a team-high 11 stops against North Texas, his second double-digit tackle game of the year. Stuard entered the season with 32 career tackles after splitting time between safety and running back last season.
« Junior defensive lineman David Anenih is tied for third in The American with 4.5 sacks this year. Anenih logged back-to-back games with at least two sacks against Washington State and Tulane. The junior also set a career high with seven tackles at Tulane.
« Houston ranks in the top three in The American in three special teams categories: No. 1 in punt returns (16.0), No. 2 in net punting (42.1) and No. 3 in kickoff returns (25.2).
« Cincinnati is the third AP top-25 opponent that Houston will face in 2019. The Bearcats enter Saturday's matchup after defeating then No. 18 UCF, 27-24, in Nippert Stadium.
FOR FANS
« Approximately two hours and 15 minutes prior to kickoff, head coach Dana Holgorsen and the Cougars will disembark the team buses on Cullen Blvd. next to the southwest corner of the stadium (ICON Gate 2). Fans are encouraged to cheer on the team upon arrival and watch as Coach Holgorsen and the squad as they make their way into TDECU Stadium.
« Fans will notice during TV timeouts on Saturday a digital clock on the sideline. The clock represents how much time is remaining in a commerical break before play resumes.
« TDECU Stadium has a clear-bag policy. For more information on Houston football's gameday procedures, click here.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
« Houston's special teams proved to be a difference maker in the Coogs' win at North Texas. Against the Mean Green, the Cougars recorded a punt return touchdown and kickoff return touchdown in the same game for the first time Oct. 12, 1973, against Virginia Tech. Marquez Stevenson's 82-yard kickoff return touchdown against North Texas was the first by a Cougar since 2016 at Texas State, while Bryson Smith's 60-yard punt return score was the first by a Houston player since 2011 against Tulane.
« Senior running back Patrick Carr scored three times on the ground in his last performance, earning a spot on The American's Honor Roll. Carr matched his career high with 139 rushing yards, including a 68-yard touchdown on Houston's opening drive at North Texas. He became the 56th player in school history to record multiple 100-yard rushing games during their UH career.
« The Cougars' defense has limited their opponent to under 100 yards rushing three times in five games this season. In the 46-25 win over North Texas, Houston held the Mean Green to a season-low 96 yards rushing.
« Houston has scored at least 30 points in 16 out of its last 18 games dating back to the beginning of the 2018 season. The Cougars have also scored in 241 consecutive games dating back to Sept. 30, 2000.
« The Cougars have won 10 out of their last 11 home conference openers, including four straight victories inside TDECU Stadium.
SCOUTING CINCINNATI
« Cincinnati is 4-1 this season after defeating then No. 18 UCF, 27-24, inside Nippert Stadium last Friday. The victory by the Bearcats ended UCF's 18-game conference winning streak and was Cincinnati's first home win over a ranked opponent since 2009.
« Cincinnati is under the direction of third-year head coach Luke Fickell, who is 19-10 with the Bearcats. Last season, Fickell guided the Bearcats to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the 2018 Military Bowl. He was the 2018 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after helping Cincinnati to its third 11-win season in school history a year ago.
« Sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder owns 16 career starts and ranks sixth in The American this season averaging 192.8 yards per game passing this season along with throwing for 10 touchdowns. Ridder was the 2018 American's Rookie of the Year, completing 62.4 percent of his passes last season, while throwing for 2,445 yards and 20 touchdowns. Senior running back Michael Warren II led the Bearcats on the ground in their win over UCF, recording 23 carries for 138 yards. Warren II has rushed for 395 yards and scored four touchdowns this season. Sophomore wide receiver Alex Pierce averages 19.2 yards per catch this season and has made 15 receptions for a team-high 288 yards. Graduate student tight end Josiah Deguara leads UC with 17 receptions this season and has a team-best three touchdowns.
« Defensively, the Bears are limiting their opponents to 21.4 points per game (ranks fifth in The American and 39th nationally). Junior safety Darrick Forrest leads the Bearcats and is third in The American averaging 8.4 tackles per contest. The junior has logged a team-high 42 tackles this year. Freshman defensive end Michael Pitts has provided a spark off the edge, leading the way with four sacks (tied for fifth among players in The American).
LAST TIME AGAINST CINCINNATI
« In the last meeting between the two teams in 2016, Houston trailed 16-12 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Cougars responded with four straight scores to take down the Bearcats, 40-16, inside Nippert Stadium on Sept. 15, 2016. Quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. ran for two touchdowns in the final quarter to put the Cougars in front for good. Ward finished with 73 yards on the ground on 26 carries, while throwing for 326 yards on 24-of-36 passing and one touchdown.
« Houston's defense limited the Bearcats all night, holding Cincinnati to 307 yards of total offense. Steven Taylor and Howard Wilson had interception returns for a touchdown within seven seconds of one another to seal the win later in the fourth quarter. Taylor also tied for the team high with nine tackles and earned two sacks in the win.
« Linell Bonner led the Cougars with eight receptions for 119 yards, while Chance Allen logged five catches for 94 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown pass from Ward in the first quarter.
HOUSTON IN AMERICAN ATHLETIC HOME OPENERS
« The Cougars have won four straight home conference openers inside TDECU Stadium. Houston has scored 35-plus points in each game and averaged a +19.3 margin of victory in those wins.
« Houston has won 10 out of its last 11 home conference openers dating back to the 2008 season. The only loss for the Cougars came to UCF (17-12) in 2014.
GAME 5 RECAP: NORTH TEXAS
« Houston senior running back Patrick Carr rushed for 139 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and sophomore quarterback Clayton Tune threw for 124 yards and a touchdown as the Cougars claimed a 46-25 win over North Texas inside Apogee Stadium.
« Making only the third start of his career after senior quarterback D'Eriq King announced that he was redshirting the rest of the season, Tune completed 16-of-20 passes, including each of his first seven, as the Cougars raced out to a 17-0 lead in a little over a quarter. Tune also helped his own cause with 100 rushing yards, thanks to a career-long 55-yard run late in the game.
« While Tune was leading the Cougars though the air, Carr was a leader on the ground. The Woodlands, Texas, native recorded the second 100-yard rushing game of his career on 14 carries and set a career high with three rushing scores.
« Houston's special teams weren't to be outdone. Thanks to an 82-yard kickoff return from Marquez Stevenson and a 60-yard punt return from Bryson Smith, the Cougars recorded the first kickoff and punt returns in the same game since a 54-27 win over Virginia Tech inside the Houston Astrodome on Oct. 12, 1973.
ON THE OFFENSIVE
« Since 2006, only Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas Tech have racked up more yards than Houston, which has 85,119 in that span. Houston has scored in 241 straight games dating back to Sept. 30, 2000.
Rank Team Total Yards (2006-present)
1. Oklahoma - 89,460
2. Oregon - 86,415
3. Texas Tech - 85,270
4. Houston - 85,119
5. Oklahoma State - 84,234
« In 2019, Houston has produced a strong rushing attack with four different players rushing for at least 100 yards in a game this season: D'Eriq King (twice), Patrick Carr, Kyle Porter and Clayton Tune. The Cougars are one of four programs to have four players with at least one 100-yard rushing game along with Georgia Southern, Louisiana, South Carolina and Wyoming.
« Houston ended 2018 fifth nationally in scoring offense with an average of 43.9 points per game and seventh in total offense with an average of 512.5 yards per game.
« Houston, Oklahoma and Clemson were the only schools to rank in the top 25 for both passing offense (No. 16, 295.5) and rushing offense (No. 24, 217.1) in 2018.
« Last season, the offense ranked fifth nationally with 92 plays of at least 20+ yards and 11th with 13 plays of 50+ yards. The versatility of UH's offense was evident as 10 different players had receiving TDs, eight of which return in 2019, and nine different players across three position groups had rushing TDs, of which eight return in 2019.
« Houston opened the season with 40+ points in its first three games of a season for the first time in program history and expanded the streak through its first eight games. The eight-game streak set the Houston record for
the longest such streak.
« With 45 points at Rice, 49 at Texas Tech and 49 at Navy, Houston scored 45+ in at least three road games in a season for only the third time in program history (1989 and 2011). It was also the first time since the 2011 team accomplished the feat five times.
« Since 2015, Houston has 20 games with 500+ yards of total offense and eight games with 600+ yards. It has scored more than 40 points in 23 of 57 games and more than 50 points on seven different occasions.
NAME THAT TUNE
« Sophomore quarterback Clayton Tune shined in his first start of the season North Texas, throwing for 124 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-20 passing. The sophomore also rushed for a career-high 100 yards on 11 carries, including a career-long 55-yard scramble late in the fourth quarter. Tune inherits the starting job after senior D'Eriq King announced he would redshirt for the remainder of the 2019 season and return to action next year.
« Against North Texas, Tune showed off his dual threat ability as he became the eighth UH quarterback to throw and rush for 100 yards in a single game in school history.
« A member of the 2018 signing class, Tune enrolled at Houston in January after closing out his high school career at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, where he finished with 6,686 passing yards and 66 touchdowns through the air and 1,074 rushing yards 20 scores on the ground.
« Rated the No. 19 quarterback in the 2018 class by ESPN, Tune saw action in five games as a true freshman and took over starting quarterback role for the final 2.5 games of the season after D'Eriq King went down with injury vs. Tulane (Nov. 15, 2018).
« Tune made his collegiate debut going 12-for-23 passing for 186 yards and two touchdowns, and had five rushes for 25 yards in Houston's win over Texas Southern (Sept. 22, 2018).
« With King's injury late in the 2018 season, Tune started the second half at quarterback against Tulane and finished 6-for-15 passing for 108 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Cougars' 48-17 win in their home finale.
« Making first collegiate start, Tune finished 18-for-43 passing for 256 yards with three touchdowns and one interception at Memphis (Nov. 23, 2018). With his start, he became the first freshman quarterback to start for Houston since John O'Korn (2013).
THE PUNT-AH
« Thirty-year old senior punter Dane Roy is back for his fourth and final season in America as Houston's starting punter. A former ice cream salesman, Roy is the third oldest player in FBS football behind Colorado kicker James Stefanou (32) and UCLA punter Wade Lees (31), both natives of Melbourne, Australia.
« Roy currently is second in The American and 14th in FBS, averaging a career-best 45.9 yards per punt. The senior leads the conference with 12 punts downed inside the 20 this season and has seven punts over 50 yards.
« The Bunyip, Australia, native and former Australian rules football player for Richmond Central led The American in 2017 with 25 punts inside the 20 and with 43.1 percent of his punts inside his opponents 20. Twelve of his 55 punts were inside his opponents' 10-yard line.
« Prior to arriving in Houston, Roy won the longest kick competition at the AFL grand final in Melbourne, Australia,
after booting a torpedo 73 meters, which equates to 79 yards. Roy, who stands 6-7, also has a personal-best hang time of 5.4 seconds.
WE LIKE NICKEL BACK
« Junior Grant Stuard has benefited the most from Houston's new defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen. After registering just 32 tackles in his first two seasons, Stuard has been an impact maker for Houston at nickel and leads The American with 44 total tackles this year.
« The Conroe, Texas, native ranks first in the conference with 34 solo stops and has logged a pair of double-digit tackles games this year. Last time out at North Texas, Stuard posted 11 tackles including one tackle-for-loss against the Mean Green. At Oklahoma, Stuard put together a 14-tackle performance against the Sooners.
« Sophomore Amaud Willis-Dalton has shown his versatility this year and finished with three stops in UH's win at North Texas. The sophomore has played snaps at nickel and also worked in with UH's linebacking corps.
A HOUSTON WIN WOULD ...
« Improve Houston's program win-loss record to 444-369-15 all-time since 1946 and give Houston its 56th win since 2013, the most in Texas in that span.
« Improve Houston's series record to 16-10 over Cincinnati and give the Cougars their fifth straight win in a conference home opener.
AMONG THE BEST
« Since 2013, Houston ranks first in the state of Texas with 55 wins with TCU (54) ranking second. The Cougars are four wins ahead of Texas A&M, five ahead of Baylor and 12 games ahead of Texas in that span. Houston leads the state of Texas FBS schools with 10 seasons of at least eight wins since 2006. TCU is second in that span with nine.
« Houston enters 2019 second on The American's all-time win list in conference games with 33 conference wins. Since the league's inception, UCF leads with 37 wins, while Temple is third with 32 wins.
« Houston enters 2019 riding a streak of six straight bowl appearances, the 16th-longest active streak in the nation and the longest in The American. The current six-game streak is a program best, topping the previous from 2005-09.
