University of Houston
USF
Game Primer: Houston vs. USF
11/13/2020 9:25:00 AM | Football
Game airs on ESPN2 and KPRC 950-AM
GAME 6
Houston vs. USF (Homecoming)
Nov. 14, 2020 | 2:30 p.m. CT | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas
Broadcast: ESPN2
Radio: KPRC 950-AM | TuneIn
Game Notes
THE RUNDOWN
« Houston returns to TDECU Stadium on Saturday to USF for the Cougars' 2020 Homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and the game will air on ESPN2 with Lincoln Rose (pxp) and Stan Routt (analyst) on the call. Radio coverage on KPRC 950-AM begins at 1:30 p.m. CT.
« Saturday's matchup marks the eighth all-time meeting between the Cougars and Bulls. Houston leads the all-time series, 4-2, against USF. The Cougars have won the last four meetings with the Bulls and are 4-0 against USF since the formation of the American Athletic Conference.
« Houston is coming off a 38-10 road loss to Cincinnati last Saturday, while USF fell 34-33 against Memphis.
« The Cougars are 145-119-5 during the month of November all-time.
« Houston is 36-33-5 all-time in Homecoming games.
« Among FBS quarterbacks that have played more than one game, Clayton Tune is 18th in the nation averaging 302.0 yards per game. The junior also ranks fourth in the league and 26th in the FBS in passing yards per game (279.4).
« Senior running back Kyle Porter has recorded at least one rushing touchdown in each of the last three games. Porter ranks eighth in the American with four rushing touchdowns this season.
« Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen is 1-0 against USF. During his first season as the head coach at West Virginia, Holgorsen defeated the Bulls, 30-27, to clinch a share of the 2011 Big East Championship.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
« Houston is undefeated against two current American Athletic Conference programs since joining the league: USF (4-0) and ECU (2-0). The Cougars have won the last four matchups with the Bulls by an average of 15.3 points.
« Despite not recording a sack last week against Cincinnati, the Cougars' pass rush has increased their production this season.Houston's 16 sacks are a big improvement over last year's total of 22 sacks in 12 games. The Cougars rank second and are 21st nationally with 3.20 sacks per game.
« Junior Marcus Jones has made an impact in the punt return game, leading the conference and ranking third in the nation in punt return average (15.8). That average already ranks as the seventh-best mark in UH single-season history.
« Sophomore wide receiver Nathaniel Dell has increased his production over the last two weeks. Dell has caught a team-high nine passes for 148 yards and one touchdown over the last two games. Dell totaled a career-high 167 all-purpose yards against UCF as the sophomore finished wih a career-high six catches and 88 yards, while recording his second touchdown of the season on a 10-yard score in the fourth quarter. Dell added three catches for 60 yards at Cincinnati last week.
« The Cougars have not seen a dip in production at punter as 26-year old freshman Laine Wilkins has stepped into the role this season. Wilkins has 12 punts downed inside the 20-yard line this year and five 50-yard punts. Opponents have not returned a punt by Wilkins this season.
GAME 5 RECAP: CINCINNATI
« Gerrid Doaks rushed for a career-high 184 yards and one touchdown, Desmond Ridder ran for three scores and threw for another, and No. 6 Cincinnati rolled past Houston, 38-10.
« Houston had 187 total yards in the first half, and 65 came on one drive. An acrobatic 34-yard catch by Bryson Smith led to Kyle Porter's 3-yard TD run to cut the Cougars' deficit to 14-7 in the second quarter.
« Cincinnati scored twice in the final two minutes of the first half for a 28-10 lead, starting with Ridder's 32-yard touchdown run. A 48-yard run by Doaks led to a 4-yard TD pass from Ridder to tight end Josh Whyle, who made a leaping catch in the end zone.
« Porter, Houston's leading rusher, had 69 yards on 16 carries. The rest of the team had 24 yards on the ground as the Cougars were outrushed 342-93. Houston quarterback Clayton Tune completed 20-plus passes for a sixth straight game, including all five contests this season, but finished with just 189 yards through the air with no scores.
NOTABLES // USF
« Saturday marks the seventh all-time meeting between Houston and USF. The Cougars lead the all-time series, 4-2 and have won four consecutive in the series -- all coming since the inception of the American Athletic Conference.
« USF posted a 22-3 record from Oct. 28, 2016 through Oct. 27, 2018. Two of the three losses came to Houston. USF won its first seven games in 2017 and 2018 only to fall to Houston, 28-24 in Tampa, Florida, and 57-36 in Houston, respectively.
« In two games against USF, Houston senior running back Mulbah Car has rushed for a combined 167 yards and two touchdowns. In 2017, Car averaged 7.6 yards per carry, rushing for 137 yards on 18 carries against the Bulls.
« Houston has scored 27-plus points in each of its four consecutive victories against USF. The Cougars' four victories have come at three different sites: Reliant Stadium (2013), Raymond James Stadium (2014, 2017) and TDECU Stadium (2018). The teams have also squared off at Robertson Stadium (2002).
« Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen and USF defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer spent the 2010 season together at Oklahoma State on Mike Gundy's staff. In 2010, the Cowboys finished the season with a 11-2 record, setting a school record for wins.
« Houston associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Doug Belk and USF offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. spent the 2016 season together at Alabama. Belk was a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide, while Weis Jr. was a offensive analyst.
SCOUTING USF
« Head coach Jeff Scott is in his first season at the helm of USF. Scott, 39, is the youngest head coach in The American. Scott comes to Tampa after serving as co-offensive coordinator at Clemson since 2015 and a member of the Tigers' staff since 2008.
« USF has largely held its own defensively, ranking third in the AAC, holding opponents to 220.0 passing yards per game. The Bulls have intercepted eight passes, a mark that is 12th in the country and second in the league. The Bulls are looking to snap a nine-game conference losing streak following a 34-33 defeat to Memphis last week. USF led by 13 points late in the fourth quarter. USF's last conference victory came Oct. 26, 2019, at ECU.
« New defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. both spent last season at FAU as the Owls went 11-3 and won the Conference USA title. Spencer brings three decades of coaching experience to USF with stops at West Georgia, Duke, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State. Weis Jr. was the youngest coordinator in FBS football (24 years) when he took over duties at FAU. He is now 27 and also spent time on Alabama's staff in 2016, helping the Crimson Tide to the CFP National Championship.
« In its 24th season and 21st at the FBS level, USF Football has made 10 bowl appearances, including a string of four straight (2015-18) and every season between 2005-10 (six straight). The Bulls reached the No. 2 Associated Press Poll ranking in 2007.
« The Bulls have seen their ups and downs offensively. USF, which was shut out by Notre Dame on Sept. 19, was held to seven points against Cincinnati and 13 points against Temple. The Bulls put up 37 points at Temple and 33 vs. Memphis.
LAST TIME AGANST USF
« Behind a total of 551 all-purpose yards from quarterback D'Eriq King, Houston pulled away late to come out on top of No. 21/20 USF, 57-36, on Oct. 27, 2018 inside TDECU Stadium.
« King accounted for a career-high seven touchdowns and tied his career highs with five passing scores and two scores on the ground. With the win, the Cougars improve to 7-1 on the 2018 campaign and remained undefeated in The American with their 4-0 mark.
« Houston finished the game with four scoring drives of less than two minutes. Houston finished with 682 yards of offense, giving the Cougars at least 400 yards in each of their first eight games.
« Wide receiver Marquez Stevenson caught two touchdown passes and notched 106 yards receiving.
THIRTY ON THE MIND
« Houston is looking for its 30th victory at TDECU Stadium since the facility opened its gates in 2014.
« The Cougars are 29-12 in seven seasons at TDECU Stadium. Houston ranks second in The American for winning percentage at current stadiums (.707). The mark is second in the Lone Star State, trailing only Texas, and 33rd nationally.
« Houston posted winning records at home each season from 2014-18, including perfect marks in 2015 and 2016. The Cougars are looking to right the ship after finishing 1-4 at TDECU Stadium in 2019 and starting out 2020 at 1-2.
AMONG THE BEST
« Houston ranks second among FBS programs in Texas since 2015 with 43 wins. The Cougars are one win behind Texas A&M who leads the state with 44 victories. UH is tied with TCU, three on top of Texas, six ahead of Baylor and boast eight victories more than fellow conference foe, SMU.
« Since 2013, Houston is tied with Baylor for most FBS win in Texas with Baylor (59). The Cougars are four wins ahead of Texas in that span. Houston also leads the state of Texas among FBS schools with 10 seasons of at least eight wins since 2006. TCU is second in that span with nine.
« The Cougars also rank tied for third among American Athletic Conference Teams with 37 victories in league history. UH remains the last FBS school in the state of Texas to win a league championship (2015 American Athletic Champions).
A HOUSTON WIN WOULD ...
« Give Houston its 30th victory at TDECU Stadium, improving the Cougars to 30-12 (.714) at the facility.
« Improve Houston's program win-loss record to 448-377-15 all-time since 1946 and give Houston its 60th win since 2013. The Cougars' 59 victories are tied with Baylor for the most among Texas FBS schools in that time.
« Give Houston its fifth consecutive victory against USF, all coming since joining The American in 2013. The Cougars have beaten only one other AAC team five-or-more times -- Tulsa (5).
« Move the Cougars to 145-119-5 in November all-time and 23-9 at home in November since 2005.
