University of Houston Athletics
A Surreal Moment in Our First Big 12 Victory
10/17/2023 9:20:00 AM | Football
Johnson details his game-winning Hail Mary completion as part of a historic night
By Stephon Johnson, Houston Sophomore Wide Receiver
Houston sophomore wide receiver Stephon Johnson made a major splash in the Cougars' first Big 12 win, hauling in the game-winning reception on a Hail Mary as time expired against West Virginia. Hear more about that play and his journey as part of "Cougars Unleashed: The Players' Perspective."
Did that just happen?
It's still so surreal to me to have come down with that catch in a moment like that. With three seconds left on the clock, I was lined up on the right. We know it's all or nothing. We practice the Hail Mary a lot. As I'm running towards the ball, I felt someone push me and I lost my balance. I turned around and saw (Joseph) Manjack make a great play on the ball. It wasn't really planned to be tipped to me, but it happened like that. My first instinct was 'the ball is right there,' so I made a play on it, and the rest is history.
I went to celebrate with the guys. Everyone was jumping around. It was crazy. I remember seeing Coach Holgorsen and he had a big smile on his face like he was about to cry. Once I spotted my mom, she gave me a big hug and told me how proud she was. I almost started crying because it's been an up and down season for me. She always tells me to stay focused, keep doing what I'm doing, keep my faith in God, and that's what I've been doing.
A family decision
Coming to Houston was a decision I made with my family. We felt like it was going to be the best thing for me in the future. It has taken some time to settle in, but I haven't really been chasing anything. I can see my role increasing, but we have a lot of great receivers in our room, and I don't want to take light away from any of those guys. They make plays and whenever I can come in and make a play, that's what I'm going to do. I'm just thankful to even be here and be mentioned with those guys. Being here in Houston means a lot to my family. It's where I grew up and they're able to come to a lot more games because of that decision to transfer back home.
Blocking + tackling for four quarters = victory
Donovan (Smith) played amazing. He really had a great game. We complimented him with the things that he was doing. One of our focuses coming into the game was being able to throw the ball against a really good defense. The running game wasn't there like we wanted it to be, but we opened it up with the pass game, and we were able to do what we needed to do to get the win. We had a theme this week: blocking + tackling for four quarters = a victory. We never quit and accomplished that mission.
Playing with pride
This win means so much for this team. Coach Holgorsen puts in so much effort into making this program great and we've been working hard as a team since January. I'm just thankful to be able to make a play like that for my team. The fans were big for us – especially late in the game. I started my career at Oklahoma State and know the Big 12 is a tough league. Stay patient and hang with us because good things happen to those people that wait. I'm thankful for the people who have been here and showing up to support UH Football. For those that haven't been, tune in and see what we've got.
Next one on the schedule
We know that Texas is a great team. They're doing everything they need to do this year to be one of the contenders at the end but honestly, we're focused on us and are taking this momentum into a new week. Just have to handle our business.
Go Coogs! 🐾
Houston sophomore wide receiver Stephon Johnson made a major splash in the Cougars' first Big 12 win, hauling in the game-winning reception on a Hail Mary as time expired against West Virginia. Hear more about that play and his journey as part of "Cougars Unleashed: The Players' Perspective."
Did that just happen?
It's still so surreal to me to have come down with that catch in a moment like that. With three seconds left on the clock, I was lined up on the right. We know it's all or nothing. We practice the Hail Mary a lot. As I'm running towards the ball, I felt someone push me and I lost my balance. I turned around and saw (Joseph) Manjack make a great play on the ball. It wasn't really planned to be tipped to me, but it happened like that. My first instinct was 'the ball is right there,' so I made a play on it, and the rest is history.
Kevin Eschenfelder's call of @UHCougarFB's game-winning Hail Mary as featured on @SportsCenter. 🎙 pic.twitter.com/QvVFkKPCqT
— Houston Athletics Communications (@UHCougarPR) October 14, 2023
I went to celebrate with the guys. Everyone was jumping around. It was crazy. I remember seeing Coach Holgorsen and he had a big smile on his face like he was about to cry. Once I spotted my mom, she gave me a big hug and told me how proud she was. I almost started crying because it's been an up and down season for me. She always tells me to stay focused, keep doing what I'm doing, keep my faith in God, and that's what I've been doing.
A family decision
Coming to Houston was a decision I made with my family. We felt like it was going to be the best thing for me in the future. It has taken some time to settle in, but I haven't really been chasing anything. I can see my role increasing, but we have a lot of great receivers in our room, and I don't want to take light away from any of those guys. They make plays and whenever I can come in and make a play, that's what I'm going to do. I'm just thankful to even be here and be mentioned with those guys. Being here in Houston means a lot to my family. It's where I grew up and they're able to come to a lot more games because of that decision to transfer back home.
Blocking + tackling for four quarters = victory
Donovan (Smith) played amazing. He really had a great game. We complimented him with the things that he was doing. One of our focuses coming into the game was being able to throw the ball against a really good defense. The running game wasn't there like we wanted it to be, but we opened it up with the pass game, and we were able to do what we needed to do to get the win. We had a theme this week: blocking + tackling for four quarters = a victory. We never quit and accomplished that mission.
Playing with pride
This win means so much for this team. Coach Holgorsen puts in so much effort into making this program great and we've been working hard as a team since January. I'm just thankful to be able to make a play like that for my team. The fans were big for us – especially late in the game. I started my career at Oklahoma State and know the Big 12 is a tough league. Stay patient and hang with us because good things happen to those people that wait. I'm thankful for the people who have been here and showing up to support UH Football. For those that haven't been, tune in and see what we've got.
FROM THE MAN HIMSELF @BoogieCO22 pic.twitter.com/6WabwWqMk2
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) October 13, 2023
Next one on the schedule
We know that Texas is a great team. They're doing everything they need to do this year to be one of the contenders at the end but honestly, we're focused on us and are taking this momentum into a new week. Just have to handle our business.
Go Coogs! 🐾
Players Mentioned
WR
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