2016 UH Cougar Watch- Battling Navy

The number 6 University of Houston Cougars (5-0, 2-0) are in Annapolis for another The American conference game with Navy  (3-1, 2-0)..

This game will determine early control of The American West Division, and once again will be a challenge for the UH defense to stop Navy's unique in college football triple option attack.

Navy's challenge will be to stop or contain Cougar quarterback Greg Ward, Jr, who is bidding to become the second UH quarterback to win the Heisman trophy.

The Coogs are also trying to stay unbeaten and on track for a possible spot in the College Football Playoff and a repeat The American title.

We'll see if they are successful  in accomplishing all those goals starting at 2 PM CDT.

TransGriot Update:  Coogs were upset by Navy 46-40

2016 UH Cougar Watch- Cougars Beat Cincinnati 40-16

The game was actually closer than the final score indicated, but the number 6 ranked University of Houston Cougars beat the Cincinnati Bearcats 40-16 in front of a national television audience and a sold out Nippert Stadium/

It was The American conference game opener between two unbeaten teams considered the favorites to be playing in The American title game in December.  It was also a clash two teams rumored to be the front runners in the Big XII expansion sweepstakes.

But after a frustrating first half in which they turned the ball over twice and despite moving the ball at ease on the Bearcats went in at halftime tied 10-10,

The Third Ward Defense shut down any Bearcat attempts to run the football, but still managed because of Cougar turnovers to grab a 16-12 fourth quarter lead.

Greg Ward, Jr. then shook off the third quarter end zone interception he threw that the Bearcats converted for their go ahead touchdown to march the Cougars on a clutch drive to take the lead back 19-16, then the defense took over.

They contributed back to back pick sixes as part of that 28 point fourth quarter explosion to move the Cougars to 3-0 on the season and win their opening American conference game.

Will these two teams meet in December?  We'll see. But the Cougars travel to San Marcos next week to take on the Texas State Bobcats in a non conference matchup as they continue on their mission to crash the CFA College Football Playoff party.   .

2016 UH Cougar Watch- Coogs Open The American Conference Play Against Cincinnati

After playing a marathon football game against Lamar that lasted 6 hours and 18 minutes, the number 6 University of Houston footballers take their 2-0 act on the road to Cincinnati for their ESPN televised The American conference opener against the Bearcats.

Yep Cincinnati, the #HTownTakeover is headed your way, and Greg Ward, Jr will be starting this week.

Like UH, the Cincinnati Bearcats are also 2-0 and one of the schools rumored to be in the mix for Big XII expansion.  They would be like the Cougars a logical pick to be granted membership because Cincinnati would give West Virginia a Big XII regional rival and travel partner, but would also bring a quality basketball program to the party as well.

But unfortunately, the Big XII hasn't distinguished themselves in the logical thinking department, so we'll have to see what happens next month on the expansion front.  If I were leading the Big XII I'd be advocating expanding to 14 teams to ensure that if someone bolted for another league I still had the number of teams necessary to have a conference title game.  

But right now it's football season, and the the 2-0 Cougars are on a mission to repeat as The American champs, and make the CFA national championship playoffs as a bonus.  

But it all starts here at Nippert Stadium with a Bearcat team that would love to not only ruin those plans, but avenge last year's 33-30 loss to the Cougars and prove they are also Big XII ready at UH's expense.

Should be a fun game to watch starting at 6:30 PM CDT

2016 UH Cougar Watch- Number 6 UH Runs Over Lamar In Six Hour Game

It took them six hours and 18 minutes, and enduring a 3.5 hour lightning delay for a game that kicked off at 11:AM CDT, but the number 6 ranked University Of Houston Cougars adapted and overcame the adversity to beat the Lamar Cardinals 42-0 during their home opener at TDECU Stadium.

They also handled their collegiate football business without the services of QB Greg Ward, Jr  and running back Duke Catalon.   Ward and Catalon were nursing nagging injuries and held out of this non-conference matchup by the Cougar coaching staff because they want them healed and ready for their ESPN televised American conference opener on the road Thursday against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

So that meant backup senior QB Kyle Postma was at the controls of the explosive Cougar offense, and FYI people, there is no talent drop off when he is in the lineup.

Postma scored on a 39 yard TD run in the first quarter to stake the Coogs to a 7-0 lead they never relinquished before lightning strikes suspended the game with 3:13 left in the first quarter.

Once the game resumed at 3:12 PM,  the Cougars proceeded to run as if they time warped back in the 1970's during the break and were using Bill Yeoman's Veer offense.  They racked up 381 yards on the ground and had three players rush for over 100 yards for the first time since 1974.

Kevrin Justice scored to make it 14-0 with less than a minute to go in the first quarter, and was the first in a series of TD's that broke the game wide open and built a 28-0 halftime lead..


In addition to Postma's career high 106 yards and two TD's on just seven carries, RB' Kevrin Justice added 111 yards and two TD's, and freshman Mulbah Car  rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown as the Coogs ran over around and through the Cardinals to go 2-0 in this young 2016 college football season.

They have a short week plus travel to Cincy as they begin trying to repeat as The American champs and keep the possibility of crashing the CFA championship party alive.

UH Shocks The World Again To Beat No. 3 OU

'Nobody outside Beltway 8, including college football pundits  is giving the number #15 ranked Cougars a chance against a team that was a semifinalist in last year's College Football Playoff and is considered a favorite for the Big XII title.  But then again, none of the college football pundits thought the 13-1 Cougars could hang with Florida State in the Peach Bowl either.'
-TransGriot, September 3, 2016

Can I call it or what?

Once again, the University of Houston Cougars have shocked the college football world and beaten a top ranked football program nobody thought they were capable of beating.  They were a 13 point underdog going into this game, and this time it was number 3 ranked Oklahoma that experienced the H-Town Takeover in full effect at a sold out NRG Stadium.

UH earned their first win ever against the Sooners and their first win over a Top-3 ranked program since 1984 (they beat the hell out of the Texas Longhorns,snicker snicker) when they smashed the Big XII preseason favorites 33-23 with a national television audience looking on.

With UH days away from making their formal presentation to join the Big XII Conference, it couldn't come at a better time as far as UH alums are concerned.
The Sooners came out of the gate on fire, going 79 yards in just 8 plays, capped by a 32 yard Joe Mixon TD run on their opening possession. The Coogs answered with a 10 play 71 yard drive of their own that resulted in the first of Ty Cummings' four first half field goals from 35 yard out to cut the OU lead to 7-3.

The Cougar defense then began to show signs of slowing down the potent OU offense, holding them to a 25  yard Austin Seibert field goal to extend the OU lead to 10-3 after the first quarter,

The Cougars began to assert themselves in the second quarter, and after a 14 play 84 yard drive that chewed up 6:16, added another Cummings field goal from 26 yard out to cut the deficit to 10-6.  

The Coogs took their first lead after a 7 play 75 yard drive capped off by a Greg Ward, Jr 15 yard touchdown to a wide open Duke Catalon to go up 13-10.   But that lead evaporated after Baker Mayfield tossed a 64 bomb to Mark Andrews to put the Sooners back up 17-13.   

The undaunted Cougars went back to work chipping away at that Oklahoma lead, getting a 33 yard field goal from Cummings to narrow the deficit to 17-16, and aided by an amazing catch by Linell Bonner III, took the lead on Austin Cummings fourth field goal from 47 yards out with :03 left in the half to go up at the half 19-17.

The backbreaking play came in the third quarter after Oklahoma set up to kick a 53 yard field goal to take the lead, but it fell short and was returned for a kick six by Brandon Wilson to give the Coogs a 26-17 lead they would never relinquish. 



Mayfield tried to bring his team back but the UH defense continued their pattern of the last few years of forcing turnovers, and forced a huge fumble they converted into another touchdown to got up 33-17.
Oklahoma added a touchdown late after UH lost a fumble on the goal line enroute to another score that would have put them up 40-17, but instead they have to be satisfied with a huge 33-23 win.

It marked the first time in UH program history they have beaten Top 5 programs back to back, and the massive win puts them solidly in the discussion for a CFA playoff spot assuming they run the table the rest of the way.

But the most important stat in the game is that the UH Cougars are 1-0.

2016 UH Cougar Watch- Crucial Season Opener At NRG Stadium

My fave college football team starts what has the potential to be a blockbuster 2016 season when they kick off in a few hours against the number 3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners at a sold out NRG Stadium.

Nobody outside Beltway 8, including college football pundits  is giving the number #15 ranked Cougars a chance against a team that was a semifinalist in last year's College Football Playoff and is considered a favorite for the Big XII title.  But then again, none of the college football pundits thought the 13-1 Cougars could hang with Florida State in the Peach Bowl either,

But after an offseason in which they hauled in a recruiting class that ranked number 35 in the nation and included 5 star homeboy DT Ed Oliver, you may not want to sleep on this team.

We'll see if the H-Town Takeover can hang with a team they may have to face on a regular basis if the Big XII does the right thing and invites UH to join

But the start of this season for the Cougars seems to have a lot riding on it.  In addition to being considered for Big XII membership, the defending American Athletic Conference Champs will be trying to prove their 13-1 record last year wasn't a fluke along with the 38-24 Peach Bowl demolition of Florida State.

But as Coach Tom Herman said, that was last year's UH team. This 2016 UH team will have to forge their own legacy, and they can take a major step toward that in a few hours.

“We’re the same disrespected, little American Conference team with a giant chip on our shoulder,” Herman said. “The media and everyone else might have put us in the top 25, (and) that’s based off of what last year’s team did. We haven’t done anything.”

In addition to opening at NRG Stadium with Oklahoma and possessing the best ranking to start a football season since I was walking the campus, they'll also be facing on November 17 a Louisville squad at TDECU Stadium with revenge on their minds along with their opponents in The American who want to repeat on a weekly basis what UConn managed to do last year in upsetting the Coogs.

The Coogs are shooting for a repeat American title, a possible Heisman Trophy for QB Greg Ward, Jr,  and possibly crashing the College Football Playoff party if they can run the table schedule wise.

But the huge piece of that 2016 Cougar college football season puzzle starts at 11:00 AM CDT.