Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Houston 35, Southern Methodist 9

It’s a pattern that has repeated itself all season: the Cougars start out slowly against an inferior opponent and fall behind. Sometimes they lose (UTSA, Tulane). But sometimes the opponent is just so bad that the Coogs can’t help but win. Such was the case last Friday in Dallas: after an early score, the Cougars fell behind the winless SMU Mustangs and trailed at halftime, 7-9. But the Cougars held the Ponies scoreless in the second half, while the offense scored 28 straight points, and Houston notched its seventh win of the season.

The Good: Kenneth Farrow had another monster game, carrying the ball 18 times for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. Quarterback Greg Ward rushed another 14 times for 93 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougar defense, meanwhile, held SMU to a single touchdown, ten first downs and 223 total yards for the entire game.

The Bad: Houston’s sluggish first-half start included a missed field goal, two failed fourth down conversion attempts, an interception, two sacks and a safety. It really was some truly awful football. Fortunately, they got it together in the second half.

The Ugly: See above.

What it Means: The Coogs secure a winning season with the win. The regular season ends with a trip to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats next Saturday.

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