HOUSTON'S LOSS IS A HEAD-SCRATCHER
By mark rogers
October 4, 2009
UTEP beat Houston at the Sun Bowl late last night.
If you'd have told me before the season this was going to happen, I wouldn't have been surprised. But after the first few weeks of the season, it's a complete shock.
Let's go back one week to the Texas/UTEP box score.
UT held the Miners to 7 first downs. UTEP was 1-12 on third down. They completed nine passes and averaged .4 yards per rush (a total of 9 yards). UTEP racked up an impressive 53 total yards.
Granted, UT is the #2 team in the nation, and the game was in Austin. But it clearly proved that UTEP is not a very strong football team.
Then we go to Houston...a team that upset #5 Oklahoma State on the road then beat a Texas Tech team that was a few plays away from beating Texas in Austin.
Houston looked really good. People were starting to yell for the BCS. Case Keenum was being listed next to Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy on Heisman watch lists.
Then they went to the Sun Bowl. And lost.
And just looking at the box score really doesn't explain it.
Houston had 42 first downs. UTEP had 26.
Houston had 664 total yards. 83 more yards than the Miners.
Both teams were fairly efficient on third down.
But the Miners proved why running the football is so important.
They rushed for 305 yards while the Cougars only ran for 128. UTEP had the ball three more minutes than Houston. UTEP forced two turnovers and didn't turn it over once.
All those things are key.
And I noticed something else: UTEP outscored UH in the 3rd quarter 20-3. Not a big deal if you remember that OSU outscored UH 21-0 in their loss to the Cougs.
So what was the difference?
Houston got some breaks against the Cowboys in the fourth quarter of that game and held OSU to just 7 points while scoring 21.
Last night against UTEP, Houston scored 21 in the fourth, but they also allowed 21. And UTEP had a 70+ yard fumble return for a TD late in the game that sealed it.
Crazy to think that a team that totaled...TOTALED...53 yards against Texas could score 58 points against Houston.
Blame it on the late night game. Blame it on playing on the road. Blame it on Houston looking past UTEP to their big road game against SEC foe Mississippi State. Blame it on whatever you want. But Houston should NOT have lost that game.
And I hate to say it, but as much as I'd love for Keenum to be in the Heisman talks...his Heisman campaign is probably over.
I know he had a great night last night. A career night.
But if UH is out of the national spotlight...so will be there leader.
Unfortunate, but that's how it works.
Houston still has a shot to win the conference, but their bid for the BCS was shot into outer space when the clock hit all zeros at the Sun Bowl.
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