Actually, it's from Fox, 117 teams in 117 days...Good Stuff...Go Coogs!!! Cougars Houston appears to be a program on the rise winning seven games last year and getting to a bowl game. More importantly, the Cougars have become exciting with several fantastic young players to get pumped up about. with that said, there's still a ton of work to be done. Look at Houston's seven wins last year: Rice, UL Lafayette, Mississippi State, East Carolina, Tulane, Army and UAB. None of the seven were within a hundred miles of a bowl game. The defense made little to no overall improvement from the previous regime allowing a whopping 51.3 points per game in their six losses, all to bowl teams. The first step, though, was a good one beating the teams they were supposed to beat. After winning five games in three years, a seven win season is nothing to sneeze at. Now it's time for the next phase which is beating a team with a pulse. The potential is there with QB Kevin Kolb leading an exciting offense. The defense finally has the players, and now has to do something to allow the offense to do its thing. No, this isn't a Conference USA championship team, but Houston has become relevant again. That's a great start. The Schedule: The Cougars will try and follow up a great 2003 season by beating its head against the wall facing Oklahoma and Miami early before going on the road to face Memphis, Southern Miss and TCU in a three game stretch that'll kill all C-USA title hopes. Louisville will be a must win. Best Offensive Player: Sophomore QB Kevin Kolb. If the Southern Miss or TCU quarterback had put up the numbers Kolb did last year, he'd be the runaway choice for first-team All-Conference USA quarterback. Kolb has it all with an accurate arm, mobility and poise beyond his years. He'll be the signature player in the resurgence of Houston football. Best Defensive Player: Senior DE Joe Clay. He's big, strong and impressive at getting into the backfield. He's a tackle sized player with a tremendous first step making seven sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hurries. He also made 87 tackles. Key player to a successful season: The run defense has to be far, far better after allowing 208.7 yards per game and 33 touchdowns. The defensive line should be better, so the linebacking corps has to do its job. It's not a physical group, and senior MLB Ashley Subingsubing has to become a factor to help out leading tackler Lance Everson. The season will be a success if ... Houston gets back to a bowl game. It'll be a near-miracle with this schedule, but there's too much experience and too many good athletes to take a step back now. Key game: Nov. 20 vs. Louisville. If the Cougars can come up with an upset win or two early, the showdown with the Cardinals will be for a shot at a bowl game. Louisville should be the best team in the league, so a win would go a long way to showing how far the Cougar program has come. 2003 Fun Stats: Opponents' scoring: 1st quarter 102, 2nd 108, 3rd 106, 4th 132, OT 20 Fumbles: Houston 40 (lost 19) - Opponents 20 (lost six) Penalties: Houston 111 for 942 yards - Opponents 73 for 635 yards. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004 Recruiting Class Star of the Class Ivory Williams Fr. 5-10 175 WR Central HS Beaumont, Texas Helped lead Central High School to a 10-3 record as a senior.... Was selected to the Port Arthur News Super Team as a defensive back.... Selected First Team, All-District as a defensive back in 2003.... Picked up First Team, All-District honors in 2002 as a kick returner.... Two-time 4A state champion in both the 100- and 200-meters in 2003... At the 2002 5A state meet, took 2nd in the 100-meters and 3rd in the 200-meters... Top times are 10.12 in 100m and 20.62 in 200m.... Also a member of the Junior AAU Track Team and holds the national record in the 4x100-meter relay at 40.54. Instant Impact Players Ryan Gilbert Jr. 5-10 206 RB LSU, Dallas, Texas D.J. Johnson Jr. 6-3 295 DL Garden City CC Houston, Texas The rest of the college teams will be here... Everyone else
It should be an exciting season. Im curious to see how QB Kevin Kolb's sophmore season will be after he had 26 TD's and 5 Ints his freshman year. If U.H.'s defense improves, there will be no reason they wont go bowling next year IMO.
Most exciting team in the country. Oklahoma and Miami are going to need some fireworks to compete with us.
Go Coogs! Non Conference schedule looks rough, we are gonna have to get fat against an improved CUSA. OU should run us like dogs run deer, but I think we can stay close to Miami in Reliant. Maybe for at least 3 quarters.
Props to Art Briles for not being afraid to take on the big boys for non-conference games. I wish more coaches would have the balls to do that. UH athletics sure are looking up with Briles and now Penders.
Aren't non-conference games scheduled years ahead of time? Briles likely didn't have anything to do with these games.
I'm by no means trolling. Marquee teams routinely pull out of road games against small schools because they can book a last minute home game against a directional school and make more money. Thems the facts.
The OU game was scheduled this offseason. Props dont go to Briles for scheduling the games (those go to AD Maggard), props go to Briles for the fact that his coog team will make both games interesting.
Hopefully Miami will play the game as scheduled, they like to recruit Texas kids...and this gives them an opportunity to play in thier home state (without potentially having their butts kicked by the Longhorns.)
The smartest thing Briles did was to let Kolb play all year as a freshman. That could really pay off in another year or two...or even this year.
Why wait? I entered the entire 2004 roster and schedule onto the old game We just lost to OU 40-7 but then stunned Miami 16-0 KOLB FOR HEISMAN
