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Football Travels to Dallas for Second Time in 2008
Oct. 17, 2008
GAME 6
DALLAS - The University of Houston football team will makes its second trip this season to Gerald J. Ford Stadium when it meets Conference USA rival SMU at 7 p.m., Saturday. UH's scheduled home game against Air Force on Sept. 13 was moved to Ford Stadium in Dallas due to Hurricane Ike. The Cougars (3-3, 2-0 C-USA West) enter this weekend's game after evening their season record Oct. 9 with a thrilling, come-from-behind 45-20 win over Conference USA rival UAB on John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium. Trailing 20-3 early in the third quarter, the Cougars mounted an impressive comeback, outscoring the Blazers 42-0 during the final 30 minutes. The 17-point comeback tied for the second biggest in UH history, equaling the record set by the 1990 Cougar team against Texas A&M. This weekend's game features two of the nation's top passing offenses with the Cougars ranking second and the Mustangs coming at No. 11. Combined, the two teams throw for nearly 700 yards per game.
With 360 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 24-of-36 passing against UAB, Keenum recorded his seventh straight game with at least 300 yards and was honored Monday as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week. When the Cougars go through the air, senior tight end Mark Hafner is a regular target, posting 42 catches and eight touchdowns to lead all players. Freshman wide receiver Tyron Carrier is a close second with 41 catches for 403 yards and four touchdowns, while freshman wide receiver Patrick Edwards leads the team with 501 receiving yards, adding 38 catches and three touchdowns. Despite the reputation of their aerial attack, the Cougars also boast a strong ground game, led by freshman Bryce Beall, who has posted 452 yards and four touchdowns on only 66 carries this season. Defensively, junior linebacker Matt Nicholson paces the Cougars with 51 tackles, including 28 solo stops, while senior defensive end Phillip Hunt leads the team with eight sacks and 10 tackles for a loss of 58 yards. After tying his career high with three sacks of mobile UAB quarterback Joe Webb in the last game, Hunt was honored Monday as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week. Junior cornerback Brandon Brinkley leads the Cougars with three interceptions, including a 35-yard return for touchdown against UAB that gave the Cougars the lead for good.
The Cougars enter Saturday's game as winners of their last two and five of their last six games against the Mustangs. Only a 29-24 setback on Nov. 19, 2005, in Houston prevented a much longer Cougar winning streak. The Cougars also have enjoyed tremendous success on the road against SMU, winning seven of the 10 meetings in Dallas, including a 37-27 win on Nov. 11, 2006, in the most recent game there.
True freshman quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell leads the SMU offense, throwing for 1,912 yards and 17 touchdowns on 151-of-263 passing. Junior wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders tops the wideouts with 51 catches for 744 yards and has added six touchdowns, while sophomore wide receiver Aldrick Robinson is tops with eight touchdowns and is a close second on the team with 38 catches for 723 yards. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Justin Smart leads the team with 59 tackles, including 37 solo stops, while sophomore defensive end Youri Yenga tops the Mustangs with 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss of 37 yards. Junior defensive back Bryan McCann leads SMU with a pair of interceptions, while three other Mustang defenders have added a pickoff apiece.
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