The Cougars have met with the Pittsburgh Panthers twice in the past, dating back to 1996 and 1997, and currently split the series 1-1. Houston looks to shut down the aggressive Pittsburgh offense with a stout defense ranking 11th nationally. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Cougars are set to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers on Jan. 2 in Fort Worth for the 2015 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl and are looking bring their rollercoaster of a season to a strong end. The Cougars will need to be on top of their game to take down a persistent Pittsburgh team that is accented by a powerful offensive line and rushing game.
- Adrian McDonald – Third in the American Athletic Conference with five interceptions and second with three fumble recoveries, the junior safety has been a consistent figurehead for the nationally acclaimed Houston defense. McDonald recorded 66 tackles in his third season and led the Cougars in their 32-game streak of a forced turnover. McDonald has the power to turn the game around in an instant and will have to take advantage of every ball that takes to the air as the Panthers will rely heavily on sophomore running back James Conner, ranking fifth nationally with 139.6 yards per game.
- Greg Ward Jr. – The sophomore quarterback turned the Cougars around early in the season as he lead Houston to three consecutive wins on three straight starts after taking the helm from fellow sophomore John O’Korn. Ward passed for nine touchdowns on 1,736 yards this season, ranking him eighth nationally among quarterbacks with a 67.8 passing percentage. The sophomore becomes a double-threat as he rushed for six touchdowns and 643 yards. Ward needs to establish the Cougars in either the passing or rushing game early on against Pittsburgh to make sure the Cougars can stay ahead of the adjustments of the Panthers’ defense.
- Deontay Greenberry – Serving as Houston’s leading receiver with four touchdowns and 756 yards, Greenberry is now just three receptions shy of becoming the school’s eighth player to hit 200 career receptions. The junior receiver ranks third among receivers in the AAC with 6.2 receptions per game and, if he can avoid drops, Greenberry can be the playmaker that Houston will need to run seams through the Pittsburgh defense.
- Efrem Oliphant – As the Panthers will be putting strong faith in running back Conner, senior linebacker Efrem Oliphant will be the key to shutting down the Pittsburgh running campaign. After filling in for senior middle linebacker Derrick Matthews, Oliphant has kept the Cougars’ defense on top of opposing offenses. Leading the team and ranking second in the AAC with 130 tackles on the year, Oliphant looks to continue his dominance in Friday’s game against a tough offensive line as the Cougars sit 11th nationally, allowing 19.5 points per game.
