The Cougars will be looking to continue their strong offense as they head to Tulsa for a matchup with the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane, their first conference game of the year. | File photo/The Cougar
The Houston Cougars (3-0) will put their unblemished record on the line, Saturday morning, when they travel to Oklahoma to take on the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-1).
Tulsa will be looking to bounce back from their 52-38 loss to No. 16 University of Oklahoma in week three, where they were a 32-point underdog.
Despite the loss, Tulsa had plenty of positives to take from the game, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
Junior quarterback Dane Evans threw for a career high of 427 yards and four touchdowns. Senior running back Zack Langer added 161 rushing yards and a score on 31 carries.
The Hurricane are coming off a bye week that will certainly aide their efforts, as they were given extra time to nurture injuries and prepare for a team that has been rolling since the start of the season.
The Cougars are riding a tidal wave of momentum in head coach Tom Herman’s inaugural season. They look to carry that into conference play in their second road games of the year.
The offensive prowess seen in their first two games continued last week against Texas State University to the tune of a 42-7 lead at halftime, and UH totaled nearly 700 yards by the final whistle.
The defense played well, holding Texas State to 401 total yards, with 100 of them coming against the second string in the final quarter.
The defense also generated four turnovers, including senior corner back William Jackson III’s 35-yard interception return for a touchdown.
About the Opponent
Evans leads a prolific passing attack for the Hurricane that trails just five teams in the nation.
He averages 390 passing yards per game and has two dynamic receivers to support him in senior Keyarris Garrett and junior Keevan Lucas.
Both Garrett and Lucas pose considerable threats to any opposing defense, as they rank third and 10th in the nation in receiving yards.
Matched up against a UH secondary known for giving up big plays, they are poised for great performances Saturday.
Tulsa’s defense, however, has been statistically bad in their first three games, placing them 120 overall in defensive standings.
The brunt of their woes have been in the passing game where they rank 110, allowing 305 yards a game.
Player to Watch
Junior quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. has played with consistent efficiency this year and will take full advantage of Tulsa’s pass defense.
His confidence is growing by the day. He had his culminating moment last week against Texas State, completing 81 percent of his passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
The matchup between Houston’s high-powered offense and Tulsa’s below-average defense favors Houston and lends itself to another stellar performance for Ward.
Prediction
The most recent meeting of these two teams was last November and was a high-scoring game where UH edged Tulsa 38-28.
Saturday will produce similar results but this time the offenses will be even more potent.
UH will take the win over Tulsa, 48-35.
How to Watch
The Cougars matchup will be featured on CBS Sports Network, with kickoff set for 11 a.m.
