EL PASO--The Houston defense took a pounding from Texas-El Paso during Saturday’s game, but stepped up when it mattered most.
With the Cougars holding a slim three-point lead and UTEP facing a fourth-and-1 at the its 35-yard line with less than two minutes, Miners quarterback Trevor Vittatoe dropped back and threw a sideline pass in the direction of backup quarterback/wide receiver Lorne Sam.
It looked to be a sure catch and first down for UTEP, but Cougars sophomore safety Brandon Brinkley batted the ball out of Sam’s hands.
Houston took over with 1:22 remaining after the turnover-on-downs and ran out the clock to seal a 34-31 victory before 35,116 fans at the Sun Bowl.
With the win, Houston (5-3, 4-1 Conference USA) kept its grip on first place in the C-USA West Division. The Cougars are a game ahead of Tulsa (5-3, 3-2).
Saturday’s game was a seesaw battle between two high-powered offenses with Houston racking up 520 yards of total offense and UTEP (4-4, 2-2) countering with 369 yards.
Houston senior running back Anthony Alridge surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season (1,063) with his 204-yard performance.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Case Keenum led the Cougars with three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing). Keenum’s lone touchdown pass--a 5-yarder to senior wide receiver Perry McDaniel--put the Cougars up 27-24 in the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Keenum finished 13-of-20 passing with 116 yards and he rushed for 88 yards on 10 carries.
Freshman running back Terrance Ganaway scored on a 1-yard touchdown run that put the Cougars ahead for good with 7:01 remaining in the game.
UTEP running back Marcus Thomas carried the Miners’ rushing attack with 178 yards on 28 carries, but failed to get into the endzone.
Similar to the second half, the two teams slugged it out in the first half.
The Miners struck first with a 57-yard field goal by kicker Jose Martinez.
The Cougars did not find an offensive rhythm until the end of the first quarter when Keenum scored from 12 yards out to give Houston a 7-3 lead.
UTEP answered on its next drive, regaining the lead when Sam found tight end Jamar Hunt on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 12:57 left in the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff return, McDaniel could only get to the nine-yard line, leaving the Cougars with horrendous field position. Houston went three-and-out and gave UTEP great field position at the Cougars 39.
Two plays later, Vittatoe found wide receiver Joe West on a 34-yard touchdown strike that upped the Miners’ lead to 17-7.
Keenum cut the deficit to three with a 20-yard touchdown run with 7:31 left in the second quarter.
Houston senior kicker T.J. Lawrence connected on a 19-yard field goal to tie the game at 17 before halftime.
