NEW ORLEANS – Maybe the Cougars thought the Louisiana Superdome was nearly empty Saturday because everyone was late for their matchup against Tulane.’
That would explain why UH waited until halftime to unveil their high-powered offense, scoring 35 points after the break to roll to a 44-16 victory over the Green Wave.
UH’s 9-6 halftime advantage marked the Cougars’ lowest first-half output since they scored 9 against UTEP in 2008.
Center Carl Barnett said the sluggish start may have been the result of the team putting too much pressure on itself.
‘We were making it too hard, like, ‘we have to get this win,” Barnett said. ‘We were making it more like a business trip instead of going out there and having fun.’
The Cougars (5-1, 1-1 Conference USA) had plenty of fun in the second half, much to the dismay of the Green Wave (2-4, 0-3 C-USA), whose tiny ray of hope was snuffed out less than two minutes into the second half.
Quarterback Case Keenum led the Cougars on an eight-play, 60-yard scoring drive on their first possession of the half, capped off by Justin Johnson’s first career rushing touchdown from 3 yards out.
Jordan Mannisto, subbing for Ben Bell after he botched a first-half extra point and field goal, missed his first attempt at an extra point. UH, however, still held a 15-9 lead with 13:02 left in the third quarter.
Running back Bryce Beall, who rushed for 64 yards on 16 carries, took particular delight in seeing Johnson’s first score.
‘It makes me proud,’ Beall said. ‘I feel like a proud father. It felt good to see him have fun and get in (the end zone).’ ‘
Tulane’s first possession of the second half stalled after consecutive penetrations by UH defenders set up a third-and-13. After a failed scramble by Tulane quarterback Joe Kemp, safety Jeremy Smith blocked a punt on fourth down to give the Cougars a first-and-goal at Tulane’s 6-yard-line.
Keenum said the special teams’ play inspired a team that appeared to be somewhat unmotivated.
‘Special teams had that huge play, and I think that kind of ignited us and got us going,’ Keenum said. ‘(Special teams) is something we have been focusing on.’
Two plays later, Keenum connected with wide receiver James Cleveland from 6 yards out to give UH a 22-6 lead with 9:32 remaining in the third quarter. Keenum (30-of-43, 334 yards, two touchdowns) overcame an inconsistent first half to pass for more than 300 yards for the sixth time this season.
Head coach Kevin Sumlin echoed his quarterback’s praises, saying the way the Cougars started the second half couldn’t have been better.
‘Those are the kind of things that on the road, you couldn’t have a better series of events to start the second half,’ Sumlin said. ‘I’m proud of them. I thought they came out and created their own energy.’
The Cougars upped their lead to 29-6 when Beall scored from 1-yard out with 3:19 left in the third quarter. The biggest play of the drive occurred when Keenum found wide-open wide receiver Chaz Rodriguez-who had a game-high six receptions for 64 yards-for a 34-yard gain that pushed UH into the red zone.
On the last play of the third quarter, Green Wave running back Andre Anderson scampered for 25 yards, giving his team a first-and-goal at the Cougars’ 5. Three plays later, quarterback Ryan Griffin hooked up with fullback Antoine Duplessis to cut Tulane’s deficit to 29-13 with 14:09 remaining in the game.
The Green Wave would not come any closer, though, as UH responded with an 11-play, 74-yard drive that ended in Johnson’s 6-yard rushing touchdown with 11:04 left to play. Johnson followed his run by catching a pass from Keenum for a 2-point conversion that gave the Cougars a 37-13 lead, crushing any chance of a miraculous comeback.
Barnett indicated that the Cougars didn’t need a traditional pep talk from Sumlin at halftime, and that they looked in the collective mirror to diagnose their problems.
‘We were talking amongst ourselves and coach really didn’t have to say much,’ Barnett said. ‘We were like, ‘Come out and have fun. Just let the offense and defense play how we play, and loosen up a little bit.”
Staying loose shouldn’t be a problem, as the team comes home for the first time since beating Texas Tech 29-28 Sept. 26, and the Cougars can expect an eager group of supporters to make this year’s Homecoming a memorable one.
Linebacker Marcus McGraw is eager to cash in on the additional perks of playing at home.
‘We’re really excited to get back to (Robertson Stadium),’ McGraw said. ‘It feels like forever (since we last played there). We’re excited to get back in front of our screaming fans and just have fun at home.’
