UH captures Ward’s versatility

About a month ago during practice, head coach Tony Levine called over freshman Greg Ward Jr. to see if he could catch a punt.

“If you can catch Richie Leone’s punt, you can catch anybody’s punt,” Levine says.

He caught it.

“Alright, he’s a natural,” Levine says.

Then, he and the other coaches wanted to see if he could catch the ball while running a couple of routes. Again, he caught them.

“OK. He can play receiver.”

Versatility

Regardless of the two routes he ran, it’s certain that the degree of difficulty of those were incomparable to the dual-threat quarterback’s 19-yard touchdown in UH’s shutout win, 34-0, against SMU at Reliant Stadium on Friday.

Freshman quarterback John O’Korn looked like he was attempting to throw the ball out of the end zone, as he was attempting to avoid the sack, scrambling toward the sideline. Ward’s leaping reception, in which he used good balance to keep one foot in bounds, gave the Cougars a three-possession lead.

“He’s a great athlete, so you can put him anywhere,” said junior receiver Daniel Spencer. “He can throw the ball, catch the ball and punt return; hats off to him. He’s one of the best that we have.”

The touchdown made Ward the first Cougar to pass, rush and receive a score since Anthony Alridge in 2007. Because of Ward’s ability to play a multitude of positions, Levine called him one of the most athletic players on the team. Ward was originally recruited as a cornerback.

Ward was lined up at quarterback, receiver and punt returner on Saturday; however, he was unable to showcase his returning skills, as all three of his return opportunities were fair catches. He even rushed the ball on a few draw plays.

“He’s just so gifted with that athletic ability. He’s a competitor. I haven’t seen fear in him in terms of being out there. There are older, faster and bigger guys, and he just wants the football and wants to play and do whatever he can to help us be successful,” Levine said.

“That combination of a young man is what you’re looking for, what you hope you get when you’re talking to young (recruits) in high school. He’s got all those qualities, those intangibles of certainly being very, very successful.”

Ward has not only brought a change of pace for the offense, but he has also forced defenses to play on their heels, which has opened up the door for big-play opportunities.

Difference-maker

• At UTSA, Ward‘s 6-yard touchdown run gave the Cougars their first lead of the game in an early back-and-forth contest.
• Down 17-7 against BYU, Ward’s 69-yard touchdown pass brought UH within striking distance, igniting an offense that struggled early in the first quarter.
• Against Rutgers, he accumulated a career-high 127 total yards (91 rushing, 36 passing), including his 2-yard touchdown run that put an exclamation point in a 49-14 victory.

Although he can play a variety of positions that can pose a threat, Levine said it’s important to put him in the right one in order to be successful, as he doesn’t want Ward to be overwhelmed as far as orchestrating the offense at quarterback, learning receiver calls and participating in special teams meetings.

Levine said he and the coaching staff will have to be creative in how they get the football in Ward’s hands. He played well in his first debut, lining up in many positions, and with a diverse skill set, Levine said Ward’s role will continue to expand.

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