Over the weekend the Cougars made a trip to Louisville to face the Cardinals and earned a victory over a Power Five school in a non-conference road game for the first time since 2009.
Houston was a 12.5-point underdog heading into the game.
Junior quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. showcased his passing range as he completed three touchdown passes to different receivers. Two of them came in the fourth quarter, including the 15-yard pass to junior wide receiver Demarcus Ayers late in the quarter to put Houston ahead of Louisville 34-31 for the win.
The defense forced a couple turnovers that changed the momentum of the game.
Senior safety Trevon Stewart had an interception with a 58-yard return, two tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack, while senior safety Adrian McDonald intercepted his second game in a row. Senior linebacker Elandon Roberts led the Cougars with 12 tackles.
A couple yards into the end zone, junior corner back Brandon Wilson quickly decided to go through with the return instead of taking a knee and became the sixth player in Cougar history to complete a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Cougars offensive line made huge progress against Louisville, helping Houston rush for 226 yards and giving quarterback Greg Ward Jr. more than enough to work in the pocket.
The Cougars win over Louisville raised a lot of eyebrows with Houston trending on social media over the weekend and possibly setting the tone for the season.
One thing is for sure: expect a lot of momentum and a full house at TDECU Stadium when Houston faces Texas State Sept. 26.
