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Round table: Can Ward continue his play in second half of the season?

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The Cougars reach the mid-way point of the season at 6-0, but the back half of the schedule promises to challenge them. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

In this week’s round table, The Cougar sports staff takes a look at the recent play of quarterback Greg Ward Jr. and who presents the toughest challenge to the Cougars in the back half of the season.


The Cougars are now at the halfway point of the season, undefeated and ranked, but they have some difficult games coming up. Which team do you think offers the most resistance to the Cougars in the last half of the year?

Staff writer Michael Calderon: Though it may not be much of a surprise, University of Memphis has to be the biggest obstacle between the Cougars and the American Athletic Conference Championship. After upsetting No. 13 Ole Miss, the Tigers have leapfrogged the Cougars in the national rankings and represent the standard in the American Athletic Conference. Additionally, when Memphis comes to town in November, they will have extra motivation after having lost three straight games to the Cougars and that makes them very dangerous.

Sports editor Bryce Dodds: I think the Navy will be the toughest game for the Cougars. It’ll be their last regular season game, and fatigue will be wearing, not to mention any other injuries they may sustain. The Midshipmen also run a highly effective triple option run game, which the Cougars will have to prepare well for. UH has done a good job defending against the run so far, but Navy is a whole new kind of challenge.

What do you think is the biggest weakness of this team?

Staff writer Adam Coleman: It may be small, but the one flaw in the Cougars’ high powered scoring attack is the kicking game. The Cougars are only 1-4 on kicks from 40 yards and 5-9 total for the year. Having a great kicking game is a huge asset in college football.

Staff writer Shardanna Jones: I’ve had concerns about the secondary, but I’m seeing improvement. My concerns aren’t so much within the team, but with penalties and playing on the road. Although they are undefeated, playing on the road is a different atmosphere as you must create your own energy. I just hope the Cougars can maintain their energy throughout the season and keep the penalties to a minimum so that they won’t cost themselves not only yardage, but also points on the board like they did against Tulsa.

Do you think Greg Ward Jr. can keep up the rushing touchdowns? Would you like to see him transition to more of a pass-first style?

AC: Ward is perfectly made for college football. He’s a superior athlete and can pass well enough to where you have to respect his arm.  I personally would love to see him on the next level. If he wants to play quarterback, he’s going to have to prove he can play from the pocket. I think he’s capable of doing that, and the more time he spends with head coach Tom Herman, the better. There’s a saying that you want a quarterback who’s an athlete, not an athlete who’s a quarterback.

SJ: No question. Ward will have more than 20 touchdowns by season’s end. I actually would like to see more passing plays from him, but I wouldn’t say I’d like to see him transition to a solely passing quarterback. His advantage and edge comes from the fact that he’s also good with his feet. If that is what helps Houston win games, I see no need to change that, but as far as being a Heisman contender, he may need to show that he’s well-rounded more consistently.

How do you think the Cougars play next week against University of Central Florida?

MC:  After losing to the Knights last year on a last second fumble, the Cougars will be highly motivated to put that behind them. Though Ward and company will probably never admit it, any competitor would want to make amends with a win this season. It only helps that UCF is struggling this year, particularly on offense where they rank dead last in total offense and rushing offense and have yet to put a notch in the win column. The Cougars should dominate all phases of the game and win in convincing fashion come Saturday.

BD: While UCF has been one of the standards for the American Athletic Conference in the past few years, this season is a much different story. The Knights are still winless, and the Cougars hope to pile onto that. I expect the score to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 35-14, and expect more fireworks from Ward. This will be a good week to make sure everything is right before heading into the final five-game gauntlet the Cougars will face.

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