Sophomore QB D’Eriq King replaced senior Kyle Postma on Saturday. The former Cougars’ receiver sprinted his way to 220 total yards and three scores. | Courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, USA TODAY Sports
The American Athletic Conference announced Monday that sophomore quarterback D’Eriq King has been named Offensive Player of the Week after he led an improbable comeback victory against the No. 17 South Florida Bulls on Saturday.
The recognition is the fourth time a Cougar has taken home a conference weekly honor this season and the first time King has in his career.
King accounted for a total of 220 yards and three touchdowns in the Cougars’ 28-24 win, which effectively snapped the Bulls’ nation-leading 12-game win streak. Previously used as a utility wide receiver and return man, the sophomore’s remarkable performance in Saturday’s win marked the first game that he received the lion’s share of snaps.
“D’Eriq did a great job of making plays with his feet, making throws in the passing game and ultimately being competitive and handling the situation down the stretch in the final two minutes,” said head coach Major Applewhite in a Monday news conference. “I just want to see consistency from that position for our overall offensive success.”
Senior QB Kyle Postma started the game — presumably on thin ice after a pair of late-game turnovers against Memphis — but was removed following just one lackluster drive.
The change at QB marked the second time this season Applewhite has switched lead signal-callers after junior Kyle Allen started the team’s first three games before being replaced by Postma, who started each of the last five.
Applewhite said the team has found its new offensive staple as long as everything goes as planned regarding King’s recovery. He sustained minor injuries on Saturday.
“We will watch him throughout the week, but right now he’s a starter,” Applewhite said. “He took on a lot of hits and was limited yesterday in what he could do, so we have to evaluate that throughout the week and make the best decision. He’s starting Saturday considering everything goes well health-wise.”
Houston returns to TDECU Stadium for a Homecoming Weekend matchup against the East Carolina Pirates. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m Saturday.
