Football Sports

Keenum, Farrow highlight The Cougar’s All-Decade Offensive Team

By the time All-Decade Team member Case Keenum graduated in 2011, the quarterback had two Sammy Baugh Trophy Awards, the NCAA career-record for passing yards (19,217), touchdowns (155) and completions (1,546) and two Heisman Trophy top-10 appearances to his name. | File photo

By the time All-Decade Team member Case Keenum graduated in 2011, the quarterback had two Sammy Baugh Trophy Awards, the NCAA career-record for passing yards (19,217), touchdowns (155) and completions (1,546) and two Heisman Trophy top-10 appearances to his name. | File photo

Houston wrapped up not only a 4-8 season on Nov. 30 against Navy, but also a decade of football.

From 2010 to 2019, the Cougars grew as a program — in doing so, jumped conferences, switched between seven head coaches, enjoyed upsets galore and amassed an 80-48 record.

While the Cougars rose up the ranks of college football respectability, many of the program’s greats made their marks in a program-altering decade.

In celebration of those players, here is The Cougar’s All-Decade Offensive Team:

QB: Case Keenum, 2007-11

Yes, Keenum played just 17 games in the 2010s, but who else would it be? By the time he graduated in 2011, the quarterback had two Sammy Baugh Trophy Awards, the NCAA career-record for passing yards (19,217), touchdowns (155) and completions (1,546) and two Heisman Trophy top-10 appearances to his name. 

Keenum raised the bar for quarterbacking at the University of Houston. – A.D. 

RB: Kenneth Farrow, 2012-15

A three-year team captain, Farrow finished his UH career as one of the program’s most storied running backs. At the conclusion of his 2015 campaign, he was second all-time in rushing touchdowns (34), third in attempts (560) and fourth in yards (2,975).

He rushed for 950-plus yards in back-to-back seasons to close out his collegiate career. – A.D. 

WR: Tyron Carrier, 2007-11

Before he became the receivers coach at UH, Carrier was one of the best wideouts in school history for the Cougars.

Carrier boasts the record for most all-purpose yards (5,941) in program history while being one of two to record multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons after he did so back-to-back in 2008 and 2009.

He was less than 50 yards away from achieving the feat a third time his senior season. – J.R.

WR: Patrick Edwards, 2008-11

One of Keenum’s go-to targets, Edwards stands as an all-time great in UH history. The 5-foot-9 wide-out tallied 4,507 receiving yards, 43 receiving touchdowns and 291 receptions in four seasons with the Cougars, good for first, first and second in Houston history.

His 1,752-yard and 20-touchdown 2011 is considered as one of the greatest single-seasons for a UH wideout. – A.D.

WR: Demarcus Ayers, 2013-15

Ayers played a critical role in Houston’s American Athletic Conference championship season in 2015, leading the AAC with 98 receptions and ranking 18th nationally with 1,222 yards.

The receiver, now with the XFL’s New York Guardians, also had a game-high nine receptions for 82 yards and a 20-yard touchdown pass in the Cougars win over the Florida State Seminoles in the Peach Bowl.  – J.R.

OT: Josh Jones, 2016-19

One of two graduating seniors to make the All-Decade team, Jones finished his 2019 season with an AAC All-Conference Second Team notch on his belt. Analytics firm Pro Football Focus dubbed him as an All-American first-team member for his play at left tackle, to which he allowed four pressures in 2019. – A.D.

OL: Chris Thompson, 2007-11

Thompson’s presence on the offensive line was pivotal in the success of Keenum and the Cougars early in the decade. 

Helping block for an offense that ranked nationally in the top-15 in passing, total and scoring offense, Thompson was named to the 2010 All-Conference USA First Team.

His offensive line that year averaged just one sack a game, which led the conference and was No. 15 in the country. – J.R.

C: Will Noble, 2015-18 

Noble found success at Houston as soon as he stepped on the field his freshman year in 2015, earning Freshman All-American honors from USA Today, ESPN, Scout.com and FWAA.

That year he commanded an O-line that led Houston to the No. 10 scoring offense at 40.4 points per game.

Starting all 25 games in his final two seasons, Noble helped Houston’s offensive line not allow a sack 10 times, including in matchups against Arizona (twice), SMU and Navy. 

With Noble at center in 2018, Houston’s scoring offense (46.4 points per game) ranked fourth nationally, while its total offense (528.6 yards per game) ranked sixth. – J.R.

OG: Rowdy Harper, 2011-14

Harper, a four-year starter for the Cougars (53 games), played anywhere when called upon, taking snaps at right tackle, left tackle, left guard and right guard throughout his career. Ultimately, he played his last two seasons at both guard positions, earning 2014 AAC All-Conference First Team in the process. – A.D.

OT: Alex Cooper, 2013-15

Cooper came to UH as a defensive end. After a redshirt freshman year, he converted to offensive line, where he stuck. Following two seasons as a jumbo package blocker, Cooper settled in at right tackle. At the end of his senior year, he started at three different positions — left tackle, left guard, and right tackle — en route to an AAC All-American Second Team honor. – A.D. 

TE: Romello Brooker, 2014-18

Brooker redshirted in 2014 and saw mostly special teams action with sparse offensive snaps from 2015 to 2017.

But 2018 saw the 6-foot-5-inch Brooker explode onto the scene for the Cougars, catching 33 passes for 409 yards and seven touchdowns, which led all tight ends in The American. 

His biggest moment came in Houston’s game against Arizona last year, a 45-18 Cougars win over former coach Kevin Sumlin that saw Brooker lead UH in receiving with a touchdown and 76 yards, including a career-long catch for 52. – J.R.

[email protected]

Leave a Comment