Redshirt freshman running back Stacy Sneed had another big game on the ground, rushing for a career-high 143 yards and two touchdowns for UH football in the win over Temple on Saturday afternoon at TDECU Stadium. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar
Down 36-35, freshman receiver Matthew Golden made a diving touchdown grab on a ball from senior quarterback Clayton Tune from 44 yards out to lift UH over Temple 43-36 on Saturday afternoon at TDECU Stadium.
With the win, UH is bowl eligible at 6-4.
Down 19-14 at the half, UH wasted no time to begin the second half, needing only three plays to jump back in front.
A 32-yard run by redshirt freshman Stacy Sneed followed by a 23-yard touchdown rush put UH up 21-19 just over a minute into the third quarter.
The Cougars tacked on to their lead later in the third quarter as senior quarterback Clayton Tune connected with senior tight end Christian Trahan from 10 yards out for a touchdown.
Temple responded, stringing together an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended in quarterback E.J. Warner throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass.
UH answered back as Sneed continued to be a problem for the Temple defense, rushing for 23 and 24 yards on consecutive plays to set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Tune to junior receiver Nathaniel Dell.
With yards on receptions, Dell surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season.
Temple made a short field goal midway through the fourth to cut the deficit to six. After a Sneed fumble, a 6-yard screen pass to receiver Zae Baines on fourth and down and a made extra point gave the Owls a 36-35 lead with 1:22 remaining.
This set up Golden’s heroics late to power UH past Temple 43-36.
Tune finished with 289 yards and three touchdowns through the air while adding another score on the ground.
Sneed ran for a career-high 143 yards and Dell led the UH receivers with 98 yards on 12 catches.
Despite the win, the UH secondary struggled after Houston’s slugfest with SMU last week.
Warner shredded apart the UH secondary on the game’s opening drive, completing all six of his passes for 74 yards highlighted by a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Martin-Robinson.
On its next possession, the Temple offense was driving in UH territory before being stopped on fourth-and-2.
The Cougars took advantage of the turnover on downs, converting two fourth downs, including a fourth-and-12 in which Tune escaped a sack and connected with redshirt freshman receiver Samuel Brown for a gain of 15, on the way to evening the game up on a 2-yard touchdown rush by Sneed.
UH immediately got the ball back as junior defensive back Noah Guzman forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, which he recovered at the Temple 33-yard line.
Tune rewarded the UH special teams effort with a 16-yard touchdown rush on a quarterback draw.
After turning a second-and-26 into a first-and-goal at the UH 7, the Cougars’ defense held stout to force an apparent Owls field goal attempt. What was supposed to be a chip shot turned into a 10-yard touchdown as Temple reached into its bag of tricks and ran a fake field goal to perfection for a touchdown. Temple missed the extra point, keeping UH football ahead 14-13.
A quick UH three-and-out and shanked punt gave Temple prime field position.
It took the Owls just three plays to once again find the end zone as running back Edward Saydee put the Owls back in front with a 2-yard score. Attempting to make it a 7-point game, Temple tried a two-point conversion but failed.
