Senior quarterback Donovan Smith in the second quarter of an NCAA football game on Oct. 19 in Kansas City, Mo. | Courtesy of UH Athletics
Houston entered its Oct. 19 matchup against Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium but played as though still stuck in last week’s bye, struggling to shake off the rust and erasing any momentum they had built.
The offensive line allowed six sacks, the defense gave up 220 yards and Cougar quarterbacks ended up on the wrong side of history as senior defensive back Cobee Bryant tied Kansas’ single-game school record with three interceptions.
If that wasn’t enough, Kansas got their first win since week one.
The Jayhawks set the tone early, eating up nearly nine minutes on the opening drive as they traveled 71 yards down the field.
On Houston’s first drive, sophomore quarterback Zeon Chriss threw an interception that immediately turned into a one-play, 48-yard touchdown for the Jayhawks.
On their next possession, Kansas senior quarterback Jalon Daniels connected with senior wide receiver Lawrence Arnold for a miraculous 40-yard catch right along the sideline. The Cougar defense remained silent as senior wide receiver Luke Grimm followed it up with a 37-yard rush to the Houston 1-yard line.
Down three scores, the Cougars scrambled for answers.
Senior quarterback Donovan Smith entered the game in the second quarter, due to a hamstring injury to Chriss. On a crucial drive, junior running back Stacy Sneed caught a pass at the Kansas 10-yard line and brought it into the end zone. Houston cut the deficit further on the next drive when Smith threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Mekhi Mews, making it a two-score game.
However, any hopes of a comeback faded quickly after halftime. Smith threw two more interceptions and the defense collapsed, surrendering two rushing touchdowns and nearly 100 rushing yards in the fourth quarter alone.
Sophomore quarterback Ui Ale finished the game as a result of Kansas pouring on 42 points.
The Cougars now sit at 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. They’ll return home to face Utah on Oct. 26.
