Win streak snapped
Applewhite has decisions to make after loss snaps winning streak
Red Raiders end Cougars’ run of home success.
Four games into his head coaching career, Major Applewhite has a tough decision at the quarterback position.
Does Applewhite stay with struggling Kyle Allen?
Or does he give backup Kyle Postma a shot when the University of Houston visits Temple on Saturday in their American Athletic Conference opener?
“Every job is open,” Applewhite said after a 27-24 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday at TDECU Stadium, snapping the Cougars’ nation-best, 16-game home winning streak.
Clearly, though, UH has some important evaluations to make this week after the mistake-prone offense committed four turnovers and is searching for an identity.
Applewhite replaced Allen — who threw two interceptions and lost a fumble — with Postma with 7:26 remaining and the Cougars down 17 points. With Texas Tech deep off the line of scrimmage in prevent defense, Postma led the Cougars to a pair of touchdown drives in the final 4:29. Postma was 8-of-13 for 100 yards and had four carries for a teamhigh 52 yards.
“(Postma) was going to give us the best opportunity at that point when the complexion of the game changed and started to get that way coveragewise,” Applewhite said. “I thought he did a great job. He came in, took care of the football and led us on some scoring drives.”
Allen’s landing rough
Allen, who has started all three games for the Cougars, was 24-of-39 for 217 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. In three games, Allen has committed six turnovers — four interceptions and two fumbles.
Against Tech, Allen’s second pass of the game was intercepted by Dakota Allen to set up a 32-yard field goal by Michael Ewton. His second interception came early in the third quarter with the Cougars in position to take their first lead. On third down, Allen was flushed out of the pocket, rolled right, threw across the middle, where Jordyn Brooks picked off the pass inside the 10-yard line.
‘Costly lesson’
Applewhite said Allen was “trying to make too much happen” making a play instead of settling for a field goal that would have tied the game at 13.
“It’s a costly lesson, and I know where Kyle is mentally right now and I know how he’s beating himself up, because I’ve been that guy,” Applewhite said. “It stings. He wants to win just like all of us.”
UH (2-1) stayed in the game thanks to its defense and missed opportunities by the Red Raiders, who missed two field goals, dropped a sure-thing touchdown and were called for 15 penalties.
Texas Tech (3-0) used three plays that accounted for 234 of its 521 yards — including a 77-yard touchdown catch by Keke Coutee and 84-yard run by Justin Stockton. Otherwise, the Cougars held Tech to half its season scoring average and 4-of-16 on third down conversions. Couldn’t find rhythm
Nic Shimonek was 29of-45 for 321 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Coutee finished with 11 catches for 161 yards and Stockton had 102 rushing yards.
“For me, I’m a sore loser. I don’t take losing very well,” safety Garrett Davis said. “We have to be critical of ourselves and figure out exactly what it is we can do to get better and clean up the things that we didn’t do very well.”
Texas Tech led 13-0 before Caden Novikoff hit a career-long 45-yard field goal midway through the second quarter. D’Eriq King, who made his season debut after missing two games with a knee injury, provided a spark with an 18-yard touchdown catch to pull UH within 13-10.
From that point, UH had two turnovers and four punts on its next six possessions.
“It’s just hard when you can’t get into a rhythm,” wide receiver Steven Dunbar said.
With UH down 27-10, Postma entered the game and led a 10-play, 73-yard drive that was capped by his 9-yard touchdown run. He also hooked up with Linell Bonner for a 4-yard score with 15 seconds left.
“Eventually for our offense it was way too late and we had dug too deep a hole,” Applewhite said.
The loss was the first for UH at home since a 31-24 setback to Tulane on Nov. 8, 2014. It also snapped a streak of seven straight wins against teams from Power Five conferences.
“This one stings,” Applewhite said. “We have to get over it and move on and understand there are eight games left to play.”