UH GIVES A THRASHING
Cougars take an early lead on way to easy win over Rice.
It had been a stressful week around the University of Houston football offices.
There was a tough season-opening loss to Texas Tech, followed by endless talk about the Cougars joining the Big 12.
Not to mention preparation for the Bayou Bucket rivalry game against Rice.
“There’s been a lot going on,” coach Dana Holgorsen said. “I’ve been stressed out.”
A day after accepting an invitation to join the Big 12, the Cougars could finally relax Saturday night. Freshman Alton McCaskill scored the first three touchdowns of his collegiate career to lead the Cougars to a 44-7 victory over the Owls before a crowd of 26,253 at Rice Stadium.
UH (1-1) has beaten Rice (0-2) six straight times in the Bayou Bucket, tied for the longest winning streak in the series between crosstown rivals. UH also won six in a row from 1987-92.
The victory was the first for the Cougars since last Nov. 14 against South Florida — a span of 301 days.
“We all know we needed a win,” Holgorsen said. “Just get the taste out of our mouths more than anything. It’s been a while since we won.”
Saturday was hardly perfect, but nonetheless a much-needed win and boost for the Cougars, who struggled offensively in the second half of a 17-point loss to Texas Tech in the season opener. It was also a bounce-back performance for quarterback Clayton Tune, who led four touchdown drives and did not have a turnover a week after throwing four interceptions.
It also capped off a historic week with the Cougars accepting an invitation — along with BYU, Cincinnati and Central Florida — to join the Big 12 as early as 2023.
McCaskill, the heralded running back from Oak Ridge, saw an increase in playing time with the absence of Ta’Zhawn Henry, who missed the game for undisclosed reasons. McCaskill caught a 35-yard pass for a touchdown on the opening drive and added 1and 2-yard touchdown runs in the third quarter.
McCaskill finally looked like himself after suffering a knee injury late in preseason camp.
“He’s a complete back,” Holgorsen said. “I’ve been saying that for a while.”
Dalton Witherspoon added a 38-yard field goal, and Jake Herslow caught an 11yard score to give the Cougars a 17-0 lead.
Tune finished the game 22 of 30 for 236 yards and two touchdowns and had a game-high 49 rushing yards in just over three quarters. He was replaced by backup Ike Ogbogu early in the fourth quarter.
“I told him to keep his head up, that we got him,” wide receiver Nathaniel Dell said of a talk with Tune earlier in the week. “He wasn’t worried what the outside was saying. We just focused on us. He was OK. He wasn’t stressed.”
Rice scored its only touchdown with 13 seconds left before halftime — a 5yard touchdown catch by Jordan Myers from Luke McCaffrey. Rice coach Mike Bloomgren started McCaffrey, a freshman, after splitting time with Wiley Green in the season-opening loss to Arkansas.
The Owls drove to the UH 10-yard line on one other occasion but came up empty when McCaffrey was sacked by Atlias Bell on third down. On the next play, Collin Riccitelli missed wide right on a 38-yard field-goal attempt.
In his first career start, McCaffrey threw two interceptions and was sacked three times.
UH’s defense held the Owls to 212 total yards, including minus-3 in the third quarter, and had interceptions by Hasaan Hypolite and Art Green. The Owls could not sustain any drives, with eight of their 11 possessions lasting five plays or less.
“I’m a bit shellshocked right now,” Bloomgren said. “That’s not at all how I thought this game would go. I wasn’t prepared for it to go that way. I thought we would be able to fight them tooth and nail. And that’s not the way it went.”
McCaskill’s second touchdown capped a 17-play, 75yard drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock. His 1-yard run came one play after a replay review showed McCaskill stepped out of bounds just before the goal line on another reception. UH finished the game with 393 yards.
“That drive killed half of the third quarter,” Holgorsen said. “I was really happy how the offense set the tone in the third quarter.”
Tune set up McCaskill’s third touchdown the game. The junior quarterback avoided a tackle and broke loose for a 42-yard run. It appeared he would score on the play, but Tune pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury. He remained in the game.
McCaskill finished with 14 rushing attempts for 40 yards and four catches for 51 yards. He becomes the first UH freshman to score three touchdowns in a game since Bryce Beall against Tulane on Nov. 8, 2008.
Dell had a game-high seven catches for 87 yards and Marcus Jones added four catches for 51 yards. Jones, who has been used as a twoway player, was used exclusively on offense as Green started in his place at cornerback.
Chandler Smith added a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Alex Hogan ended the game with a 91-yard interception return for another score.
The only downside came when defensive tackle Sedrick Williams had to leave the game in the first quarter with a serious left leg injury.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Cougars raised the Bayou Bucket trophy on the sideline.
The celebration from a historic week spilled onto the field.
“I was really proud how the coaches and players responded,” Holgorsen said.