WINNING MOVES
UH routs Grambling behind backup QB after starter leaves early.
Cougars dominate Grambling State even after starting QB went down in first quarter.
Clayton Tune was gone by the end of the first quarter with a nagging hamstring injury.
That was the cue for the University of Houston defense.
The Cougars held FCSlevel Grambling State to 101 yards in a 45-0 drubbing on Saturday night at TDECU Stadium.
“Actually 96 yards before that last drive,” linebacker and team captain Donavan Mutin playfully responded to a question.
A week after beating crosstown rival Rice for the Bayou Bucket, UH overcame a slow start for its second straight win. It marks the first time the Cougars have won consecutive games since the 2018 season.
“We haven’t done that since I’ve been here,” coach Dana Holgorsen said. “It’s not like we’ve just lost every game we lined up and played, but there hasn’t been two in a row. It’s been win, lose, win, lose, win, lose, lose, win. That’s the way it’s been. It feels good to have two in a row.”
Tune pulled up with a hamstring injury in Week 2 against Rice. Holgorsen said Tune did not practice during the week.
“I probably shouldn’t have played him,” Holgorsen said. “He’s a competitive kid and wants to play. I’m always going to downplay it. Hindsight, I shouldn’t have played him. That’s my fault.
“I should’ve gone with Ike. Obviously, I trust Clayton. He’ll be fine for next week (against Navy).”
Tune left the game with 6:11 left in the first quarter and did not return. Backup Ike Ogbogu, a walk-on who had played in two career games, replaced Tune and finished the game 14-of-22 for 196 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no turnovers before exiting with less than four minutes remaining.
True freshman running back Alton McCaskill rushed for a career-high 114 yards and two touchdowns, and Nathaniel Dell had eight catches for 164 yards and two scores.
That was more than enough for the Third Ward Defense.
UH’s defense held the Tigers to 101 yards, the fewest surrendered to an opponent since Lamar had 73 yards in a 42-0 loss in 2016. Garrett Urban had 12 punts among 13 possessions.
The Cougars also caused one turnover, a forced fumble by Donavan Mutin that was recovered by Jayce Rogers. A second turnover — an interception by Deontay Anderson — was overturned by a replay review.
The Cougars sacked Grambling State quarterback Aldon Clark three times and had eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Grambling State (1-2) went 0-for-14 on third downs and did not have a play inside the UH 42-yard line. After a 37-0 loss to Southern Miss in Week 2, the Tigers were shut out in back-to-back games for the first time in school history. The Tigers had not been shut out twice in a season since 1976.
In the last eight quarters, UH has allowed only seven points.
“Can we talk about the defense?” Holgorsen said. “We’re here talking about the offense, one because they stink and quarterbacks and not blocking. Let’s start talking about our defense.”
UH got off to an inauspicious start on its first three possessions — a 42-yard field goal attempt that was wide right by Dalton Witherspoon, Tune’s fifth interception of the season and a punt.
Ogbogu engineered a six-play drive that was capped by a 16-yard touchdown catch by Dell for a 7-0 lead with 15 seconds left in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Marcus Jones, an All-American punt returner, took a punt near midfield, made a move to his right and scored on a 48yard return for a 14-0 lead.
McCaskill added a 17yard touchdown run for a 21-0 halftime lead.
On the Cougars’ opening drive of the second half, McCaskill accounted for all 48 yards on the ground, capped by a 34-yard run for his second touchdown and 28-0 lead. McCaskill has scored five touchdowns in the past two games.
The Cougars added two more touchdowns in the third quarter — a 10-yard catch by Dell, who dragged his toe in-bounds in the corner of the end zone, and Ta’Zhawn Henry’s 1yard run. Witherspoon added a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.