Stevenson lost for crucial contest
The University of Houston will be without its top offensive playmaker for the toughest game of the season.
Wide receiver Marquez Stevenson is expected tomiss Saturday’s game at No. 6 Cincinnati with an ankle injury.
Stevenson left Saturday’s 44-21 loss to UCF midway through the first quarter, limping off the field after catching a 12-yard pass near midfield. He did not return to the field, spending the rest of the game on the sideline wearing a walking boot on his left foot.
Asked if he was optimistic Stevenson could play this week, coach Dana Holgorsen said during a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday: “Not really. We all hope (he can play). It kind of sucks when your best player goes out after one catch. We’ll see how he is (Wednesday).”
Stevenson, a fifth-year senior regarded as an NFL draft prospect, did not practice Monday, Holgorsen said. UH had Tuesday off for Election Day.
Stevenson was coming off his best game of the season, having hauled in nine passes for129 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Navy. It was a bounce-back performance for Stevenson, who was limited to one catch and targeted only two other times in a loss to BYU. Holgorsen took the
blame for not moving Stevenson around to get him the ball.
Stevenson had 223 all-purpose yards, including a 97-yard kickoff return, in the season opener against Tulane.
“He’s one of the most dynamic players in the country,” Holgorsen said after the UCF game, which dropped the Cougars to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the American Athletic Conference.
A two-time All-AAC selection, Stevenson has 16 catches for 278 yards and three touchdowns this season and is a dangerous threat on kick returns. He is ninth in the AAC with 106.2 all-purpose yards per game.
After Saturday’s game, Stevenson responded to concerns over his injury on social media.
“All is well! Don’t panic,” he wrote on Twitter.
With Stevenson out, junior Bryson Smith will get the start at the “H” receiver spot. Smith has five
catches for 60 yards in four games.
“Bryson Smith has been sitting there doing the same stuff Marquez has,” Holgorsen said. “Hopefully, he’s just now starting to come into his own a little bit. We’re not going to gear our entire offense around a guy that wasn’t even a starter here. But I have been happy with how he went in there last week and made a couple of plays. I think he’ll continue to progress. He’s still relatively raw in the receiving game.”
Depending on Stevenson’s long-term prognosis, Holgorsen said the Cougars also could take a look at Marcus Cockrell, a true freshman from North Shore.
UH had its worst game of the season against UCF, failing to score an offensive touchdown until late in the third quarter. The Cougars’ 269 passing yardswere a season low.
After Stevenson’s departure, sophomore Nathaniel Dell picked up some of the slack with six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Tre’Von Bradley added six
catches for 76 yards. The two receivers were targeted a combined 20 times.
“We’ve got plenty of offensive plays that we’ve got to be able to execute,” Holgorsen said. “There were plays to be made last week.
I’ve got to do a better job of coaching, no question about that. The overall game last week wasn’t acceptable. We didn’t come close to playing well enough to win. That falls on me. That’s everywhere — offense, defense and special
teams.”
Also Tuesday, Holgorsen said redshirt freshman running back Terrell “Smoke” Brown will require knee surgery and miss the rest of the season.
Holgorsen said senior running back Mulbah Car looked good in practice Monday after being limited the last three games with an ankle injury.
“We’ve got to get the run game going, and Mulbah is a big part of that,” Holgorsen said.
Linebacker Donavan Mutin, wide receiver Jeremy Singleton, safety Garrison Vaughn and cornerback Kelvin Clemmons are day-to-day.
“There will probably be more things come up (Wednesday),” Holgorsen said. “It’s just day-today. I’ve never seen anything like it, from COVID to just the way things are. I don’t know if it’s lack of preseason hitting or COVID. It’s literally day-to-day on who is available.”