5-1 start has many heroes
Freshman RB McCaskill, deep defensive line are shining the brightest
At 5-1, the University of Houston is about where many thought — although some would have needed convincing after two straight losing seasons — it would be at midseason.
After a turnoverplagued loss in the opener to Texas Tech, the Cougars have won five in a row and sit alone in first place in the American Athletic Conference.
The defense has been dominant. Clayton Tune looks like a different quarterback since his Week 2 hamstring injury. Alton McCaskill has been as good as advertised. Never mind the five wins have come against teams that are a combined 8-20. A win is a win, and the Cougars have done so decisively.
The Cougars will see a tougher schedule in the second half of the season with big home games against SMU and Memphis.
Here are my picks for midseason awards and other superlatives as the Cougars enjoy a muchneeded off week in the schedule:
Offensive Player of the Year: Alton McCaskill
Expected to see the field early this season, the true freshman running back has lived up to the hype. McCaskill moved into the starting role in Week 2 and has seen his carries steadily rise as the feature back. His 86 rushing attempts are nearly as many as the next three players — Mulbah Car (34), Clayton Tune (31) and Ta’Zhawn Henry (30) — combined.
McCaskill’s eight rushing touchdowns (nine overall) are on pace to break the school record for most by a non-quarterback, set by Jackie Battle (15) in 2006. He’s shown the ability to get tough yards with 220 of his team-high 403 coming after contact.
“He just keeps getting better,” coach Dana Holgorsen said earlier this season. “He gets hard yards. The first guy is just not going to get him on the
ground. That’s not something we’ve had at running back since I’ve been here.”
Also considered: Wide receiver Nathaniel Dell (35 catches, 477 yards, 3 TDs), quarterback Clayton Tune (1,258 yards, 10 TDs, 6 INTs, 69.7 percent completion percentage).
Defensive Player of the Year: Defensive line
It’s not just because of their cool nickname, “Sack Avenue.” You could make a case it’s been “Nightmare on Cullen Boulevard” for opposing quarterbacks this season. UH’s defensive front is a major reason for the Cougars’ significant turnaround this season.
Defensive line coach Brian Early has done a remarkable job with a rotation that uses anywhere from eight to 10 players. Logan Hall leads the team with four sacks and seven tackles for loss from his interior spot, while the Cougars can bring any number of players off the edge: Derek Parish (3.5 sacks, 5 TFLs), David Anenih (3 sacks, 7 TFLs) and D’Anthony Jones (3.5 sacks, 6 TFLs). Nelson Ceaser (2 sacks, 2 TFLs) has proven to be a force after missing the first two games. The interior has also received a boost from Iowa State transfer Latrell Bankston (3.5 sacks, 4 TFLs), Atlias Bell (1.5 sacks, 3 TFLs) and the return of
run-stopper Chidozie Nwankwo. In total, the defensive line has accounted for 21.5 of UH’s 24 sacks this season.
Also considered: Cornerback Damarion Williams (31 tackles, interception, 4 pass breakups, eight completions allowed on 19 targets).
Special Teams Player of the Year: Marcus Jones
Simply put, Jones is Must-See TV every time he touches the ball. Jones, who is making a case for All-America honors as a return man for the second year in a row, brought back punts for touchdowns in consecutive games against Grambling State and Navy. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Holgorsen said of Jones’ ability on punt returns.
The multi-talented Jones also has has 10 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Comeback Player of the Year: Jeremy Singleton
A year after emerging as the No. 2 receiver behind Marquez Stevenson, Singleton had a season to forget in 2020. He played in only half of the Cougars’ eight games due to COVID-19 and seriously considered a transfer during the offseason. After a slow start to this season, Singleton has seen his role increase with three touchdowns the past
two games, including two in front of his hometown crowd last week’s game against Tulane in New Orleans. Of coming back to UH, Singleton said: “This is where I know I should be.”
Top assistant coach
In his first season as defensive coordinator, Doug Belk has brought a new attitude to the unit. And the results speak for itself with major strides in several categories: fourth in total defense (118th in 2020), tied for seventh in pass defense (124th), 13th in scoring defense (113th) and 26th in run defense (85th). Belk is considered an upand-comer in the coaching ranks and top programs are expected to come calling.
Biggest first-half moment
A decades-long pursuit finally ended on Sept. 10 when UH accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 beginning in 2023.
Biggest first-half play
For one of the few times during the current fivegame winning streak, the Cougars found themselves briefly on the ropes against Tulane. Down 22-17 early in the third quarter, D’Anthony Jones jump-started the comeback by forcing a fumble on a sack of Michael Pratt. UH converted the turnover into a field goal and scored the final 23 points in the 40-22 win.
Circle the date
Oct. 30 is shaping up to be the biggest game of the season, with likely unbeaten and top-20 ranked SMU visiting TDECU Stadium. The winner will take a big step to securing a spot, most likely against Cincinnati, in the AAC championship game.