Mutin, Kirven made to order for Cougars’ defense
Feeling hungry on game day? Houston defensive coordinator turned sandwich specialist Joe Cauthen has you covered.
“The defensive line is the bottom slice and the (secondary) is the top piece of bread that’s got to cover up everything,” Cauthen said.
And the linebackers? “A sandwich is not very good without meat,” Cauthen said.
Whether turkey, ham, roast beef or bologna, sophomores Donovan Mutin and Zamar Kirven, the starting linebackers in the Cougars’ 4-2-5 scheme, have been asked to play a flavorful role during the opening month of the season. Entering Saturday’s showdown against No. 25 Cincinnati at TDECU Stadium, Mutin has started all five games at strongside linebacker while Mutin is set to make his third straight start at weakside linebacker.
“I need to be the meat of the sandwich,” said Mutin, who is tied for second on the team with 24 tackles and three quarterback pressures.
Mutin, a Klein Collins product, said that entails everything from relaying calls from the sideline to assuming the role of on-field coach that can survey and react to what an offense shows.
“We have to be the communicator,” Mutin said. “We have to get everybody lined up.
We have to know the call like (coach Cauthen) knows it, which is sometimes difficult, but we are working on it. We are getting to know everything like he knows it so we can be him on the field and give us a chance to play winning defense.”
There has been a learning
curve along the way for Mutin and Kirven, who saw extended action in backup roles as true freshmen. Mutin earned a starting job out of preseason camp; Kirven took over the starting job in mid-September when Terrance Edgeston suffered a high-ankle sprain that is expected to sideline him at least one more week.
“They’ve come along quite nicely,” Cauthen said. “Obviously we are still making mistakes, but I think those guys are getting better every day. It’s a learning process. It’s still really Football 101 for those guys because they haven’t really played very much. They want to learn and are eager to learn.”
Mutin and Kirven both had a season-high eight tackles against Washington State. In the Cougars’ last game Sept. 28 before the open date, Kirven had his most active game with 1½ tackles for loss and had two big hits on North Texas quarterback Mason Fine, including one late in the second half to foil a two-point conversion attempt.
“Coaches have noticed I’ve been working hard and putting the time in,” said Mutin, who kept his commitment to UH in 2017 despite getting late interest from TCU and Texas Tech. “They told me I earned (the starting job). It’s a big privilege. I’ve always dreamed of being on this stage. Now that I am here, it is what you think: it’s work every day and fun.”
Said Kirven: “It’s a process. You have to watch the film and learn from your mistakes.”
UH did not expect to have to lean on younger players at linebackers to begin the season. Those plans were derailed when Edgeston went down, Jordan Carmouche suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, and graduate transfer Nathan Fox left the program. Not to worry, Mutin said. The more games played, the more experience will come.
“We’re only going to get better with time,” he said. “This is our first year, first go at it, seeing live bullets for the first time. With time, more coaching and hard work I can’t wait to see how we are going to be.
“If we’re confident, we have no reason not to go out there and compete even though we are young.”