NCAA Football Preview - Houston Cougars
Sports Network | August 13, 2008
Former Oklahoma assistant Kevin Sumlin now takes over for Briles and in the process he becomes the first African-American to be head football coach at Houston. In fact, Sumlin is the first African-American to be hired to coach a Football Bowl Subdivision program in the state of Texas.
"This is a great University and a great city," said Sumlin after being hired. "This is a place that has won conference championship in recent years, and we want to continue down that path and play for a conference championship every season.
OFFENSE: Dana Holgorsen takes over as the new offensive coordinator under Sumlin and the former Texas Tech assistant plans to bring a somewhat similar spread attack with him to Houston.
Picking a quarterback could be the hardest part of Holgorsen's job, as the Cougars have two good ones in sophomore Case Keenum and junior Blake Joseph. The 6-2, 210-pound Keenum burst onto the scene last season and earned C-USA Freshman of the Year honors after completing a school-record 68.5 percent of his tosses for 2,259 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 412 yards and nine touchdowns, giving him an edge in the race for the starting quarterback spot. As for the 6-2, 215-pound Joseph, he is more of a pocket passer that threw for 1,324 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions in five starts last season.
Senior Mark Hafner is the team's leading returning receiver with 40 catches to his name and he will surely be a favorite target of whomever ends up under center.
In the backfield, the Cougars must replace do-it-all back Anthony Alridge and that is easier said than done. Trying to fill those big shoes will be sophomore Andre Kohn, who had 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role. Kohn is only 5-9, 195 pounds, so expecting him to carry the burden could a lot to ask. The Cougars will also count on sophomore Terrance Ganaway to contribute. The 6-0, 220-pound Ganaway is a powerful runner with good speed and he displayed that by rushing for 550 yards and six scores as a true freshman in 2007.
The offensive lines returns four starters and that should help the ground attack be productive.
DEFENSE: Houston led the conference in total defense in 2007 and with the return of eight starters, this unit should once again excel. New defensive coordinator John Skladany will implement a 4-3 defense and that should benefit the Cougars, who are shorthanded at the linebacker spot, but loaded on the defensive line.
Senior end Phillip Hunt highlights a deep and experienced line and he is arguably the top pass rusher in the conference. The 6-2, 260-pound Hunt led the league with 10.5 sacks, to go along with 55 tackles and 18 TFLs, in 2007 and he will certainly garner a lot of attention this season.
At linebacker, the Cougars lost two starts, but they do welcome back the services of Cody Lubojasky. The 6-3, 230-pound senior has made 39 consecutive starts and he is looking to rebound from a modest 2007 campaign in which he made just 59 tackles.
In the secondary, Houston welcomes back all four starters from a unit that led C-USA in pass defense a season ago. Senior free safety Kenneth Fontenette highlights the group, as he had 69 stops, 10 passes defended and a team-best four interceptions last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Junior Ben Bell sat out all of last season while recovering from autoimmune hepatitis and he has the inside track for the placekicking duties. He doesn't have great range, so don't be surprised if he is overtaken at some point. The punting position is a little more established with the return of Chase Turner. The junior averaged a solid 42.7 yards per punt last season and should be better with a year of experience now under his belt.
OUTLOOK: The Cougars have a good mix of youth and experience and that should have them competing for the C-USA title in 2008. A new coaching staff and an experienced defense should also play a part in the team's success. Houston's schedule is very favorable, so another eight-win campaign is certainly within reach. How fast this team can adjust to the new staff and systems will determine the outcome of this season.
