TicketCity Bowl 2012: Houston Will Hold on Strong over Penn State

Talk about an outright shocker in this college football bowl week.

The No. 19 Houston Cougars has come out and dismantled the No. 22 Penn State Nittany Lions, leading 30-14 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Cougars came out strong in the first three quarters of play, building up what was once a 27-7 lead. Since the hot start, the Nittany Lions have crawled back into the game, down just two scores with nearly the entire fourth quarter remaining.

Yet, it will undoubtedly be Houston walking away with this year's TicketCity Bowl trophy. 

One of the keys to this game has been the inability of Penn State to convert on third downs. This struggle today has ended several drives for the team that would have turned into points. The Nittany Lions have converted just five times on 15 attempts in the contest.

Meanwhile, Houston has had the slight edge in this department, converting on six of their 14 attempts.

What gave the Cougars the early lead was the superb play of quarterback Case Keenum, who has made the case that he should be the top QB prospect heading into the 2012 NFL draft.

Keenum has thrown for a whopping 509 yards in the contest, as he could well eclipse the 600-yard mark when it's all said and done. He has also thrown for three touchdowns and failed to turn the ball over with interceptions, something the Nittany Lions have struggled with.

Keenum is now just 26 yards away from throwing for the most yards in a game he has had all season.

With a two-to-nothing advantage in the turnover department, the Cougars have had the easier time maintaining the lead in this bowl game.

The dominance will only continue for this Cougars team, as the Nittany Lions defense has had no answer for the attack through the air that Keenum has brought to the table.