Houston Cougars Offense Finally Shows Promise in 47-14 Beatdown of UNLV

Houston, we have an offense.

The Coogs rolled up and down the field against UNLV on Saturday night at TDECU Stadium, finally exhibiting some of the firepower Houston fans expected to see when the season began.

The Cougars evened their overall record at 2-2 with a 47-14 beatdown of UNLV. Houston heads into American Athletic Conference play a dark-horse contender for the conference crown.  

The offense was efficient and effective.

Credit: Rachel McCarson

As a team, Houston rushed for 399 yards. Sophomore running back Ryan Jackson ran for 147 yards on 13 carries, and junior running back Kenneth Farrow totaled 113 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Houston finally looked like it had an offense that could pile up both yards and points.

Things didn’t start that way.

Early in the game, Houston appeared to be continuing its season-long struggle to find some consistency on offense, something head coach Tony Levine and offensive coordinator Travis Bush should still be concerned about as they prepare to host Central Florida on October 2 in a nationally televised conference opener for both teams.

Sophomore quarterback John O’Korn threw two interceptions in the first half, and the Coogs relied mostly on their ground game to build a 13-7 halftime lead.

But O’Korn and the offense found their rhythm in the third quarter. O’Korn tossed two touchdowns, one each to wide receiver Daniel Spencer and running back Jackson, and Houston seemed to find sustained success in its aerial attack.

It was an important step forward for Houston, whose fans remain hopeful Levine will win his first conference title as head coach this season.

For something like that to even be possible, Levine and his O-coordinator, Bush, must find sustainable success in the passing game going forward.

Credit: Rachel McCarson

Houston’s recent history is littered with high-flying, video game-like offenses. From 2003-06, Kevin Kolb lit up opposing defenses under former coach Art Briles’ innovative hybrid Air Raid system.

Kolb passed for almost 13,000 yards during his career, totaling 85 passing touchdowns with a 61.6 completion percentage.

Case Keenum picked up right where Kolb left off. Under Briles as a freshman and Kevin Sumlin after, Keenum amassed an NCAA record for total yards, touchdowns and just about every other passing statistic possible.

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Keenum threw for 19,217 yards and 155 touchdowns from 2007-11. His career completion percentage was a whopping 69.4.

But Houston’s vaunted passing offense has taken a giant leap backward since third-year coach Levine took over for Sumlin before the 2012 season.

Back then, Levine told the Houston Chronicle’s Sam Khan the Cougar offense would remain unchanged:

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We've recruited successfully to this offense. We've got the players in place for this offense. To go out and to hire somebody to come in here and replace the best offense in the history of college football with a new scheme and a new system didn't make sense to me.

"

But things changed, and not for the better.

Levine has gone through three offensive coordinators since, and none of them have been able to imitate the revved-up offense Keenum and company ran under the previous regime.

Bush, who handled play-calling duties in Levine’s first year after Mike Nesbitt’s early-season resignation, was named offensive coordinator this season after last year’s play-caller, Doug Meacham, departed for TCU.

But things didn’t go as planned for Bush in his new gig. Houston was handled by UTSA 27-7 in its first-ever game at TDECU Stadium. O’Korn tossed four interceptions, and the offense looked absolutely abysmal.

Credit: Rachel McCarson

Things improved against Grambling State. Houston rolled to a 47-0 win, but the talent disparity in the game—and O’Korn’s continued erratic play—left Houston fans wondering if things would ever start to click on offense under Bush.

But Houston seems to have settled in since its failed comeback against BYU in Provo last week. Down 23-0 in the second quarter, Houston stormed back to make a game of it.

The Coogs fell to BYU 33-25.

O'Korn threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns on 30-of-52 passing, and Houston’s offense showed real promise for the first time this season.

Against UNLV, O’Korn continued his season-long turnover parade, but he also appeared cool, calm and confident as the game moved past its early stages.

O’Korn finished the game with 135 yards passing on 12-of-27 passing, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for a score and appeared to be in control of the offense before he was pulled late when the score was out of hand.

Credit: Rachel McCarson

Houston will need even more from O’Korn during conference play against the likes of Central Florida, Cincinnati and East Carolina.

For Houston to be considered serious contenders for the AAC title, the Cougars offense will have to continue its progression under Bush.

Gone are the days of 70 pass attempts, and perhaps 70 points in a game, too. But Houston’s multiple-set attack, one that relies on long passes and varied running schemes from players lined up all over the field, finally seems like something that could really work.

If O’Korn can cut down the turnovers, and if the bulk of Houston’s rushing game against UNLV wasn’t just a mirage brought to life by an overmatched defense, the Cougar faithful might have something to smile about after Levine’s third season at Houston’s helm.

If Houston has an offense, it’s as dangerous as any team in the AAC.