Greg Ward Jr. Breathes New Life into Houston Cougars' 2014 Season

The easiest way to put it is this: Greg Ward Jr. made a bad 2014 Houston offense good again, and a more experienced Ward should only make it better going forward.

“The more he plays, the more comfortable he’s going to get and the more comfortable his 10 teammates around him are going to be around him,” Levine told the media after the sophomore’s second start at quarterback.

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The change breathed new life into Houston’s 2014 season.

Down 14 points on the road last week against Memphis, the Cougars appeared to be declawed for the year.

Despite having one of the most opportunistic defenses in the country and talented speedsters on offense who can take the ball to the end zone on any given play, Houston’s hopes appeared to be dashed.

But Ward, making his first start as the signal-caller after taking over for the wildly inconsistent John O’Korn late the previous week, isn’t the type to fret about such things.

Ward is calm under pressure, and when the pocket collapsed around him on first down from his own 36, Ward ducked, dodged and darted out of harm’s way, sprinted through defenders and scampered for a 64-yard touchdown run.

Ward’s run started the comeback, and his teammates responded by rallying around him to drop Memphis on the road 28-24 for their first conference win of the season.

Ward started at quarterback again on Friday night against Temple at TDECU Stadium in Houston, and after a 31-10 win, it’s hard to imagine him taking a backseat to anyone at quarterback ever again.

Ward was brilliant. He finished the outing 29-of-33 for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps more importantly, what once appeared to be an anemic Houston offense now looks like a unit that can be both efficient and effective. With Ward taking snaps, Houston can move the ball down the field and score enough touchdowns to be considered a dangerous football team.

How dangerous? Don’t be surprised to see the Coogs win the rest of the their games to finish the season 9-3.

Credit: Rachel McCarson

Ward is a playmaker.

His dazzling speed and accurate passing make him hard to handle. No, he does not have the size and stature of O’Korn. But Ward makes plays, and he seems be at his absolute best when he has to be.

But Ward isn’t just fast or a good athlete. He’s a good runner. He knows when to cut. He knows when to spin. He knows when to vary his pace.

He makes people miss—badly.

Credit: Rachel McCarson

When the pocket breaks down, he zigzags through defenders like he’s a wide receiver and punt returner. And that’s exactly what he was before he was inserted behind center.

Ward carries a small frame, but he doesn’t run like it. He threw all 178 pounds of it into two Owl defenders at the goal line early in the first quarter to prove it.

Ward didn’t make it into the end zone. His helmet flew off his head to the collective gasp of Cougar fans. But if there were any lingering doubts among fans or players after the Memphis win whether Ward would be the quarterback going forward, that moment should have sealed the deal.  

This is his team now.

Ward gives Houston a pathway to 2014 football relevance. As good as the defense had been this year, Houston’s offense had been worse.

But things are different now.

There’s no indication Houston’s stalwart defense will do anything for the rest of the year but continue to play at an exceptionally high level.

As the Houston Chronicle’s Joseph Duarte pointed out on Friday night, the unit has been as opportunistic as any in the country under Tony Levine:

Houston led the nation in takeaways last year and has forced 23 turnovers in six games in 2014, the second-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

But Ward’s performance over the last two weeks points toward an offense that will change into something better. With Ward, Houston’s offense should continue to grow and evolve around his considerable skill set.

Fans caught a glimpse of it against Temple. Houston moved the ball down the field, controlled the clock and scored points. The Coogs ran 33 more offensive plays than Temple and held the ball for over 42 minutes.

That’s a winning formula.

Credit: Rachel McCarson

Make no mistake. Ward has much to learn. Levine appears reluctant so far to let him chuck it down the field further than 15 yards with any regularity, something probably more attributable to his inexperience than his arm strength.

And he's not faced anyone yet who has forced him to stay in the pocket and pass. 

But Ward is already so much better than his predecessor; that patience won’t be something Cougar fans will need to develop over the rest of the year while they wait for him to improve. 

Because as long as Ward is starting at quarterback, Houston fans can expect their team to have a good chance at winning.