5 Things Cougar Fans Should Watch for During Houston's 2015 Season Opener

It’s that time of year again in Houston, when the Cougar faithful don the red and white and head down to TDECU Stadium to see their football team. Historically speaking, Houston Cougar football is exciting, high-scoring and innovative. While most of that was lacking the last few years under the direction of departing head coach Tony Levine, Houston fans are hoping the newly hired Tom Herman can restore the Coogs back to their winning ways.

Here are five things to watch for during Houston’s 2015 season opener against Tennessee Tech.

The New Offensive Philosophy of Tom Herman and Staff

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Herman in the new head coach at Houston.

As with any coaching change, the changes in philosophies should be apparent right from the start.  It sure was last time. In 2012, Levine’s first season opener as the head coach, Houston’s offense looked abysmal in an embarrassing 30-13 loss to Texas State. Things were so bad, in fact, that newly hired offensive coordinator Mike Nesbitt resigned after just one game.

Under Levine, the offense never really got back on track except for brief success in 2013 under one-year OC Doug Meacham, who bailed the very next year for the same role at TCU. Regardless, the offense of the Levine era was appalling compared to the two regimes before him. Kevin Sumlin and Art Briles had delivered some of the most prolific offenses in all of college football. Levine followed them with units that were decidedly mediocre.

Herman was hired fresh off being OC for last year’s national champions, Ohio State. His hire of Major Applewhite as OC, to go alongside his own stalwart expertise as a play-caller, appears to give Houston fans what they crave most in football team: innovative, creative and successful offensive football.

But is that the case? We begin to find out on Saturday.

Who Will Lock Down the Starting QB Job?

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Ward is a threat to score on every snap.

Herman is keeping his starting-quarterback choice under wraps until the game, but don’t be surprised if both returning starter Greg Ward, a junior, and senior transfer Adam Schulz take a relatively equal number of snaps in the opener.

In fact, you shouldn’t be shocked at all to see Shulz trotted out there first. While it would seem ridiculous to those who watched the converted wide receiver, Ward, perform the last two years with almost no legitimate training at the position, it would not at all be surprising for Herman to use both players against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, a team Houston should defeat handily, and even make it seem like Shulz is the starter.

That would leave Herman the chance to reveal his real choice as starter, very likely Ward, for the next game against Louisville. Ward’s fast feet and accurate arm make him one of the more exciting players in all of college football. That’s a given. So if he’s ultimately not the starter for the game against Louisville, it can only mean one thing: Shulz is even better.

Can the Defense Continue Its Torrid Takeaway Pace?

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Houston's defense was solid the last few seasons.

The hallmark of the Levine era at Houston was solid defense. Under defensive coordinator David Gibbs, who has since bolted for Texas Tech, the Cougars had one of the best defenses in all of college football.

The hallmark of Gibbs’ defenses was the absurd amount of takeaways the team totaled during his tenure. The philosophy of the defense was easy to see on the field. The team was adept at gang tackling and swiping down hard on top of the ball to create fumbles. Moreover, the secondary unit under Gibbs was a group of ball hawks. They always went for the interception.

Herman has brought in Todd Orlando as DC. On the surface, the hire appears to be a good one. Orlando’s defenses at Utah State the last two years ranked among the top 12 in the nation in scoring. But Houston fans have seen a myriad of defensive coaches with good credentials come onto Cullen Blvd and fail.

The key to Orlando’s tenure just might be achieving success the same way Gibbs did: creating takeaways.

The Score

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UTSA dominated Houston last year. Things like that shouldn't happen.

Houston has lost two of its last three home openers. In addition to the Texas State debacle in 2012, Houston lost to UTSA last season 27-7. Neither of those losses was acceptable to the Cougar faithful.

In order to restore Houston’s status as a legitimate program, Herman and company cannot afford to let the same kind of thing happen on Saturday. In fact, the very best thing possible for the Coogs would be completely annihilating Tennessee Tech in all facets of the game.

For Houston fans to feel good about the future, the score of the game on Saturday should not be close. Houston’s offense, no matter which QB is taking snaps, should look prolific. And Houston’s defense should keep its opponent from getting into the end zone more than once or twice.

If the score is close, or if the Coogs suffer another debilitating season-opening loss, be prepared for a long season.

Did Houston Fans Show Up to Support Their Team?

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Hopefully the stands don't look like this on Saturday.

Here’s the thing about Houston: Fans only show up to games when the team is winning. It’s true for all sports teams in the area. The professional teams struggle with it, and local college teams do even more.

Houston has drawn good crowds in recent years under coaches when it wins games. Art Briles’ 2006 Conference USA championship team led by QB Kevin Kolb was rewarded with a raucous sellout crowd at the championship game at Robertson Stadium. Sumlin’s teams consistently sold out games with Case Keenum and company a few years later. Heck, even Levine was given solid crowd support until it became apparent he had no real clue what he was doing on the offensive side of the football.

The excitement around Cougar football in Houston is as palpable as it’s been since the 2011 team finished the season 13-1. But the real proof will be shown in the stands on Saturday.

Do Houston fans still care enough about football to pack TDECU Stadium for Herman’s home opener? Or did the Levine era in Houston do damage that will take more time to repair?