Houston Cougars: Case Keenum Leads a Team on the Rise

In the words of head coach Kevin Sumlin, “What happen last year happened last year.” But that still doesn’t discount the success that the Houston Cougars football team had last season.

With a 10-2 record that included victories against then No. 5 Oklahoma State in Stillwater and against an always-dangerous Texas Tech team, the Cougars made it all the way up to No. 12 in the Associated Press rankings.

Then came the postseason. The team lost to East Carolina in the C-USA Championship game and followed that up with a disastrous Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force.

That may be the part that Sumlin wants to forget. 

Despite a lack of love from the people in charge of the rankings, the Cougars are an even better team than they were last year.

Case Keenum, the Cougars quarterback who threw for 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns last season, is now returning as a Senior and the recipient of the Sammy Baugh Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top performer at the quarterback position.

Additionally, each and every one of Keenum’s top wide receiver targets are returning. James Cleveland, Tyron Carrier, and Patrick Evans will all have the luxury of catching passes from the quarterback many are hailing as a preseason Heisman candidate.

The offensive line, one of the reasons for the lack of success at the end of last season, has returned with more depth and less injuries and should only provide better protection for Keenum this year.

Finally, the Cougars defense, a much-maligned unit, has switched from the 4-3 to the 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Brian Stewart to transition from a bend-but-don’t-break defense to one that will try to make plays.

Stewart, the former defensive coordinator of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, has finally brought excitement, passion, and aggressiveness to the defensive portion of the team.

Just imagine what Keenum will be able to do if he’s not forced to sit on the bench while opposing teams methodically drive down the field against his defense. If Stewart is able to make his portion of the team play better, the Cougars cannot help but get better. 

With games at Texas Tech, at UCLA, and at home against Mississippi State, the team does face a much tougher schedule than they did last year. But they do so with more talent on both sides of the ball and they have much more experience.

Expect at least two upsets from the three games listed above and a conference championship this year from the Cougars. They may even play well enough to force their way much higher into the rankings.

Sumlin, Stewart, and Keenum expect this. Soon, they’ll leave you with no other options but to agree with them.