The Cougars played their most complete game of the season against Navy, winning 38-20. Clayton Tune was excellent, throwing five TD passes in just 30 attempts. The five touchdowns are a career-high.
Navy was the third game in 2022 in which UH has had more first downs than the opponent but the first time they’ve actually won the game. Houston had one more first down than Kansas (26-25) and eight more than Tulane (22-14) but lost both. UH and Memphis each had 25.
The Cougars have scored ten or more points in 105 consecutive games (going back to UTSA 2014). It’s the second-longest streak in the nation (Alabama).
After the Memphis game, UH had been the national leader in all four penalty statistics for a few weeks. But after an off week and a clean game against Navy (4 penalties / 25 yards), the Coogs climbed out of the cellar in all four categories. Out of 131 teams:
| Category | National Rank |
|---|---|
| Fewest penalties | 124 |
| Penalties per game | 128 |
| Penalty yards | 124 |
| Penalty yards per game | 130 |
Baby steps.
Laine Wilkins was hardly used on Saturday – he punted once for 43 yards – but he is sixth nationally in net punting.
The Cougars are 9th in TFLs and 16th in third down conversion percentage by the offense (49.1%).
Last year at this point in the season, the offense was 66th in 3rd down conversions, and the defense was #1 nationally in third-down defense. The defense finished the season first, while the offense finished 47th.
This year? The offense has moved up to 19th in third down conversion percentage while the defense has plunged to 108th.
Clayton Tune has started 38 games at UH; in 23 of them, he’s been pressured at least a dozen times. However, Navy pressured him just six times, the most notable being the strip sack with the scoop and score. It was their only sack of the game.
Tune has been sacked less than two times in just twelve of his 38 starts, with seven of those games coming against Navy (3), Tulsa (2), and Memphis (2). In nine of the 12 games, he dropped back fewer than 40 times.
The Cougars are 6-0 in the last two seasons when Tune is sacked 0 or 1 time.
Tune completed 10 of 16 passes thrown deeper than 10 yards against Navy – his best completion percentage over 10 yards this year (62.5%).
In 2021, Tune was 8/16 deep against Navy and had even better games against SMU (11/16) and USF (13/14). Tune was 10/11 between the numbers and beyond ten yards last year vs. the Bulls (181 yards, 2 TDs). Expect to see a game plan focused on carving up the middle again.
The offensive line had their best day of the season, notably in run blocking, as the Coogs put up 180 yards rushing. Stacy Sneed had his first 100-yard day in the Red and White. After 2.5 years in the program, Sneed finally got his chance to shine and delivered. Next up: feeding him inside the five. He still has not scored a touchdown in college.
Last season, the Cougars ran wild on USF – 39 carries for 261 yards – but both Ta’Zhawn Henry (130 yards vs. USF) and Alton McCaskill (125 yards) won’t be suited up this week. Sneed and Campbell will need to be the 1-2 punch.
Christian Trahan has lost back-to-back coin tosses after going 8-0 to start the season (start of the game plus overtime). How ridiculous is the 8-0 start? Going back to 2004, UH had never gone 3-0 to start the year in the coin toss and had gone 2-0 only twice.
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