Saturday was the most disappointing offensive production by a UH team in recent memory. While the running game looked better, the passing game, the starting QB, and the game plan were all in tatters.
There were some drives in which UH moved the ball: five of their nine drives went six or more plays. When the Cougars got something moving, a turnover, a missed kick, or an obvious punting situation ended the threat.
Not much fun below:
UH’s second half drives: fumble, downs, fumble, punt (just 24 snaps). On the flip side, Cincinnati had three drives in the game that combined for 35 snaps, over 21 minutes of possession, and 17 points.
Houston had the ball just 2:26 in the 4th quarter.
UH was 0/6 on third and long (9+ yards) and is now 2/22 on third and long this season (both picked up against UNLV). Houston has not picked up a third and long on its last 15 attempts. Of the two conversions vs. UNLV, one was from Donovan Smith in the 4th quarter and one from Ui Ale.
Against the Bearcats, UH picked up just one first down on their five 3rd down passing attempts.
Houston is now 129th nationally (out of 133) in scoring at 13.0 ppg. The Cougars have scored 7, 12, 33, 0 for a total of 52 points in their first four games.
UH scored 52 or more in the opening game five times between 2008-2015.
Fewest points scored by a UH team through 4 games since entering the SWC in 1976:
20 – 1994 (Kansas, at LaTech, Missouri, at #20 Ohio State)
48 – 1998 (at Cal, Minnesota, #4 UCLA, at #4 Tennessee)
51 – 1995 (at #5 Florida, LaTech, at USC, at Kansas)
52 – 2024 (UNLV, at #15 Oklahoma, Rice, at Cincinnati)
58 – 1986 (at #11 Arizona, at Oklahoma St, Tulsa, at Baylor)
The year before the SWC, the 1975 team scored 43 points in the opening four (against Lamar, Rice, SMU, UNT at Texas Stadium).
Houston is 132nd in red zone offense, slipping a spot from last week and 17 from after the OU game. The Cougars were 129 in scoring offense after OU, jumped to 118 after scoring 33 on Rice, but are back to 129 now. Houston is 128th in tackles for loss allowed.
Conference game shutouts since the beginning of SWC:
2024 – at Cincinnati
2023 – at Kansas State
1997 – at Southern Miss
1994 – at Texas Tech
1982 – at Texas
1977 – at Arkansas (Little Rock)
1994 holds the distinction of the worst UH season for scoring: shutout 3 times and held to 13 or fewer in 10 of 11 games (total points: 115). The 1986 team was held to 14 or fewer 10 times but was never shutout (total points: 125).
The 115 points in 1994 is distorted by the 39 scored against SMU. In the other 10 games, UH averaged 7.6 ppg.
Cincinnati has two Big 12 wins, same as UH. Both of Cincinnati’s wins are against UH.
The FS1 broadcast mentioned that OC Kevin Barbay scripts eight plays to start each game. If that holds true, through four games, there have been 32 plays scripted. Of those 32 plays, 17 combine for 0 yards, a sack, and an INT.
Cincinnati’s statistician missed Zeon Chriss subbing in for Donovan in the first quarter for one play. Smith was credited with Zeon’s seven-yard gain. With that play corrected, Chriss ran for 34 yards on nine attempts while Smith went for 20 yards on nine attempts.
Houston completed just 13 passes, and no player caught more than two. Joseph Manjack was only targeted twice and Stephon Johnson only four times. The running backs and tight ends caught more balls (7) than receivers (6). Two catches by Manjack and Re’Shaun Sanford accounted for 68 of the 92 receiving yards (73.9%).
13 receptions ties the fewest for UH since 2019, when the Coogs completed 9 passes twice (both in wins). Dana Holgorsen’s last game as coach, at UCF last season, resulted in 13 completions as well.
Over the last 25 years, going back to the tail end of the Kim Helton era, UH has thrown for fewer than Saturday’s 92 passing yards only twice: at Michigan in 2003 (true freshman Kevin Kolb making his first-ever road start) and at USF in 2014 (Greg Ward’s 3rd start and 35+ MPH gusts).
Games of 100 or fewer passing yards since 1999:
64 – Michigan 2003
89 – USF 2014
92 – Cincinnati 2024
95 – KState 2023
100 – Tulsa 2019