Today, in 1994, the Houston Cougars beat SMU 39-33 for the program’s first win in 13 games. UH snapped the nation’s longest losing streak at 10 games and had gone 0-12-1 since beating Baylor on October 2, 1993.
Chad O’Shea started at quarterback for Houston, learning he would get the nod just 25 minutes before kickoff. It was his first career start, replacing Clay Helton, who decided during warmups that he would be a detriment to the team. Helton had started the week before vs. #10 Texas A&M, his first career start as well. Chuck Clements was named the starter out of fall camp but went down with a season-ending injury vs. Ohio State in late September.
With the musical chairs at QB, running back Jermaine Williams stole the show. Williams ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns. O’Shea managed the game well, going 17/27 with two touchdowns, including a 21-yard pass to Chris Herold in the first quarter. That was significant because the Coogs had yet to score in the first quarter in the season’s first five games. Or the second quarter. Or the third. Williams’ first TD run, late in the second quarter, was Houston’s first rushing TD of the season. All of UH’s points (27) had come in the fourth quarter of blowouts and were all in the air.
Going back to 1993, UH had scored five touchdowns in the previous seven games.
In 1993, the Cougars tied SMU 28-28 at the Astrodome. In the 364 days between games against the Mustangs, UH had scored just 84 points in 10 games. SMU was just 2-9 since the ’93 game against UH.
In 1994, UH was SMU’s annual game in the Cotton Bowl. However, with a move to the WAC forthcoming, SMU decided to move all of their home games to the Cotton Bowl beginning in 1995. SMU’s yearbook, The Rotunda, explained the move this way:
“The WAC required a larger stadium to house more fans. And more spectators fit into SMU’s plan of building a great football team over the next few years.”
11,400 showed up at the Cotton Bowl for Houston and SMU.
