It’s been 10 years since Art Briles left Houston for Baylor. The Cougars have cycled through four head coaches in that decade: Kevin Sumlin, Tony Levine, Tom Herman, and Major Applewhite. I started thinking about the highs and lows of this era – so here are my 10 best and worst games in that decade:
10 Amazing Wins
11/15/08 – UH 70 Tulsa 30: The breakout game for Dana Holgorsen’s offense. Case Keenum threw for 6 TDs and ran for another in the rout.
12/31/08 – UH 34, AF 28: Sumlin & Keenum clinch Houston’s first bowl win since 1980.
9/12/09 – UH 45, #5 Oklahome State 35: Bryce Beall catches a batted ball for a TD as the Cougars get their first win over a top 5 program since 1984.
11/7/09 – UH 46, Tulsa 45: Coogs score 9 points in the final 21 seconds to stun Tulsa. Matt Hogan makes a 51 yard fg that would have been good from a billion.
1/2/12 – #17 UH 30, #23 Penn State 14: Case’s final game. He finishes 45/69 for 532 yards and 3 TDs in TicketCity Bowl.
1/02/15 – UH 35, Pitt 34: Down 34-13 with 4 minutes to play, Coogs rally for 22 points to win.
12/5/15 – 24, #20 Temple 13: Coogs win their first conference title since 2006 and receive an invite to the Peach Bowl.
12/31/15 – UH 38, #9 Florida State 24: Coogs shock the Seminoles and win their first NY6 Bowl. Cougars finishes with a 13-1 record.
9/3/16 – UH 33, #3 Oklahoma 23: Cougars beat another top 5 opponent and validate their 2015 season. One of the biggest wins in school history highlighted by Brandon Wilson’s 109 yard return of a missed FG – possibly the greatest play in school history.
11/17/16 – UH 36, #3 Louisville 10: Cougars blowout #3 Louisville in the biggest on-campus win in school history. The UH defense dominated eventual Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, finishing with 11 sacks (second most in school history).
Other notable wins: UH over Texas Tech – 2009 (UH’s first game ranked since 1991); 37-7 win over SMU with College Gameday on campus; UH 28, Memphis 24 – 2014 (Greg Ward’s first start); UH 35, #25 Memphis 34 (Postma comeback); UH 52, #16 Navy 31 to win AAC West; UH 28, #16 USF 24 in 2017.
10 Brutal Losses
10/03/09 – UTEP 58, UH 41: After beating OkSt and Tech in back to back weeks, UH goes on the road and is crushed by UTEP. Keenum throws for 5 TDs in a losing effort. Fun fact: In 2009, UH played 5 games with 80 or more total points yet UTEP is the only one of those that UH lost.
12/31/2009 – AF 47, UH 20: In the second-straight Fort Worth Bowl vs. Air Force, the Falcons intercept Case 6 times and the UH offense scores just 1 TD. Probably one of the coldest wet days of my life.
9/19/10 – UCLA 31, #23 UH 13: Case Keenum tears his ACL and it out for the season. It was believed to be the last game of his UH career (Narrator: It wasn’t).
12/3/11 – #24 USM 49, #7 UH 28: The last game of the Sumlin era. Turnovers, a blocked punt, and a motivated USM team kills UH’s bid at a perfect season.
9/1/12 – TxSt 30, UH 13: Tony Levine’s brutal tenure begins with a loss to a program playing their first FBS game. Afterwards, Tony said, “It is a long season, you can’t judge a 12, 13, or 14 game season by one game.” Sadly, we were able to judge 3 seasons by that 1 game.
8/29/14 – UTSA 27, UH 7: Embarrassing loss as the Coogs opened TDECU Stadium. Cougars were down 27-0 until a minute left. Travis Bush’s debut as OC: UH finished with -26 yards rushing and John O’Korn threw 4 INTs.
11/8/14 – Tulane 31, UH 24: The game that seals Levine’s fate. It was also his 3rd-straight homecoming loss, a record that will never be matched.
10/22/16 – SMU 38, #11 UH 16: Coogs, still alive for NY6 slot, are totally unprepared in a blowout loss to a previously 2-4 team.
12/17/16 – SDSU 34, UH 10: Coogs shutout in final 3 quarters of Major’s debut. UH finishes with 152 yards in last 3 quarters.
10/14/17 – Tulsa 45, UH 17: Houston leads at the half but is outscored 38-7 in 2nd half. Tulsa finishes the year with just 1 other win (ULL).
Other notable losses: Rice 56, UH 42 denies Coogs a conference title game bid (Rice OC: Tom Herman); Tulsa 28, UH 25 (Homecoming 2010); SMU 72, UH 42 in 2012; Tulsa 41, UH 7 (Homecoming 2012); Tulane 20, UH 17 – 2017.
