Saturday, September 11, 2010

Houston Cougars Redeemed: Down UTEP Miners 54-24 At Robertson Stadium

(Case Keenum (7) went 15 for 24 for 279 yards before he left the game in the third quarter after taking an inadvertent blow to his helmet after throwing an interception. Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loco Photography, Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved)


By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 11, 2010) The Houston Cougars showed they can score points with their ground game in their 54-24 win over Conference USA foe UTEP at Robertson Stadium in Houston on Friday night.

The Cougars scored six rushing touchdowns on 656 yards of total offense in raising their season record to 2-0 and 1-0 in conference.

Bryce Beall and Michael Hayes each scored rushing three touchdowns while running for 195 yards and 77 yards, respectively.

James Cleveland scored one touchdown in the air, with Matt Hogan kicked two field goals and six extra points to round out the scoring.

Quarterback Case Keenum was inured in the third quarter after a pass was intercepted by UTEP’s TraVaun Nixon.

Keenum attempted to make a tackle on the play and was slow to get up. He left the game after going 15 for 24 for 265 yards and one interception.

Backup quarterback Cotton Turner entered the game and quickly took over where Keenum left off.

He went 9 for 10 for 69 yards in the air with one touchdown.

The Miners got on the board early in the first quarter on a 7-yard pass touchdown pass from Trevor Vittatoe to Pierce Hunter.

They continued their scoring with a 22-yard Dakota Warren field goal in the second quarter.

Vittatoe connected with Donavan Kemp at the 7:35 mark of the third quarter for the second Miner touchdown.

He then connected with Kris Adams on a 5-yard pass in the fourth quarter to round out the Miner’s scoring.

Defensively, Houston cornerback Jamal Robinson had five solo tackles and four assists, with linebacker Matt Nicholson and safety Nick Saenz both tallying three solo tackles and five assists.

The game was the second straight home sellout for the Cougars, who are currently 2-0 for the season and 1-0 in conference play.

Houston will next travel to the west coast to take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl. They are 2-2 lifetime against the Bruins, with their last win coming in 1979 where the Cougars downed UCLA 24-16.

Game time is set for 7:30pm in California.

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