Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Houston’s Edwards Named Burlsworth Award Finalist

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 29, 2011, via University of Houston Press Release) University of Houston standout Patrick Edwards (Hearne, Texas) was named one of three finalists for the 2011 Brandon Burlsworth Trophy, announced today by the Springdale (Ark.) Rotary Club.

The Burlsworth Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player in America who began his career as a walk on. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on Dec. 9 in Springdale, Ark., and is presented by the Springdale Rotary Club

Edwards has been the country’s most explosive wide receiver in 2011, leading the country with 18 touchdown grabs, while ranking second with 1,496 total receiving yards. Edwards is the Conference USA all-time record holder with his 4,251 career receiving yards and ranks No. 4 all-time in NCAA history in that category.

Edwards enjoyed the top receiving day in the country during UH’s 73-34 win against Rice, catching seven passes for 318 yard and five scores. He also recorded four touchdowns (three receiving and one punt return score) at Tulane and caught eight passes for 181 yards and four TD’s in the C-USA West Division clincher at Tulsa. Edwards has more touchdown receptions (18) than 62 teams in college football this season.

Other finalists for the award include Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis and Stanford wide receiver Griff Whalen.

Fans are encouraged to continue voting for their favorite player via the AT&T Fan Vote beginning today at 3 pm CST at: http://BurlsworthTrophy.com. Fans are limited to one vote per day and the voting will conclude Dec. 7, at 5 pm CST. The Fan Vote counts as 5 percent in each round and will be combined with the Selection Committee vote to determine the winner.

The Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth. Without any Division 1 scholarship offer, Brandon walked on to the Razorback football team in 1994, worked his way to becoming a three-year starter, and was eventually named an All-American in 1998. Burlsworth was selected as the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft, but was tragically killed in a car
accident 11 days later.

The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, in particular those children that have limited opportunities.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Baylor’s Ganaway Named Rivals Big 12 Player of Week

Senior RB honored after rushing for 246 yards vs. Texas Tech

WACO, TEXAS (November 28, 2011, via press release from Baylor University) Baylor senior running back Terrance Ganaway was honored as the Rivals.com Big 12 Conference Player of the Week on Sunday, one day after leading the Bears to a 66-42 win over Texas Tech.

Ganaway rushed a school-record 42 times for 246 yards and two touchdowns against the Red Raiders Saturday at Cowboys Stadium. He ran his way to 16 of Baylor’s school record 38 first downs and had 11 rushes of nine or more yards.

Ganaway also became the eighth 1,000-yard single-season rusher in program history. His 1,195 rushing yards for the season are the second-most ever at Baylor, and he needs just 23 more yards to tie Jay Finley’s school record from a season ago. With his two rushing touchdowns against Texas Tech, Ganaway also broke Baylor’s single-season record with 14 on the year.

A native of DeKalb, Texas, Ganaway also became the first player in program history with two career games of 200 or more rushing yards. He previously ran for 200 yards against Iowa State on Oct. 8 and has now accounted for two of the six 200-rushing yard games in 110 years of Baylor football.

Ganaway rushed for at least 49 yards on at least seven carries in all four quarters against Texas Tech. He had 10 carries for 54 yards in the first quarter, seven carries for 49 yards in the second, 11 carries for 75 yards in the third and 68 yards on 14 carries in the fourth. He had a pair of 4-yard TD runs – one to give Baylor a 24-14 lead in the second quarter and another to cap the game’s scoring and give the Bears their highest point total ever in a conference game.

No. 17 Baylor (8-3, 5-3 Big 12) closes out the regular season by hosting No. 22 Texas (7-4, 4-4 Big 12) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears are 6-0 at home this season and are looking for their first 9-win season since 1986.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Lamar stomps Tennessee Tech 85-65

(Story via Lamar University Press Release)

COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE (November 25, 2011) Senior guard Anthony Miles poured in a career-high 31 points as Lamar University blew open a close game at the half to roll to an 85-65 basketball victory over Tennessee Tech on Friday night at the Eblen Center.

Lamar has now won three in a row, including two straight over Ohio Valley
Conference opponents on the road, to improve to 4-2 on the season. The Cardinals will be back in action Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at TCU.

“This was a good road trip, getting two wins over two quality opponents,” said
LU head coach Pat Knight. “I felt like we stood around a lot in the first half
and settled for jump shots, but we executed well in the second half. We were
getting quality shots or getting to the free throw line in the second half.”

The Cardinals built a 13-point lead in the first half as a Devon Lamb layup put
them ahead 24-11 with 9:24 to play. The Golden Eagles (2-3) were able to make a
push, though, and close the half on a 13-5 run to go into the break down just
five at 29-24.

Lamar, which never trailed in the game, opened the second half with a 6-0 run to
push its lead back to 11. Tech responded with a 6-0 run of its own to get back
within five, but would get no closer. Tre Lynch hit a layup with 13:31 to play
that put the Cards up 44-34, and the Golden Eagles would not get within single
digits again.

The Cards shot an impressive 55.2 percent from the floor in the second half,
finishing the game at 44.4. Lamar made six of its 12 3-point attempts and was a
sparkling 23-of-27 from the free throw line. Miles attempted Lamar’s only two
free throws in the first half, but the Cards went to the line 25 times after the
break.

The Cards hammered the much larger Golden Eagles on the boards, outrebounding them 41-26. LU pulled down 14 offensive rebounds and converted them into a 12-0 advantage in second chance points.

Miles scored his 31 points on just 14 field goal attempts, while also dishing
out a season-high eight assists. The Houston product, whose previous career-high
was 28 points against Rice, made eight of his shots, including three 3-pointers,
and was 12-of-14 from the charity stripe.

Lamb led the Cardinals on the glass, pulling down a game-high 10 boards to go
along with his 15 points as he notched his second double-double of the year.
Charlie Harper added nine points and five rebounds from the forward position.

The Cardinals got 28 points off their bench, led by Brandon Davis’ 13. Davis
knocked down three triples in the game, adding three rebounds in 28 minutes of
work. Stan Brown added seven points and five boards off the bench.

Kevin Murphy, the preseason Player of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference,
scored 16 points for the Golden Eagles. Zach Bailey led his team with 17 points
off the bench.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Houston’s Edwards Named Burlsworth Semifinalist

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 24, 2011, via University of Houston Press Release) Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards was named a semifinalist for the 2011 Brandon Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top football player in college football that began his career as a walk-on.

Edwards, a native of Hearne, Texas, has been one of the country’s top receivers in 2011 and ranks No. 2 nationally with 14 touchdown receptions and is second in total receiving yards (1,315). The 5-foot-9 senior began his career as a walk-on at UH in 2007, but quickly became a key contributor as a redshirt freshman, catching 46 passes for 634 yards and four TDs before suffering a devastating leg injury in a game at Marshall.

Following an off-season of extensive rehabilitation, Edwards returned to the lineup in 2009 and caught a career high 85 passes for 1,021 yards and six scores en route to all-conference accolades. As a junior he continued his stellar production, racking up first team All-Conference USA honors with 71 grabs for 1,100 yards and 13 TDs, and has 66 catches for a career high 1,315 yards and 14 scores in 2011. His 1,315 yards and 14 scores this season are career highs and his 4,070 career receiving yards are tops in school history. His 37 career receiving TDs are also the most in school history and second all-time in the Conference USA annals.

The Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth. Without any Division 1 scholarship offer, Brandon walked on to the Razorbacks team in 1994, worked his way to being a three-year starter, and was eventually named an All-American in 1998. Burlsworth was selected as the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft, but was tragically killed in a car accident 11days later. The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, in particular those children that have limited opportunities.

Fans will be allowed to vote for their favorite player via the AT&T Fan Vote beginning, Nov. 22 at http://BurlsworthTrophy.com. Voting will begin with the top 10 semi-finalists and continue as the selection committee announces the top three Burlsworth Trophy finalists on Nov. 29. Fans are limited to one vote per day and the voting will conclude Dec. 6. The winner of The Burlsworth Trophy will be announced Dec. 9 at a banquet in Springdale, Ark. sponsored by the Springdale Rotary Club.

Edwards and the No. 7-ranked Cougars (11-0, 7-0) return to action on Friday at 11 a.m. CT at Tulsa (8-3, 7-0). The contest will be televised nationally on FSN and the game will decide the winner of the Conference USA West Division. The winner of that contest will also host the C-USA Championship Game, which will be played next Saturday.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Case Keenum Leads Houston to 37-7 Win Over SMU; Season Record Now 11-0

(UH quarterback Case Keenum completed 30-of-45 passes for 318 yards and one touchdown in the Cougars' win over SMU. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography, Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved)

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 19, 2011) In a game that saw the Houston Cougars (11-0, 7-0 C-USA) facing a stubborn SMU Mustangs squad; the Cougars managed to keep their record unblemished by downing the Mustangs 37-7 in front of 32,207 fan at Robertson Stadium in Houston.

The Mustangs fall to 6-5 for the season and 4-3 in conference play.

The scene was electric on Saturday afternoon with the Mustangs facing a sea of red in the stands and a determined Houston team that get its first 11-0 start in school history.

Case Keenum continued to dazzle both the fans and the opposing team’s defense, completing 30-of-45 passes for 318 yard and one touchdown.

He also rushed for 21 yards and one touchdown.

The Houston offensive line had a bit of difficulty with the SMU defense, as they continuously pursued and pressured Keenum all afternoon.

Keenum was never caught behind the line for a loss, but he had to continually scramble and look for receivers while keeping the Mustang rushers at bay.

The Cougars scored first on a 28-yard field goal by Matt Hogan at the 9:02 mark in the first quarter to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

They came back in the second quarter with another Hogan field goal with 14:10 left in the half and a 36-yard touchdown run by Michael Hayes with 46 seconds remaining before halftime.

With those two scores, the Cougars took a 13-0 lead into the locker room at the halfway point.

Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin must have made some adjustments at halftime; or chewed a little player behind, because the Cougars came back like gangbusters and scored 10 points in the 3rd quarter.

At the 6:32 mark, Hogan nailed his 3rd field goal of the game; a 22-yard chip shot to take the score to 16-0 in favor of the Cougars.

The Cougars got another score with 30 seconds left in the 3rd quarter on a 12-yard pass from Case Keenum to Justin Johnson to make the score to 23-0.

SMU finally got on the board with 8:33 left in the game on an eight yard TD pass from J.J. McDermott to Darius Johnson.

The Cougars came right back in a bit over two minutes to allow Keenum to run the ball in for the score from the 16-yard line.

That made the score 30-7 with 6:17 left.

Houston added a final touchdown pass when Cotton Turner connected with Gino Collins on 43-yard pass for the score with 1:18 to go in the game.

The win sets up a crucial match up next Saturday when the Cougars travel to Oklahoma to face the 8-3 Tulsa Golden Hurricane for the Conference USA West title.

The Golden Hurricane is 7-0 in conference play and the winner of the game will advance to the C-USA championship game on December 3.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Ronald Oswalt: The Man Behind the SportsMarketingExperts.com Bowl

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

PASADENA, TEXAS (Novemeber 18, 2011) Being a devoted sports fan since birth gave Ronald Oswalt the inspiration to enter the world of sports as a vocation and eventually develop a bowl game for the private high school football players of Texas.

Ronald Oswalt attended a small private school in Mississippi that received little or no attention for their athletic achievements.

They played and worked as hard as the public schools but were not considered as good.

After high school, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi and while pursuing his degree, worked in the athletic department.

During his time at Southern Mississippi, he was able to witness and participate in some of the most exciting athletic events in the school’s history as a result of a future NFL star’s performance at the school.

That future NFL star was none other than Brett Favre.

The excitement felt by Oswalt while in college led to his lifetime involvement in sports.

The sports road started officially for Oswalt as a sports writer for the
“Leader-Call” in Laurel, Mississippi.


He later worked in medical sales for several years in Mississippi and Texas
until he had the opportunity to work again in sports as a media relations
director for the National Indoor Football League (NIFL).


After working my way from a NIFL, Oswalt became the Assistant General Manager for the Beaumont Drillers of the American Professional Football League (APFL).

In 2008, he was named Vice-President/General Manager of the Austin Turfcats; a franchise team in the the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL).

The Turfcats 10-3 for the season and made the SIFL championship game against the Louisiana Swashbucklers in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Oswalt began consulting for San Marcos Academy, and discovered all the 20 plus years of training and various jobs in sports came together.

He wanted to make high school sports as great as they can be; one school at a time.

This is what led Oswalt to develop and promote an all-star football game for private high school players.

As a result, private high school football players have a post-season bowl game they can call their own; the SportsMarketingExperts.com Bowl.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

SportsMarketingExperts.com Bowl To Feature Elite Texas Athletes

(San Marcos Academy Senior Aubrey Oswalt grabs a interception in a game earlier in the year. He collected four on the season to lead TAPPS Division II District 3. He was also named Upperhand Promotions Texas High School Player of the Week after a 53-yard interception return for a touchdown versus Austin. File Photo)

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS (November 13, 2011) SportsMarketingExperts.com, sports marketing firm based in San Marcos, Texas was recently named the headline sponsor of a senior bowl game that will feature the top talent from across the state in private school athletics.

The game, which will be played at Fort Bend Christian in Sugarland, Texas, is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday December 10, 2011. In the days prior to the event, the student-athletes from across the state will enjoy a wide variety of planned activities ranging from community outreach to entertainment at the Houston Aeros hockey game and a visit to Shriner’s Hospital in Houston.

The bowl was started in 1996 and was played at Rice Stadium, home of the Owls from Conference USA. The bowl was originally played under the name of “Bayou Bowl” and was later moved to Houston Christian School. The bowl has also been played under the direction of the Houston Coaches Association in the past. Sports Marketing Experts CEO Ronald Oswalt and his team believe this will be an event that students will remember for a lifetime.

“Sports Marketing Experts has teamed up with some amazing partners to be able to have such a special event,” Oswalt said. “We are very blessed to be able to use the amazing facilities at Fort Bend Christian, and look forward to seeing some of the top talent in Texas come together to bring back this special game.”

Honorary Coaches are being lined up for this special event, including former NFL and NCAA Head Coaches. Head Coaches across the state are being asked to nominate their senior football players for this special event, and contact the bowl committee if they are interested in helping out in any way.

Final player nominations are needed by November 23, 2011. For more information please visit sportsmarketingexpertsbowl.com or call Dan Morgan, Head Baseball Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Pope John Paul XXIII of Katy at his mobile number 281-580-0948.

Houston vs. Tampa Bay: A Look at the Game

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 13, 2011) The Houston Texans (6-3) will look to extend their three-game winning streak against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM ET.

The Texans and the Buccaneers have faced off twice previously in history.

Each team is 1-1 in the series.

On December 14, 2003, the Texans lost to the Buccaneers 16-3 at Rayburn James Stadium.

On December 9, 2007, the Texans came out on top 28-14 at Reliant Stadium.

Houston has had some good performances against Tampa Bay since their inaugural game in 2003.

They include:

  • Andre Johnson had nine receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown on December 9, 2007.
  • Kevin Walter had five receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown on December 9, 2007.
  • Owen Daniels had three receptions for 20 yards and touchdown on December 9, 2007
  • DeMeco Ryans had six tackles (three solo) on December 9, 2007.

A win over Tampa Bay would give the Texans the following milestones:

  • Improve head coach Gary Kubiak’s career record to 44-46 overall and 2-0 against Tampa Bay.
  • Improve their record against Tampa Bay to 2-1 in the all-time series.
  • Give the Texans its first win at Raymond James Stadium.
  • Give Houston a four-game winning streak, tying a franchise record set in 2009.
  • Improve their record to 7-3, which would be the best mark through 10 games in franchise history.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Houston Downs Grambling State 88-42 in First Game of Season for Both Teams

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 12, 2011) Starting of with a 13-0 run in the first half, the Houston Cougars totally dominated a weak Grambling State team 88-42 in the first game for both teams of the 2011-2012 season.

The Cougars were led by redshirt freshman guard Joseph Young who tallied 18 points along with seven assists.

He was aided in Houston’s offensive assault by freshman TaShawn Thomas, who scored 13 points; adding eight rebounds and five assists.

Sophomore Alandise Harris went 7-of-10 for 14 points, with senior Darian Thibodeaux and Jonathon Simmons scoring 11 each.

Rebounding was a problem all season last year for the Cougars and that situation seems to be continuing in 2011; although it does seem to be getting better.

Houston recorded 39 rebounds against the Tigers, grabbing 15 on the offensive side and 24 on the defensive end.

Houston head coach James Dickey addressed that very topic in his post game interview:

We have to do a better job rebounding. We didn’t turn the ball over asmuch tonight. Our guy’s shot selection for the most part was very good. We ran the floor well and we were active defensively. We had close to 45 deflections in the game.

Grambling was led by Raschard Boatner who recorded 15 point and four assists.

Steven Danridge contributed 10 points and nine rebounds in the Tigers’ loss.

The Cougars will get one day to rest, recuperate and prepare for their next game of the season.

They will face Utah Valley in a 7:00 PM CT match up on Monday.

Monday, November 07, 2011

Houston Texans Down Cleveland Browns 30-12: Some Post Game Thoughts to Ponder

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 7, 2011) In their ninth game of the 2011 season, the Houston Texans (6-3) totally dominated a weak Cleveland Browns squad 30-12 in front of 71,000 fans at Reliant Stadium on Sunday

That win keeps them alone at the top of the AFC South Division.

What can I say about the Texans at this point in the season?

As by father used to say, “Opinions are like….” well you know the rest. I will not elaborate on the prose of my father.

However on some levels, he was right.

No matter what my or anyone else’s opinion out there is concerning the Texans, one thing is certain; they ARE having the best season of their short and somewhat uneventful life this season.

So far, 2011 has been a banner year for the Texans. No one can deny that.

But what is the reason?

Some may say it was the addition of Wade Phillips as the defensive coordinator that made the difference.

Others may say it is the overall status of the AFC South and the Texans route to the playoffs is a direct result of the weak teams they have to play this year.

I case might also be made that the Texans have finally put together a squad of players that finally “click” together and for 60 minutes each Sunday, put together an effort that “gets the job done.”

I really do not know what real reason is.

I do think the hiring of Wade Phillips was one of the catalysts that are making an impact this year.

I have always thought he was one of the best defensive minds in professional football.

The defense is performing levels above what they have in the past and it is showing on the field.

I also think the overall attitude of the team has been conducive to success this season.

Never have I seen more players putting forth the extra effort on both sides of the ball to make sure the Texans come out of a game with a win.

It seems to me that if the offense fails on a series of downs, the defense is right there to pick up the slack and make up for the failure.

The same goes for the offense taking it up a notch when the defense has occasionally hit a bump in the road.

More players than ever have been contributing in scoring on offense and never have this team hustle more of defense than has obscured this year.

It was clear to me that the offensive line was playing above and beyond against the Browns.

When a team has two players rushing for over 100 yards (Arian Foster-124 yards and Ben Tate-115 yards) some of the credit has to be given to the offensive line.

The opened holes when there was not any; along with keeping them open for the ball carrier to get through.

The Texans defense sacked Browns quarterback Colt McCoy four times, holding him to one passing touchdown.

The absence of key players due to injury have certainly put the Texans at a disadvantage; but it seems to me they have adapted well to those loses and have filled in the holes to get the job done with what they have.

This Texans team can go along way this year. How far is the question?

Can they make the playoffs? I believe so.

How far they can go is the only question that really matters.

As in any endeavor, only time will tell.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans: Halftime Stats

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 6, 2011) With the 1st half in the book, the Houston Texans lead the Cleveland Browns 21-3 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The Texans have scored three touchdowns and a field goal to the Browns’ single field goal.

Here is a summary of the scores.

Texans: (9:50 in the 1st quarter) A 27-yard touchdown run by Ben Tate. Neil Rackers kick was good. 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:10. Texans-7 Browns-0.

Texans: (7:11 in the 1st quarter) A 2-yard touchdown run by Matt Schaub. Rackers kick was good. 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:29. Texans-14 Browns-0.

Browns: (3:43 in the 1st quarter) A 50-yard field goal by Phil Dawson. 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:28. Texans-14 Browns-3.

Texans: (8:06 in the 2nd quarter) A 19-yard touchdown run by Arian Foster. Rackers kick was good. 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:54. Texans 21 Browns-3.

Texans: (0:00 in the 2nd quarter) A 28-yard field goal by Rackers. 1 play, 0 yards, :02) Texans-24 Browns-3

Halftime Stats:

First Downs: Texans: 10, Browns: 4

Total Yards: Texans 222, Browns: 70

Rushing Yards: Texans: 132, Browns: 25

Passing Yards: Texans: 90, Browns: 45

Passes: Texans: 10 of 15, 1 interception, Browns: 6 of 12, 1 interception

First Downs: Texans: 10, Browns: 4

Penalties: Texans: 4 for 35 yards, Browns: 2 for 47.5 yards.

The Texans should be able to put up some impressive number in the second half if this keeps up.

Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans: 1st Quarter Thoughts and Stats

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOSUSTON, TEXAS (November 6, 2011) With the 1st quarter in the book, the Houston Texans lead the Cleveland Browns 14-3 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The Texans have scored two touchdowns to the Browns single field goal.

Matt Schaub is moving the ball and is taking advantage of the Browns’ lack of offense and mistakes.

The Texans scored their first touchdown on a 27-yard run by Ben Tate.

The drive last 5:10 and consisted of nine plays and 82 yards. With Neil rackers splitting the uprights for the PAT, the 
Texans took the early lead 7-0 at the 9:50 mark in the 1st quarter,

They came right back after a Colt McCoy handoff to Chris Ogbonnaya resulted in a fumble on a 1st and 10 play.

The Texans recovered the fumble and drove 28 yards in six plays to score their second touchdown  With Rackets kick 
being good, the score became 14-0 at the 7:11 mark.

The Brown came back with a 50-yard field goal at the 3:43 mark to make the score 14-3.

1st Quarter Stats:

First Downs: Texans: 7, Browns: 1

Total Yards: Texans 145, Browns: 25

Rushing Yards: Texans: 68, Browns: 9

Passing Yards: Texans: 77, Browns: 16

Passes: Texans: 8 of 10, Browns: 2 of 3

The second half should be interesting to watch.




Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans: Pre-Game Notes and Player Inactives

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography, 
Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved.
















By Robert H Kelly 
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 6, 2011) The Houston Texans will put their 5-3 record on the line as they take on the Cleveland Browns with a 12:00 PM CT kickoff at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

With the weather projected as overcast with the temperature in the upper 70s, the roof will be closed.
The Texans have seven players listed as inactive for today's game. They include:
  • QB T.J. Yates
  • CB Brandon Harris
  • FS Danieal Manning
  • G Thomas Austin
  • G Andrew Gardner
  • WR Andre Johnson
  • TE Garrett Graham
The Texans will also have the following lineup changes:
  • Jacoby Jones will start at wide receiver for Andre Johnson.
  • Lawrence Vickers will start at fullback for James Casey.
  • Troy Nolan will start at free safety for Daniel Manning.
The Browns also have seven players listed as inactive. They include:
  • QB Thaddeus Lewis
  • DB Dimitri Patterson
  • RB Montario Hardesty
  • RB Payton Hillis
  • DB Ray Ventrone
  • OL Steve Vallos
  • DL Austin English
Chris Ogbonnaya will start at running back for Peyton Hillis.

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Houston Cougars Football: Going for Their First 9-0 Start in School History

(Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography, Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved)

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 5, 2011) When the Houston Cougars take the field to face the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers on Saturday evening, they will be looking to go 9-0 for the first time in school history.

Saturday’s game is the eighth all-time meeting between Houston and UAB and each of those eight meetings have come as members of Conference USA .

UAB leads the series 4-3, but UH has won three of the last four contests, including a 49-10 win in Birmingham on Oct. 20, 2007


Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin is 1-0 vs. the Blazers, with that win coming in 2008 by a 45-20 margin at Robertson Stadium

Houston has scored 40 plus points against. the Blazers in all three of its wins, including 56 tallies during a 56-28 win at Robertson Stadium in 2003.

Current UAB head coach Neil Callaway spent four seasons at the University of Houston as the team’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (1993-96).

Houston quarterback Case Keenum leads the country with 3,219 yards passing and 32 TDs.

He has the country’s best TD-to-INT ratio in 2011 (32-3) and needs 267 yards passing on Saturday to break the NCAA career yardage record of 17,072 which is held by Hawaii’s Timmy Chang.

Keenum has 16,805 career passing yards. He already owns NCAA records for career TD passes (139), TD’s accounted for (159), total offense (17,692) and career 300 yard games (33).

Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards produced the best receiving day in college football this season with 318 yards and five TDs on just seven catches in a 73-34 victory over Rice on Oct. 27.

He is also the first receiver in America to top 1,000 yards receiving and currently ranks No. 2 nationally in receiving yardage (1,069).

He leads the NCAA with 11 TD grabs in 2011 and is ranks No. 9 nationally in yards per catch (21.0) and is the first player in University of Houston history to top 1,000 yards receiving in three separate seasons.

Tied for the school record with 34 career TD grabs and is the school record holder for career receiving yardage (3,826).

Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans: A Look Ahead at the Game

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 5, 2011) As the Houston Texans prepare to face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Reliant Stadium, the Texans' coaches and players will look to continue their success and progress towards their first-ever NFL playoff appearance.

The Texans have been improving all season and have seen their defense make major strides under the leadership of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

But will all that said, the ultimate goal for the Texans is wins. It is as simple as that.

Wins are what they want and what they need.

But along with their major goals of winning and advancing to the playoffs; weekly goals are achieved along the way to help them down the road towards the playoffs.

With the Texans preparing to play their ninth game of the season, below is a list of the milestones they could achieve if they beat the Browns.

  • Improve head coach Gary Kubiak’s career record to 43-46 overall and 3-1 against Cleveland.
  • Improve Houston’s record against Cleveland to 4-3 in the all-time series.
  • Improve Houston’s home record to 4-1 this season.
  • Improve Houston’s record to 6-3, which would be the best mark through nine games in franchise history.

Sunday’s game will be sort of a homecoming for Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, who played his college ball for the University of Texas at Austin.

However, with the way the Texans’ defense has been playing, Sunday’s game could be a bittersweet trip for McCoy.

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Houston Aeros Release Two Players

It is being reported by the Houston Aeros, via press release, that forward Mike Bartlett and defenseman Jordan Hendry have been released from their professional tryout contracts.

Bartlett appeared in three games for the Aeros and recorded one shot on goal. Hendry played in 10 games and collected two assists along with 10 penalty minutes.

The Aeros will next play the Lake Erie Monsters on Thursday at 6 p.m. CDT.

They will return to the Toyota Center on Sunday for a 5:05 p.m. CDT game against the Toronto Marlies.

The Areos are a member of the American Hockey League and are an affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.