Houston Cougars to face UAB in second conference game of season

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 12, 2012)  After coming off their second win of the season by defeating North Texas 44-21 last Saturday at Robertson Stadium, the Houston Cougars will be looking for their second conference win as they take on the University of Alabama-Birmingham with an 11:00 a.m. kickoff on Saturday morning at Robertson Stadium.

The Cougars are currently 2-3 in head coach Tony Levine’s first year at Houston.

Houston and UAB have split the last meetings with the Cougars winning last year’s game by the score of 56-13 in Birmingham.

The Cougars are 1-0 in Conference USA, defeating Rice 35-14 on Sept. 29 while the Blazers are 0-1 in conference play after losing to Tulsa 49-42.

UAB only victory this season was a 52-3 win over Southeastern Louisiana last weekend.

The Cougars will look to sophomore quarterback David Piland and junior running back Charles Sims to continue their offensive assault on the field.

Piland has throw for over 300 yards in each of his last two games while Sims rushed for 207 yards in only 10 carries against North Texas.

In games where Sims has rushed for over 100 yards, the Cougars are 5-0.

In his past two games, Sims has rushed for a combined 368 yards, which is number three on the all-time school list for two-game totals.

Sims is also number six on the school’s all-time list for rushing touchdowns with 24.

Bryce Beall, who played from 2008-2012 tops the list with 39.

Piland is number eight on both the career completions (356) and career passing yards (4,363).

Case Keenum (2007-2012) leads both lists with 1,546 and 19,217, respectively.

The game will be the central event of Family Weekend as the families of current UH students come to campus to attend and take part in various activities.