Houston Texans to sign UH ex Case Keenum

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS It is being reported by Gallery Sports and Sports Radio 610 writer John McClain that the Houston Texans have agreed to sign former Houston Cougar Case Keenum to a two-year contract as their backup quarterback. The deal can't become official until the start of free agency on Wednesday. This will be Keenum's third tour with the Texans. He played in 2012-13 under Gary Kubiak and in 2014 under Bill O'Brien.

James Dickey steps down as head basketball coach of the Houston Cougars

James Dickey spent four years at the
helm of the Houston Cougars.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2014 All Right Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 24, 2014) It is being reported via University of Houston press release and the Houston Chronicle that James Dickey has stepped down as men's head basketball coach at the Houston Cougars.

The announcement from the University of Houston was released via e mail press release on Monday, March 24, 2014 at 4:45 p.m.

The stated reason was given as “private family matters.”

Dickey spent four years at the helm of the Cougars, posting a 64-62 record along with one post season berth in 2013, advancing to the quarterfinals of the CBI tournament; beating the Texas Longhorns in the first round by the score of 73-72.

He holds a 217-196 overall career record, along with previous jobs as the head coach at Texas Tech (10 years) and as an assistant at Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Central Arkansas, Harding College, and Kentucky.

In the 2013-14 season, Dickey’s Houston squad defeated three Top 25 teams and finish the season with a 17-16 record.

In the press release from the University of Houston, Dickey was quoted:

“This has been a difficult decision to make. I continually preach to my players about being an everyday guy, and the balance of your personal and professional life is a major part of it. With that being said, I have a family matter that requires my time and energy, and I will regretfully step down from my current position at the University of Houston. I am extremely appreciative of Mack Rhoades (Houston athletic director) for the opportunity and for the value he brings professionally and personally. I cannot thank my coaching staff and our players enough for the experience and memorable moments over the past four years. The system of support set forth by our Athletic Department staff is world class, and I’m appreciative of every member of the Houston Athletics family. I would like to thank the Houston fans for their support through the years and greatly encourage them to continue their support of the program in the future.”

Houston will immediately begin a national search for Dickey’s replacement.

Photos from the demolition of Robertson Stadium

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 10, 2012) With the "official" beginning of demolition of Robertson Stadium on Monday, many dignitaries, university officials, alumni and were on hand to witness the last day of the historic stadium.

TexSport Publications' staff photographer Kristine Kelly was on hand to document the event. Below are some of the photos.

The demolition was begun by Houston supporter Joe Chastang.

Former UH head football coach Bill Yoeman (far left) was on hand for the demolition.

       University President Renu Khator took a turn in the excavator to aid in the "work."

         After all the dignitaries completed their turn, the "real" demolition began.

Demolition of University of Houston's Robertson Stadium Begins

Photo by Kristine Kelly-TexSport Publications

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2012 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 10, 2012) With the touch of a button and a pull of a lever, the “official” demolition of Robertson Stadium began today on the campus of the University of Houston.

University dignitaries, members of the media, students and alumni were in attendance to see longtime Houston supporter Joe Chastang climb into the cab of a hydraulic excavator and begin the demolition of the southeast concession stand and restrooms.

Chastang earned the right to begin the demolition by having the high bid in an auction at the university’s “Hall of Honor” Gala in November.

Following his time in the excavator, he made the following statement to the press:

“I was sitting (at the gala banquet) and had a little bit to drink. I didn’t think my wife would want me to bid on it. But when it came up she nudged me and said ‘Aren’t you going to bid?’ I said, ‘Heck yeah, I’m going to bid on it.’ It was worth the money to be able to do.”

Chastang was not the only person who helped bring down “The Rob” on the cold Monday morning.

University president Renu Khator also climbed into the excavator and took her swings at the iconic stadium.

The demolition of the entire stadium complex should take about four to six weeks with the groundbreaking for the construction of the new stadium slated for early February.

Houston Cougars Men’s Basketball Back in Action after Break

Cougars set to meet Oklahoma at 7 p.m., Saturday, at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 16, 2011) After more than 10 days off from competition, the University of Houston men’s basketball team returns to action at 7 p.m., Saturday, when it meets Oklahoma inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Between the Cougars’ final examinations and a request from UTSA administrators to postpone a game earlier this month, Houston has not seen action since a tough 81-78 loss at Texas State on Dec. 6. It was the Cougars’ fourth loss this season by a combined seven points.

Against the Bobcats, junior guard junior guard Jonathon Simmons posted a career-high points total and freshman forward TaShawn Thomas finished with a double-double – each for the second straight game – to lead the Cougars.

The Cougars trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half before chipping away at the deficit. Houston moved to within two points with just more than a remaining but was unable to tie the score.

Sophomore forward Alandise Harris and freshman point guard J.J. Thompson each posted 11 points for the Cougars.

This season, Harris leads the Cougars and ranks fourth in Conference USA with 16.0 points per game. Simmons is averaging 24.0 points in Houston’s last two games and moved into second among the Cougars with 13.6 points per contest. Junior forward Kirk Van Slyke stands third with 11.6 points per, game, while Thomas ranks fourth with 10.4 points per game and a team-high 8.8 rebounds per contest.

Houston is no stranger to the RAMADA All-College Classic. The Cougars are 9-6 all-time at this event, and the 2011 appearance will be the sixth time that the Cougars have competed here.

However, this is the first time since Dec. 27-29, 1973, that the Cougars will take part in this tournament. It also will be the first time that the Cougars have faced Oklahoma at this event.

The Cougars went 1-2 in their first appearance at the RAMADA All-College Classic and followed that with 2-1 showings in 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1974.

Saturday’s game will be the third meeting in the all-time series against the Sooners with the previous games being played during regular-season tournament play.

Despite its brief history, the series has been a tight one with no game being decided by more than seven points.

This will be the second time in the last three years that the Cougars will face Oklahoma on the hardwood. In the last meeting, the Cougars took a 100-93 win during the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 26, 2009, in Anchorage, Alaska.

In the only other meeting, Oklahoma snared a 55-51 win on Dec. 15, 1960, during the Cougars’ own Lion’s Club Tournament at Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston.

Oklahoma brings a 7-1 overall record into this weekend’s game. The Sooners have won their last three games.. The Sooners have won handily in 2011-12, winning by an average of 15.1 points per game.

In their most recent win, Oklahoma took a 78-63 win against Arkansas on Dec. 10 in Norman, Okla. Against the Razorbacks, the Sooners raced out to a 12-point halftime lead. Steven Pledger led OU with 22 points, while forward Andrew Fitzgerald added 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Tyler Neal came off the bench to post 18 points and five boards, and Romero Osby totaled 10 points and seven rebounds in the win.

This season, Pledger leads the Sooners with 17.9 points per game, while Calvin Newell ranks second with 13.0 points per contest. Andrew Fitzgerald stands third at 11.0 ppg, and Osby ranks fourth with 10.6 points per game but averages a team-high 7.5 rebounds per contest.

Head coach Lon Kruger is in his first year at Oklahoma and has posted a 7-1 record. He is in his 26th year overall as a head coach and has posted a 486-305 record during that time.

Kruger previously served as head coach at UT Pan American (1982-86), Kansas State (1986-90), Florida (1990-96), Illinois (1996-00), with the Atlanta Hawks (2000-03) and UNLV (2004-11). He is 2-0 against the Cougars during his career with both wins coming during his tenure at UNLV.

Houston Faces Southern Miss for C-USA Championship. What Does It Mean?

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 2, 2011) On the night before the biggest game in recent football history, questions abound about what it all means; win or lose, for the Houston Cougars?

When the No. 6 Houston Cougars (12-0, 8-0 C-USA) hit the field at Robertson Stadium at 11:00am to face the No. 23 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (10-2, 6-2 C-USA) they will be looking at completing their best regular season in school history.

The Cougars will be facing their first ranked opponent of the 2011 season in Southern Miss.

The Golden Eagles have lost two games this season; Marshall (26-21) on Sept. 10 and UAB (34-31) on Nov. 17.

Houston and Southern Miss have met 13 times previously, with the Golden Eagles holding the edge 8-5.

The game notes issued by the University of Houston Athletic Communications Office states the following facts and statistics:

·        Houston makes its third appearance in the Conference USA Championship Game and will be hosting for the second time.

·        UH is 1-1 in the C-USA title tilt, with that win coming in 2006 (34-20) vs. Southern Miss at Robertson Stadium. Houston fell at East Carolina in 2009 (38-32).

·        Houston owns a 4-3 series lead vs. Southern Miss at home, but the Golden Eagles own an 8-5 advantage in the series overall.

·        Houston has won three consecutive at Robertson Stadium vs. USM.

·        Head Coach Kevin Sumlin is 1-1 vs. Southern Miss, including a 50-43 win in 2009 at Robertson Stadium.

·        Houston looks for its 13th win on the season, which would extend this season’s school record total. Houston is also looking for its 13th consecutive win, which would also extend the school’s longest winning streak.

·        A 13th win by Houston would be tied for the sixth highest win total of the modern era.

In addition to these stats; many issues arise depending on the outcome of the game.

Let’s look at a few of these issues individually.

If Houston beats Southern Miss and gets a bid to a BCS bowl game, what will the status of head coach Kevin Sumlin be?

His name has already been floated around as a potential replacement at numerous jobs, including Arizona State and Texas A&M.

I do not think the University of Houston would want to lose Sumlin at this point. He is too much of an asset to the university and I do believe university administration will go the any lengths to keep him.

If the Cougars advance to a BCS bowl game, it would be, more than likely the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

That would be the biggest and most prestigious bowl game appearance in school history.

With the game being played in New Orleans, hundreds if not thousands of Cougar fans would hit the road for the Big Easy.

Can you imagine the majority of the Superdome filled with screaming, red and white clad Cougar fans?

The game would be nothing more than a post-season home game for the Cougars.

As a result of the C-USA championship and the BCS bowl game appearance, the Cougars could be expected to use the momentum of 2011 to next season and beyond.

Many things ride on today’s game, but the only issue on the mind of the Cougar players and their staff is beating Southern Miss.

If they accomplish that feat, the rest will take care of itself.

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.

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.

Houston Cougars Thump Marshall 63-28: Where Do They Go from Here?

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography, 

Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved.

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 22, 2011) What can one say after a football game that ends in a 35-point win for the home team and raises the team’s season record to 7-0?

Some may think that the score says it all and that nothing more needs to be said.

If the world was so simple that above statement would simply be enough.

More precisely, if the game of college football was so simple it might make for an easier time of understand the game as a whole.

But college football is not that simple. One must indeed look at what else happened in the game.

Yes, the Houston Cougars are now 7-0 after their 63-28 thumping of the Thundering Herd of Marshall.

Marshall came into Robertson Stadium sporting a 2-1 Conference USA record and leading the East Division of the conference.

The Thundering Herd controlled the ball for 42 minutes of the game. That means the Cougars’ defense was on the field for nearly 3/4 of the game.

No matter what one thinks about the Houston defense, that fact definitely had an impact on the game.

Add that to the realization that Houston has been struggling with their defense all season makes for a dangerous situation if their opponents offense ever gets on the move.

Case Keenum threw for 376 yards and six touchdowns in Houston's 63-28 win over Marshall. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography, Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved

Houston gave up 506 total yards to Marshall. That is way too much.

Holding them to 28 points was a factor in the game, but the fact is Marshall failed to capitalize on their offensive drives and Houston scored easily when they did have possession of the ball.

Case Keenum had a very successful day. He competed 24 of 28 passes for 376 yards and six touchdowns.

That performance did enable him to become the NCAA's career total offense record holder.

If he keeps this up, he should have no problem breaking both the NCAA all-time passing yardage record and the NCAA all time touchdown passes record.

The Cougars should have their next game against cross-town rival Rice. The Owls

sport a 2-5 record and should be no match for the Cougars. But the way college football is, nothing is guaranteed.

Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin needs to evaluate the defensive performance from today’s game and continue to tweak and refine where the defense is going.

To his credit, the Houston defense has shown improvement this year and is steps above when it was this time last year.

However, if he hopes to build on what has dome so far and continue to see improvement, he must expect…no, he must demand that the defense step up and do a better job than it did against Marshall.

After all, he has at least five games to go in 2011 and possibly two more if he gets to the C-USA championship game and the eventual bowl game that may come at the season’s end.

Add that to all the speculation of a possible move to the Big East Conference and all that implies makes the defensive situation crucial.

After all, this is college football and anything can happen.

Houston Cougar Quarterback Case Keenum Granted 6th Year Of Eligibility

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2011 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 15, 2011) The University of Houston and the NCAA have announced that Cougar quarterback Case Keenum has been granted a sixth year of eligibility.

Houston filed the appeal at season end for the sixth year of eligibility after Keenum suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Sept. 18 in a game vs. UCLA. Keenum also suffered a shoulder injury during his senior season in high school, which prohibited him from participating in competition as a true freshman.

Prior to the injury, Keenun was in the race to break NCAA career records for total offense, passing yards, touchdowns, pass attempts and completions. After two-plus games played in 2010, Keenum wrapped up the season with 14,448 career yards of total offense (7th), 13,586 passing yards (5th), 107 touchdown passes (8th), 1,626 pass attempts (10th), 1,118 pass completions (7th).

In a quote released via press release by the University of Houston, Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades stated "We are extremely happy for Case and his family. He is an exceptional person and his dedication to the University of Houston has been evident through this process. I want to thank the NCAA and Conference USA for their assistance in our appeal. There are so many people within the athletic department that worked tirelessly to make this successful, primarily our Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance Kevin Klotz. Without all these people, our efforts wouldn't have had such an exciting result."

Keenum passed for 274 yards and recorded 22 pass attempts vs. Texas State and with both he became the Houston career record holder in each, passing Kevin Kolb who played from 2003-2006, who currently played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Keenum is the school record holder in passing yards, total offense, passing touchdowns, attempts and completions. Keenum also holds Houston's single-season records for completions, attempts, passing yards and total offense.

He finished eighth in the 2009 Heisman trophy voting, and led the nation in passing offense and total offense in 2009 and ranked No. 1 in total offense and second in passing in 2008. He led Houston to a No. 1 ranking in the NCAA in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense in 2009.

In addition, Keenum passed for 5,671 yards in 2009, the third-highest passing total in NCAA Division I-FBS single-season history and joined Texas Tech's Graham Harrell as one of only two players to pass for 5,000 yards in two seasons. He has 25 300-yard passing performances in his career and has led Houston to 14 career come-from-behind victories.

Houston Men's Basketball To Face SHSU In Huntsville

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications

HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS (December 4, 2010) The Houston Cougars (4-3, 0-0 C-USA) hit the road for the fourth time this season to face the Sam Houston State Bearkats (4-1, 0-0 SLC) with a 2:00pm game time in Saturday.

Just a stone’s throw away Sam Houston’s grave, the Cougars and the Bearkats take to the hardwood at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, with Houston coming off a 73-57 drumming from LSU in Baton Rouge on Nov. 20.

Sam Houston, the defending Southland Conference champions, is coming off a 54-46 win over St. Thomas. Their only loss this season was to Texas, 84-50 in Austin.

The Cougars own a 24-9 (.727) lead in the all-time series against the Bearkats, which dates back to Jan. 17, 1946.

Houston has won the last two and four of the last five games against Sam Houston and post a 10-4 (.714) all-time record in Huntsville.

Houston Cougars: Can They Still Play In A Bowl Game In 2010? Only Time Will Tell

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 5, 2010) With their 40-27 loss to the University of Central Florida Knights this evening, the Houston Cougars are in a must-win situation the rest of the season in order to keep their chances alive to play in their sixth consecutive post season bowl game.

With the loss to UCF, the Cougars dropped to 5-4 for the season and 4-2 in Conference USA play.

The Cougars will face C-USA opponents Tulsa (Nov. 13) and Southern Mississippi (Nov. 20) before taking non-conference foe Texas Tech in their last regular season game on Nov. 29 in Lubbock.

Tulsa (5-3, 2-2 C-USA) will play Rice (2-6, 1-3 C-USA) at home on Nov. 6. The game should be a cakewalk for the Golden Hurricanes, but that is what Houston thought before being snaked by Rice 34-31 on Oct. 16.

This game could go either way, but I expect a Tulsa victory. They have outscored their opponents 297-229 while Rice has only scored 178 points while allowing opponents to rack up 283 points this season.

That would make Tulsa 6-3 for the season when they face the Cougars. With the lack of consistency shown by the Cougars this season, the game could be a win for Tulsa.

Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin will have to use all of his offensive skills and find a way to motivate the defense to stop the Golden Hurricanes.

Southern Mississippi (5-3, 2-2 C-USA) is currently in third place in C-USA East and will square off against Tulane (3-5, 1-3 C-USA) on Nov. 6 in New Orleans.

That should be a sure win for the Golden Eagles, giving them needed momentum going into their game with UCF on Nov. 13.

It will not matter if Southern Mississippi wins or loses against UCF. They will be facing Houston in Hattiesburg and the Cougars have had trouble playing on the road this season.

They have a 1-2 record when away from Robertson Stadium this season, losing to UCLA 31-13 on Sept. 18, Mississippi State 47-24 on Oct. 9, and cross-town rival Rice 34-31 on Oct. 16.

If the Cougars win either of their next two games, they will be bowl eligible with at least six wins.

The Texas Tech game may simply be an afterthought as far as the bowl officials are concerned.

Conference USA is guaranteed spots in six bowl games and will serves as a primary back-up for a possible seventh game.

The fact remains is which bowl, would select the Cougars if they finish with 6 conference wins.

In my mind, the Cougars must win their remaining three games if they hope to gain admittance to bowl play.

By winning their three remaining games, they will finish the regular season with an 8-4 record going into the C-USA championship game on Dec. 4.

At that point, win or lose, they would be headed to a bowl.

The key point is that they must win their remaining three games in order to be guaranteed a chance at post-season play.

If not, the only bowl game the Cougars will be watching in December will be on their television sets.

Houston Cougars Vs. UCLA Bruins: Will Case Keenum Start For The Cougars?

(Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography, Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved)

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 18, 2010) With less than 24 hours before game time, the question still remains, “Will quarterback Case Keenum start against UCLA on Saturday night?”

The fans want to know. The student body wants to know. The alumni want to know. And probably, Case Keenum wants to know.

The answer to these questions will come at game time; 7:00pm PT as the Cougars take the field at the Rose Bowl to face the Bruins.

Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin stated in his weekly press conference that Keenum’s status is day-to-day, while UH officials said Friday that his status remains a game-time decision.

Keenum left last Saturday’s game against UTEP with a concussion as a result of tackling a Miner ball carrier after throwing an interception.

At the weekly press conference, senior defensive back Jamal Robinson was asked if he had any advice for Keenum on tackling.

“I told him he might want to keep his head up next time. Next time we'll have him walk off the field instead of tackling people.”

Many Cougar supporters agree. If Keenum does not start, the quarterback duties would fall to backup man Cotton Turner.

Turner was the UH Offensive Player of the Week for the Cougars against UTEP. He has played in both UH games this year.

In those two games he went 17 of 21 for 141 yards and no interceptions while connecting for two touchdowns. His longest pass was 26 yards, while averaging 70.5 yards a game.

If Turner does start, he will be facing a Bruin team that is 0-2 for the season and does not want to lose their second home game in a row.

They lost to Kansas State 31-22 on the road in the season opener and dropped a Pac-10 conference game 25-0 to Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

No matter who starts, the Bruins will be bringing a barrage of attacks against whoever is leading the team on the field.

Expect UCLA to try immediately bringing as much pressure possible to see if Turner can make the quick decisions and backup those decisions by quickly delivering the ball.

The Cougars should not take UCLA lightly. They have a fine program with a fine tradition.

However, I don’t think Sumlin will risk losing Keenum for the season if he is not 100% able to perform.

After all, this is a non-conference game and plays no bearing on the Conference USA championship.

Turner is very capable of commanding the Cougars on the field and with the other players backing him up, things should go fairly well.

Keenum needs to take another week off to rest and prepare for Tulane on September 25.

In any case, everyone will know who is starting at quarterback for the Cougars on Saturday evening, about 9:00pm Houston time.

Three Houston Cougars To Compete In European Championships

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (August 8, 2010) Three University of Houston swimming and diving team members have been selected by their respective countries to compete in the 30th European Championships.

Swimmer Reka Kovacs and divers Julia Lonnegren and Anastasia Pozdniakova will be in Budapest, Hungary, August 8-15 for the championships.

Lonnegren, who is competing for Sweden, will dive in the 10-meter platform competition on August 12.

Pozdniakova who is representing Russia, will participate in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events in addition to the 3-meter synchronized competition with Russian partner Svetlana Filpova. The 1-meter event is scheduled to take place August 10, with the 3-meter event on August 14 and the synchronized event on August 15.

Competing for Hungary, Reka Kovacs is scheduled to swim in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter breaststroke.

The 400-yard IM event will take place on August 9 with the 200-yard breaststroke scheduled for August 11 and both the 200-yard IM set for August 12.

Pozdniakova is the current NCAA champion in the 1-meter springboard and was the runner up in the 3-meter springboard at this year's NCAA Championships She was also the silver medal in 3-meter synchronized diving at he 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Lonnegram was the bronze medalist in both the 1-meter springboard and platform events at the 2010 Conference USA Championships.

Kovacs placed 4th in the 200-yard breatstsroke at the 2010 C-USA Championships, making the NCAA "B" cut.

Keenum Named to O'Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 19, 2010) University of Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum received another preseason honor Wednesday when he was named to the 2010 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List.

The O'Brien Award is presented annually to the best college quarterback of the year and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious quarterback award. The O'Brien honors candidates who exemplify Davey O'Brien's enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership in both academics and athletics.

The watch list was compiled by a subset of The O'Brien National Selection Committee, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2010 college football season.

This was only the most recent preseason honor for Keenum. Earlier this month, he was honored as one of only 22 players to be named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List.

He was honored as a "Favorite" for both the College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Year and the College Football Performance Awards Quarterback Trophy. In addition, the Abilene, Texas, native has been named to several Preseason All-America Teams.

Keenum and other Cougar student-athletes are expected to earn additional preseason honors and be named to other national award watch lists during the next few weeks.

A year ago, Keenum led the nation in total offense for the second straight season, averaging more than 400 yards per game. He posted a school-record 5,671 passing yards with 44 touchdowns and helped lead the Cougars to a 10-4 overall record and fifth consecutive bowl appearance.

With his passing yardage, he became only the second player in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision history with multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons during his career. He enters the 2010 season on the cusp of setting many NCAA Division I-FBS passing and total offense career records.








2010 DAVEY O'BRIEN NATIONAL QUARTERBACK AWARD WATCH LIST
Matt Barkley, USC
Zach Collaros, Cincinnati
Andy Dalton, TCU
Dwight Dasher, Middle Tennessee
Ricky Dobbs, Navy
Nathan Enderle, Idaho
Nick Foles, Arizona
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
Robert Griffin, Baylor
Jacory Harris, Miami (Fla.)
Jerrod Johnson, Texas
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
Case Keenum, Houston

UH Men's Hoops Welcomes Trumaine Johnson to Team

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 18, 2010) Junior guard Trumaine Johnson became the newest member of the University of Houston men's basketball program Friday after signing a Statement of Financial Aid, head coach James Dickey announced.

"We are so excited to welcome Trumaine to our basketball program," Dickey said. "He is an explosive guard who can score and play hard-nosed defense. Trumaine is a veteran who helped lead his team to the NCAA Tournament. His experience certainly will be valuable to our program."

Following his signing, an excited Johnson said he was happy to return to an area he knows well.

"Houston is my hometown, and I have always been a fan of the Cougars," Johnson said. "This is home, and everybody loves home. I am glad to be back."

With his signing, Johnson became the sixth member -Dickey's initial recruiting class at Houston.

He joined Navarro Junior College guard Darian Thibodeaux, Midland Junior College forward Jonathon Simmons, Second Baptist High forward Mikhail McLean, Hyde Park Academy guard Fabyon Harris and Little Rock Central forward Alandise Harris.

Throughout his recruitment, Johnson said he always enjoyed speaking with Dickey, associate coach Alvin Brooks and assistant coaches Daniyal Robinson and Ulric Maligi. That played a major impact on his final decision.

"I felt very comfortable speaking with Coach Dickey and all the coaches,'' Johnson said. "I enjoyed their personalities and felt relaxed around them."

A Houston native, Johnson graduated from Kingwood High in 2007 before competing at San Diego for two seasons from 2007 to 2009. He helped lead the Toreros to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

He attended school at Diablo Valley College but did not play basketball during the 2009-10 season.

As a sophomore at San Diego in 2008-09, Johnson averaged 11.6 points to finish third among the Toreros in scoring. He led USD in scoring four times that year, including a season-best 22 points in games against San Francisco and Santa Clara.

Johnson posted 5.7 points per game as a freshman in 2007-08, including a season-high 22 points against Pepperdine. Starting 16 of 35 games that year, he raised his scoring average to 7.6 points per game in West Coast Conference play.

During his high school career, Johnson scored 40 or more points in a game four times and helped lead two teams to the state semifinals. As a senior at Kingwood High, he averaged 9.0 points, 7.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game while helping lead the team to the state semifinals and a national ranking in the USA Today Super 25.

Johnson also was tabbed as the District Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-District and All-Region honors.

He spent his sophomore and junior seasons at Diboll High where he received numerous awards. As a junior, he averaged 28 points, 8 assists and 3 steals on the way to being named the league's Most Valuable Player and earning All-Region and All-State Honors.

During his first year at Diboll High, he earned All-District First-Team and All-Region Accolades and was named the league's Newcomer of the Year. Johnson also helped lead the Mustangs to the state semifinals and a No. 1 ranking in the state.

Jack Cressend Named UH Assistant Baseball Coach

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 15, 2010) University of Houston head baseball coach Todd Whitting announced the hiring of Jack Cressend as assistant coach on Thursday.

“Jack is one of the premier pitching coaches in the country and I am very excited he is joining our program,” Whitting said. “His experience on the major league level and strong recruiting ties throughout the country will have an immediate impact on our pitching staff and program.”

Cressend comes to Houston after spending two seasons at Tulane. As a member of Whitting’s staff, he will serve as the program’s pitching coach.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to come to the University of Houston and to work with Todd Whitting and his staff,” Cressend said. “They have the vision and ideas to take Cougar baseball to the next level. It is an exciting time for the program and this was on opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. I am looking forward to getting started.”

The Mandeville, La., native returned to his alma mater, Tulane, in 2009 after an 11-year professional career, including five in the Major Leagues. During that career, Cressend was named the Boston Red Sox’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 1997 and was a member of the American League Central Division Champion, Minnesota Twins. His best season in the major leagues came in 2004 with the Cleveland Indians, when he posted a 2.51 ERA in 43 innings. Throughout his entire professional career Cressend made 370 appearances on the mound with 820 strikeouts.

Prior to his professional career, Cressend played for the Green Wave from 1994-96. He saw action on the mound and in the outfield and was a member of NCAA Tournament teams in 1994 and 1996. The 1996 team also took home the Conference USA Tournament title, with Cressend being named to the All-Tournament Team after pitching a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts in the championship game against South Florida.

Following his time in professional baseball, Cressend served as an area scout for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006-2008. During that time he also founded the Louisiana Knights, a traveling baseball team that helps high school players get more exposure to college coaches. During the two years he was associated with the team, he helped more than 40 players reach the college ranks.

For the past two seasons, as a member of the Green Wave staff, Cressend assisted head coach Rick Jones, with recruiting. Additionally, he was in charge of scheduling, summer baseball player placement and served as the team’s pitching coach.

Cressend earned his bachelor’s degree from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane in 2008. He and his wife, Katy, have two sons, Cole and Cameron.

Six Cougar Baseball Players Selected In 2010 MLB Draft

HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 9, 2010) Six University of Houston baseball players were selected during the three-day Major League Baseball Draft, ending Wednesday. With their selections in the draft it marked the ninth consecutive season and the 12th time in the last 13 years that at least one Cougar player was chosen in the annual draft.

The six selections in the draft also are the most in a single season since eight Cougars were taken in 2004.

Junior shortstop Blake Kelso was the Cougars’ top selection by being taking in the 10th round of the draft by the Washington Nationals. With his selection, Houston has now had three players taken in the first 10 rounds during the last two years.

Kelso, a stable in the Cougar infield at shortstop, has started 181 consecutive games in his three-year career at Houston. He holds a .319 batting average with 41 doubles, 11 triples and eight home runs. The Plugerville, Texas, native also is the school career record holder in assists with 588.

Sophomore pitcher Michael Goodnight followed in the 13th round when he was chosen by the Cleveland Indians. Goodnight was also chosen in the draft out of high school before coming to UH.

The Houston, Texas, native was a member of the weekend pitching rotation, earning 16 starts in his sophomore campaign. He holds a 4.96 ERA in two seasons at Houston with 148 strikeouts. Following his freshman season, Goodnight was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Early in the 2010 season, he pitched the Cougars to a 1-0 shutout win over Texas and went on to be named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Player of the Week.

The Cougars’ third selection in the draft came in the 16th round when senior catcher Chris Wallace was selected by the Houston Astros. Wallace spent four seasons behind the plate for Houston, posting a .291 career batting average. He was selected to the All-C-USA Second Team in 2009 and led the Cougars in his final season with 10 home runs.

Houston closed out the second day of the draft with its fourth selection. Junior pitcher Ty Stuckey was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 26th round. The Spring, Texas, native made 16 starts in three seasons at UH. During his junior season, Stuckey made four starts with 31 strikeouts. Stuckey also saw action at first base as a sophomore, posting a .254 batting average in 15 starts.

Senior pitcher William Kankel was the first Cougar chosen on the final day of the draft. He was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 33rd round. The Brenham, Texas, native spent two years at Houston after transferring from Seminole State College in 2008. He made 10 starts as a senior and was a regular in the weekend rotation.

Also taken in the draft’s final day in the 38th round by the Minnesota Twins was junior pitcher Jared Ray. The Waco, Texas, native sat out the 2010 season following shoulder surgery. As a sophomore he finished with a 4-4 record. Ray pitched 31 scoreless innings during the season for the third longest streak in school history. He would go on to earn a spot on the All-C-USA Second Team.

In addition, Cougar signees Mitchell Taylor (seventh round, Toronto Blue Jays), Jacob Dahlstrand (10th round, Boston Red Sox), Ryan Broussard (18th round, Los Angeles Angles), Chad Rogers (28th round, Cincinnati Reds), Lucas Moran (45th round, Milwaukee Brewers) and Landon Appling (47th round, Colorado Rockies) were also selected in the draft.

2009 BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL TICKET SALES EXCEED 40,000

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (December 22, 2009) With eight “selling” days left before the kickoff of the 2009 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, more than 40,000 tickets have been sold for the New Year’s Eve game featuring the University of Houston against the United States Air Force Academy at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

The “pass first” 10-3 Cougars of Houston (ranked 25th in the latest USA Today poll and 27th in the AP rankings) meet the 7-5 “pass defense first” Falcons of Air Force in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl here December 31. The seventh annual post-season game kicks off at 11 a.m. (CST) at Amon G. Carter Stadium and will be aired live on ESPN.

“We are very pleased with our sales to date,” said Brant B. Ringler, the executive director of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. “The Armed Forces theme combined with a post-Christmas date has been a definitive plus in our attendance surge the past three years.”

The past two Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowls have featured record crowds. The 2007 game between Air Force and Cal attracted 40,905 fans while Houston’s win over the Falcons last New Year’s Eve was witnessed by 41,127 in-house fans at the sold out 44,358-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium. Prior to 2007, the best attendance mark was for the inaugural game in 2003 when Boise State defeated TCU 34-31 before 38,028 fans.

Ringler, along with many others, feels that this year’s game is one of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl’s most interesting matchups as the contest features the No. 1 passing offense in the country (Houston) against the No. 1 pass defense (Air Force) among the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools. In addition, Air Force is ranked third in rushing offense.

“This game has created a lot of comments from the national press as one of the most intriguing matchups during the bowl season,” Ringler added. “It is expected to be a high-scoring affair. Houston has a quick-hitting attack featuring a quarterback (Case Keenum) that ranks among the nation’s best. Air Force will try to slow the Cougars by controlling the ball.”

Ticket prices for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl are $50 for sideline seats, $40 for upper deck seats and $20 for end-zone tickets. Military veterans receive half off any $50 or $40 seat and active-duty personnel get in free via the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl corporate military ticket underwriting program. A portion of local ticket sales will go to designated military charities (USO & Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund). Tickets for this year’s game can be obtained by calling the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl office at 817/810-0012, or by going to the Web site for more information at www.ArmedForcesBowl.com.

2009 BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL FEATURES TOP-RANKED PASS OFFENSE, DEFENSE SCHOOLS

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (December 6, 2009) The 2009 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will pit the top passing team in the country against the school with the best defense against the pass as this year’s New Year’s Eve game will feature a rematch between the University of Houston and the United States Air Force Academy at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

For only the seventh-time in the history of collegiate football bowl competition, two schools will face each other in back-to-back post-season games as the “pass first” 10-3 Cougars of Houston (ranked 25th in the USA Today poll this week and 27th in the AP rankings) meet the 7-5 “pass defensive first” Falcons of Air Force in the seventh annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl here December 31 for the 11 a.m. (CST) game at Amon G. Carter Stadium to be aired live on ESPN.
Previous bowl games with back-to-back match-ups were the Cotton (1970-1971, Notre Dame and Texas; 1993-1994, Notre Dame and Texas A&M), Rose (1973-1974-1995, USC and Ohio State), Orange (1990-1991, Notre Dame and Colorado; 1993-1994, Florida State and Nebraska) and the Outback (2001-2002, South Carolina and Ohio State). Three of the previous six match-ups featured splits with Notre Dame (Texas A&M), Florida State and South Carolina completing two-game sweeps.

“We are excited about our match up that brings the nation’s top passing team in Houston to Amon G. Carter Stadium to play an Air Force team that has the country’s best pass defense,” said Brant B. Ringler, the executive director of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. “The game also presents two contrasting styles of offensive football as Air Force continues to feature one of the best rushing attacks in the country. It will be a very attractive matchup for the fans.”

With the second-best scoring offense in the nation among the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools with 43.9 points a game, Houston will be seeking to duplicate its 34-28 win over the Falcons in the 2008 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars compiled 415 total yards against the Falcons last New Year’s Eve to even the series between the two schools at 1-1.

The ESPN Regional Television (ERT) owned-and-operated event will feature Houston’s top-ranked offensive (581.2 yards per game) and passing attack (450.0) against an Air Force defense that is listed first in pass defense (148.1), third in turnover margin (1.42 per game), ninth in scoring defense (15.3) and 10th in total defense (284.8).

On the other side of the ball, Air Force ranks fourth in the nation in rushing offense (273.6) and Houston is 112th in rushing defense (213.1). The Falcons offense in 2009 compiled 355.9 total yards and 28.3 points a game. The Falcons did score 28 points in last year’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl while accumulating 352 total yards.

The past two Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowls have featured record crowds as the 2007 game between Air Force and Cal attracted 40,905 fans while Houston’s win over the Falcons last New Year’s Eve was witnessed by 41,127 in-house fans at the sold out 44,358-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium. Prior to 2007, the best attendance mark was for the inaugural game in 2003 when Boise State defeated TCU 34-31 before 38,028 fans.

Houston second-year coach Kevin Sumlin has utilized the talents of Case Keenum to help lead the Cougars to a 10-3 record this season. Keenum has passed for 5,449 yards by completing 71 percent of his attempts for 43 touchdowns. A junior from Abilene, Texas, Keenum has passed for 12,728 yards and 101 touchdowns in his career.

With three-straight winning seasons under third-year coach Troy Calhoun, the 7-5 Falcons are led offensively by running backs Jared Tew (66.4 yards rushing a game) and Asher Clark (61.3). Air Force also has one of the nation’s top placekickers in Erik Soderberg, who is tied for seventh nationally in field goals made per game (1.7).
2009 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, December 6, page 2

With a combined 17 wins, six of the two school’s eight losses were by a touchdown or less. All three of the Houston setbacks were in league play, including a 38-32 setback at East Carolina Saturday in the Conference USA championship game where Keenum passes for 527 yards and five touchdowns. The Cougars opened 2009 with back-to-back wins over Big 12 Conference schools Oklahoma State (46-35 at Stillwater) and Texas Tech (29-28 at home).

Four of the five Air Force defeats were by a touchdown or less with two setbacks in overtime. Three of the Falcon losses were to MWC schools (TCU, BYU and Utah) ranked among the top 25 teams in last week’s Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings. The fourth and fifth setbacks were to bowl-bound Minnesota of the Big Ten Conference and to independent Navy in overtime.

The 2009 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will be the 20th post-season game for both schools as each owns an 8-10-1 record bowl record. Houston will be playing in its sixth bowl in the last seven seasons while Air Force will be appearing in the post-season for the third-straight year after being absent the previous four seasons.

The Cougars, who snapped an eight-game bowl losing streak by defeating Air Force last New Year’s Eve, will be making their 13th appearance in a bowl game played in the state of Texas. Houston, who also competed in the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl with a 42-13 setback to Kansas, is 5-6-1 in Texas bowls while Air Force is 1-2-1, including a 42-36 setback to Cal in the 2007 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

This year’s New Year’s Eve contest will be the third meeting between the two schools. Air Force won the initial meeting between the two teams in 2008 with a 31-28 victory over the Cougars as the September 13 game was moved from Houston to SMU’s Ford Stadium due to Hurricane Ike. Houston evened the series mark 110 days later as running backs Bryce Beall and Jared Tew were named the most valuable players for the Cougars and Falcons, respectively.

Both Houston (33-15) and Air Force (30-11) have had success against teams from Conference USA and the Mountain West, respectively. In bowl games between the two conferences, Conference USA leads 7-5 with Houston playing in the last two post-season meetings, including a 20-13 setback to TCU at the 2007 Texas Bowl.

Ticket prices for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl are $50 for sideline seats, $40 for upper deck seats and $20 for end-zone tickets. Military veterans receive half off any $50 or $40 seat and active-duty personnel get in free via the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl corporate military ticket underwriting program. A portion of local ticket sales will go to designated military charities (USO & Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund). Tickets for this year’s game can be obtained by calling the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl office at 817/810-0012, or by going to the Web site for more information at www.ArmedForcesBowl.com.