Southern Miss vs. Houston Football 2009
Cougars, Golden Eagles Clash in Key Conference USA Matchup
Oct 28, 2009
The 15-ranked Cougars (6-1 overall, 2-1) need a win to stay tied for first place in the Conference USA West Division. Houston, Tulsa and Southern Methodist are each 2-1, and Tulsa and SMU play each other this weekend.
Southern Mississippi (5-3, 3-1) is in a position similar to Houston's. The Golden Eagles and Marshall are a half-game behind East Division leader East Carolina, which played Tuesday. Both teams can pull even by winning this weekend.
But to do so, Southern Miss must become the first visiting team to win at Robertson Stadium since 2007. Houston has won 12 in a row on its home field, and has also won three straight overall, including last week's 38-15 victory over Southern Methodist.
Southern Miss hasn't been playing too badly itself. Coach Larry Fedora's Golden Eagles have won two straight following a three-game losing streak. Last week, the Eagles routed Tulane 43-6.
Houston and Southern Miss will meet for the first time since 2006, when the Cougars defeated the Golden Eagles 34-20 in the conference championship game. Earlier that year, Southern Miss beat Houston 31-27 in a regular season contest. The Eagles lead the overall series 7-4.
Saturday's game is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST and will be telecast by Comcast/Charter Southeast Sports.
Houston Turns to Ground Game
Yes, Case Keenum really did pass for only 233 yards vs. SMU. And yes, the Cougars did manage only 394 yards total offense, and they did actually get outgained. But there really is no cause for alarm among Houston fans.
For the first time all season, coach Kevin Sumlin's team used the running game as its primary weapon. And the results weren't bad. Freshman Charles Sims ran 15 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, and Bryce Beall had 12 carries for 61 yards and a TD.
Houston has run the ball effectively all year, just not with great frequency. Beall has rushed for 498 yards and six TDs, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Sims has picked up 252 yards and scored three touchdowns on a 5.4 average.
But Sims has actually gained more yards as a receiver. He's caught 34 passes for 440 yards and a TD. Beall has 22 receptions for 236 yards three touchdowns.
Cougars Still Lead FBS in Total Offense
Last week, the Cougars were held under 500 yards for the first time all season. But they still lead the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense (536.57 yards per game), and they're No. 4 in scoring offense (40.43 points per game).
Keenum remains the FBS leader in passing yardage, averaging 390.57 yards per game. The junior has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 2,734 yards and 20 touchdowns. He's been intercepted just four times in 344 attempts.
The deep Houston receiving corps is led in yardage by Tyron Carrier, who's produced 511 yards and four touchdowns with 43 catches. He returned a kickoff for a TD vs. SMU.
James Cleveland has made a team-high 49 catches for 496 yards and six TDs, and Patrick Edwards has 44 receptions for 503 yards and two TDs.
Cavness Has Huge Outing for Houston
The Cougars gave up 397 yards to SMU, which is nothing to get excited about. But it was Houston's lowest total since its season-opening rout of Northwestern State. On the year, the Cougars rank 112th in the FBS with an average of 440.86 yards per game. They're 74th in scoring defense, at 26.14 points.
Linebacker C.J. Cavness certainly provided a boost last weekend, recording 18 tackles, making 1.5 sacks, recovering two fumbles, and forcing one.
The senior has 72 tackles in 2009, ranking second on the team to fellow linebacker Marcus McGraw (75 tackles). Free safety Nick Saenz is third with 62.
Other key defensive players include cornerback Brandon Brinkley (37 tackles, 2 interceptions, 7 pass breakups), cornerback Jamal Robinson (2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups) and lineman Tyrell Graham (3.5 sacks).
QB Young Steps Up for Southern Miss
Southern Miss lost standout sophomore quarterback Austin Davis for the season because of a foot injury, so the Golden Eagles have turned to junior Martevious Young.
In five games, including three starts, Young has completed 48 of 72 passes for 527 yards. He's thrown a trio of TD passes, with one interception. In last week's rout of Tulane, Young went 13-of-15 passing for 127 yards and two TDs, and ran five times for 38 yards.
Six-foot-six sophomore DeAndre Brown leads Southern Miss with 27 catches for 376 yards and four touchdowns. Gerald Baptiste (24 receptions, 238 yards, 2 TDs), Quentin Pierce (21 catches, 233 yards, 2 TDs) and tight end LeRoy Banks (17 catches, 258 yards, 2 TDs) have also been regular targets.
Rushing Attack Could Make Difference
Southern Miss is averaging 32.72 points and 406.13 yards per game, and has run the ball with increased effectiveness during in the last two games.
The Golden Eagles, who had 253 rushing yards vs. Tulane, will almost assuredly try to hit Houston in a similar manner. The Cougars defense ranks 115th in the FBS, giving up 219 yards per game and 5.44 yards per carry.
Eagles senior Damion Fletcher has rushed for 598 yards and seven TDs, gaining 4.7 yards per attempt. Tory Harrison has added 460 yards, averaging 7.4 yards per rush. QB Young, who's run 30 times for 106 yards, is a threat as well.
Kick runbacks could also factor in. The Eagles have a skilled kickoff returner in Freddie Parham and a dangerous punt returner in Tracy Lampley.
Sophomore Linebacker Anchors Golden Eagles Defense
The Southern Miss defense has been sound, allowing 20.6 points and 313.6 yards per contest, and sophomore linebacker Korey Williams is a big reason for that. Williams leads the team with 78 tackles, with a team-high five sacks among his 7.5 tackles for loss.
Ronnie Thornton, another sophomore linebacker, has made 67 stops, including 6.5 for losses. Linebacker Martez Smith is third on the squad with 52.
Eddie Hicks paces the Eagles with four interceptions and fellow DB Andre Watson has 44 tackles. The defensive line features Cordarro Law (9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks) and Terrance Conner (8 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks).
