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Sports

UH fans witnessed a game to remember

The Hustler

Eli Jabbe 

It was the one game that had huge implications for Houston's season. The one that, if won, would make fans euphoric, and if lost, would crush them. The timing couldn't have been more well placed: Homecoming. Fortunately, the Cougars stepped up to the plate and scored a convincing victory over the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

The Tulsa-Houston showdown was anticipated because the results of the game were very crucial when it came to the Conference USA. Tulsa was leading the C-USA West Division with a flawless conference record (4-0). A win by Houston would change everything. Thanks to the Cougars' convincing 27-10 victory, they have put themselves in prime position to win the C-USA West. They are alone in first-place with Tulsa trailing by a half-game. While Houston may have the lesser overall record (7-3) compared to Tulsa (7-2), the all-important conference record is in Houston's favor: (5-1) in comparison to Tulsa (4-1). 

Leading up to the game, many questioned if Houston's defense -- particularly against the run -- would improve and "show up." The defense showed everybody what it was capable of with 27 tackles, allowing Tulsa a measly 113 rushing yards on 24 rushes. 

Fans who didn't watch the game might look at the lopsided final score (27-10) and assume that the offense was primarily responsible for the win, but it should be made clear that the defense deserves a lot of the credit for this win. The way the defense stepped its game up was huge. Such as its domination of Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith, who had a measly 52 passing yards through three quarters, way below his 210 yards per game average. The defense's excellent performance was epitomized by the crucial play late in the third quarter that sealed the deal: a recovery of a fumble by Tulsa running back Courtney Tennial. 

Thanks to this vital win, the Cougars are in the driver's seat to win the C-USA West title. They proved they are the better team. However, they can't become complacent, because the season isn't over yet. There have been countless examples in the past of those who have let up right when they were on the verge of something. 

There's still work to be done. Still, this is a great win that will be remembered for some time, and the fans definitely enjoyed it, as they ended up storming the field after the game concluded. 

However, as my colleagues have stated earlier this week, the wave by the fans was not a good thing. As a famous star once said: "Stay classy."

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