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Opinion

Team deserves rowdy send-off

Mark Suarez 
Opinion Columnist

Like the mythical phoenix that fiercely rose from the ashes, the 2006 Cougar football team have resurrected their once proud gridiron legacy with the resolve of a champion. 

Houston may just be one touchdown, turnover or even a blocked punt away from restoring the roar at Robertson Stadium and earning the hardware to match. It's been 10 years since the Cougars have won a conference championship, a time when Houston fans experienced a glimpse of what it meant to be a UH fan in the glory days of men like Bill Yeoman. 

Now, for just one defining moment, students, faculty, staff and alumni can come together and cheer the Cougars to their first conference championship in a decade.

The players have shed blood, sweat and tears over the past season, fighting not only for victories on the field but fan support as well. There have been many games in the past four years that have drawn to sparse crowds, mocking the players who dawn the scarlet and white. Let's give the current seniors, who have meant so much to UH athletics, the kind of send off they deserve. 

The Cougars have one of the most exciting offenses in the nation, led by senior UH record breakers quarterback Kevin Kolb and wide receiver Vincent Marshall. Both will take their final bow at Robertson Stadium after creating more chances for touchdowns than any other quarterback/wide receiver duo in UH history.

Kolb will be leaving a legacy that UH football fans will not soon forget. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the country who has been a fierce competitor from the moment he stepped on the field. Kolb chose to come to Houston out of respect for UH head coach Art Briles, who coached at his high school. It will be quite a sight to see those two on the sidelines for the last time. 

Houston's offense hasn't been the only showstopper this year. At times, the defense has resembled a 20-foot prison fence, keeping opposing offenses from escaping with touchdowns in the red zone. It has pitched several shutouts in the second half of games this year as well, resurrecting the "mad dog" defense of the late 1970s. 

The Cougars lined up 10 senior starters on that side of the ball in 2006, guys who have desperately fought for four and, in some cases, five years to have a chance to play in a championship game.

If anything, go to the game to support senior linebacker Wade Koehl, who in high school was on the Midland squad that suffered a heartbreaking loss to Converse Judson in the Class 5A Div. I State Championship game in 2002. Koehl has also received academic accolades has represented UH with true class. 

Attend the game to see senior safety Will Gulley, who leads the team with five interceptions and has racked-up 83 total tackles, the second most on the squad, after sitting out the 2005 season because of injury. 

These players may be a part of a well-oiled Houston Cougar football team, but individually, they have stories built on heart, determination and grit. 

Earlier this year against Oklahoma State University, fans rushed the field in celebration after the victory. As a reporter covering the game, it was amazing to witness the players' reactions in the locker room as a reporter covering the game. The players and coaches were overwhelmed with emotion and proud to be Houston Cougars -- you could see it on their faces. 

The Cougars deserve a packed house on game night and not just for the sake of victory. On the field, the team will battle for a conference championship. But fans will have a chance to show a national television audience just what Cougar pride is all about. 

Suarez, a communication senior, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu.