Hi 57 / Lo 36
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Hi 57 / Lo 36 |
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Volume 72, Issue 71, Monday, December 4, 2006
News C-USA Champion Cougars headedto Liberty Bowl Marshall leaves Robertson Stadium on top of World, as he earns game most valuable player honors By MARK SUAREZ THE DAILY COUGAR As the final seconds of regulation melted off the scoreboard, senior quarterback Kevin Kolb walked under center for the final time at Robertson Stadium to secure the 34-20 win over Southern Miss. The only thing that mattered was grasping the moment, and after Kolb kneeled down to run the clock out late Friday night, the 2006 Houston Cougars became Conference USA champions. “In the world of sports, you don’t have a lot of chances to be a champion,” UH head coach Art Briles said. “These guys captured the moment tonight. It’s something that you want to have every year. The grass doesn’t grow that way all the time. Our guys deserved it.” Senior wide receiver Vincent Marshall captured the moment and post game honors after accumulating 242 all-purpose yards in the winning effort. He utilized his speed and awareness to accumulate 102-yards on kick returns, catch 8 passes for 100 yards and earn the C-USA Championship’s Most Valuable Player award.  Stephen Pinchback/The Daily Cougar Senior wide receiver Vincent Marshall holds the C-USA Championship trophy. The Houston Cougars won the conference champinship 34-20 Friday at Robertson Stadium in the school's first championship appearance in ten years. Marshall took game MVP honors. “It feels good, I mean the way I’m feeling right now I deserve it,” Marshall said. “I’m hurting, I’m tired, (and) my body’s aching. I’m going to live it up for a couple of hours then I got a math test in the morning.” The math says second half comebacks have been an undeniable essential to Houston’s 10-3 winning formula this year. The Cougars overcame a halftime deficit for the fourth time in its last six games to defeat Southern Miss 34-20 in front of a record-setting 31,818 fans at Robertson Stadium. Houston came out and ran multiple variations of their spread offense with frequent motion from its receivers and tailbacks. UH played no huddle and hurry up at times, rushing to the line in its first three series to attack a USM defense in the middle of its substitutions. Marshall got Houston on the board early after catching a lateral out in the slot for a 17-yard touchdown to give UH an early 7-3 advantage. In all, the Cougars converted nine quick plays out to receivers and backs lined up in the slot, which included laterals, hitch routes, and flanker screens. Kolb had accuracy issues early, overthrowing four receivers in the first quarter. The Stephenville native rebounded, however, to complete 19 of 31 passes for 258 and accounted for three touchdowns. The biggest of which occurred early in third quarter with Houston trailing 17-13. The Cougars came out in a counter run formation with Battle and junior Anthony Alridge. Kolb faked a handoff to Battle moving to the strong side where USM defenders all converged. From there, Kolb sprinted through a hole over the right tackle and turned on the jets in the open field for a 46-yard momentum-shifting touchdown. “Jackie (Battle) had a pretty good opening and squeezed on the ball good, which held their linebackers,” Kolb said. “The safety also bit on it…the waters parted and allowed me to take it to the house.” The play was set up by a successful first half ground attack. Houston’s offensive line did not surrender a sack all game and senior running back Jackie Battle moved the ball with a 5.2-yard per carry average heading into the second quarter. UH utilized I-formation and multi-back sets from the spread, which helped establish play action. Houston gave Southern Miss different looks with its 3-4 defensive alignment that incorporated a four-man front but could not contain Southern Miss running back Damion Fletcher. The true-freshman rushed for 72-yards in the first half, but would see limited time in the second half due to injury. Prior to halftime with USM up 17-13 late and 1:36 remaining, UH went into its two-minute drill and threw five straight times, including an 18-yard completion by Marshall to junior Jeron Harvey. Two plays later, UH elected to run the ball on third down on the USM 2-yardline with no timeouts and 23 seconds remaining. Battle was stopped short of the end zone with 17 seconds, and Southern Miss ran those seconds the clock by keeping the senior running back and the ball under the pile. For Marshall, the play gave Houston something to rally around going into the locker room. “It was a huge motivating factor. I didn’t like it because I felt we should have gotten the ball back to run another play,” Marshall said. “When we went in (halftime) we knew we were fine but that play really motivated us to go out and play in the second half.” In the second half, the Cougars went back to its “mad dog” ways by forcing a turnover and holding the Golden Eagles to 44 net rushing yards. With the running game held in check, Southern Miss quarterback Jeremy Young was forced to into twice as many pass attempts, 22, and received increasing pressure from the UH defensive line. It allowed the Houston secondary to play back in a zone and hold USM to 3 of 8 on its third down conversions to close out the game. “We made more big plays on defense especially on third down to get off the field and get the ball back for our offense,” sophomore safety Ernest Miller said. “On the big plays that they made in the first half it was because we were out of position on our assignments.” Houston pulled away late with two touchdowns to senior wide out Biren Ealy. The first of which occurred late in the third quarter. The Cougars came out in a four wide receiver set with three lined up on the left side and Ealy in motion from the slot. The Golden Eagles had their safeties and corners playing back allowing Ealy to get open across the middle and take it to the house from 33-yards out to extend Houston’s lead to 27-17. “We were thinking about getting a first down,” Ealy said. “Kolb hit me when I crossed the field and then Jeron Harvey gave me a great block and I just had to finish it off.” Ealy finished off the Golden Eagles two possessions later with a 32-yard touchdown catch and run down the right sideline, sealing Houston’s 34-20 victory. With the win Houston secured a spot in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl where they will play a Southeastern Conference team. Houston made use of its speed from its skill position players to win the field position battle and go on a 21-3 second half run. Marshall’s quickness proved to be too much for Southern Miss, and after the game said the MVP trophy wasn’t leaving his side anytime soon. “(I’ll) Probably (put it) right on the kitchen table,” Marshall said. “I want people when they come to my apartment they will see this. Don’t be surprised if it’s at the front door just waiting on them. I might carry it around, sleep with it in the bed.” Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu |
 
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