The Houston Cougars beat the Utah Utes on a last-second, game-winning field goal, 17-14, in Big 12 action in Houston, Texas, on Saturday.
Houston (3-5, 2-3 in Big 12) won its second conference contest under coach Willie Fritz. Quarterback Zeon Chriss threw for 61 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 45 yards as the Cougars had 228 rushing yards. J’Marion Burnette led Houston with 81 yards rushing.
Utah (4-4, 1-4) was led by quarterback Isaac Wilson, who threw for 171 yards but was replaced in the second half by Brandon Rose. Micah Bernard rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown, while Dorian Singer caught six passes for 54 yards. Tight end Brant Kuithe caught a 71-yard touchdown pass, part of a five-catch, 113-yard evening.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Last Turnover Loses
That’s what this game felt like. There were three total turnovers, but the two teams put the football on the ground a combined five times.
The last turnover ended up costing the Utes the game. Backup quarterback Brandon Rose threw an interception on the first play after the two-minute timeout to Cougars defensive back A.J. Haulcy.
There’s a reason why NFL teams are keenly interested in Haulcy. It was his fourth interception of the season and he’s the Cougars’ top cover corner.
With good field position, the Cougars kept the ball on the ground for the final drive, setting up their kicker, Jack Martin, for a 43-yard field goal. Houston also wanted to take as much time off the clock as possible to prevent Utah from a comeback, if the Cougars could get the lead.
Fritz gave Martin four seconds and a kick one yard shy of his career long. He split the uprights with a kick that certainly wasn’t end-over-end, but all that matters is the kick went through.
Turnovers are a killer. Just ask Utah.
Utah’s QB Carousel
With Cam Rising out for the season, the logical assumption was that the job belonged to Wilson.
Well …
Wilson got banged up in the second quarter when he was nearly sacked in the end zone and appeared to come down hard on his non-throwing hand. He did return. And, early in the game he hooked up with Kuithe for a 71-yard touchdown pass.
But that was Utah’s only score until backup Brandon Rose came in to replace him after Utah’s first two possessions of the third quarter. He wasn’t lighting the world on fire, but he got the Utes in the end zone on Bernard’s 14-yard touchdown run (set up by a massive interception by Johnathan Hall). Rose finished with 45 yards passing along with the game-deciding interception.
So … do we have a quarterback controversy? Wilson had his helmet on and was at the ready when Rose was in the game.
My guess is Wilson starts after the bye week, unless he’s hurt long-term. I don’t think Rose did enough to take the job.
Houston’s Growing Pains
Winning isn’t easy regardless of where your program is at. For Houston, which is in its first year under Fritz and turned over plenty of talent in the offseason, it’s just a little bit harder.
But there are certain situations in which executing properly is a must. Houston failed in two of those situations on Saturday and it nearly cost the Cougars a win.
Both times, Houston was inside Utah’s 5-yard line and looking to score a touchdown. The first came on a fourth-and-goal at the Utah 1-yard line on the second play of the second quarter. Chriss took the snap for a quarterback sneak but lost the ball and Utah’s Johnathan Hall and Zemaiah Vaughn recovered it.
It was a huge opportunity lost. But Houston kept it a tie game and had a chance to take the lead in the third quarter. Once again, it was fourth-and-goal at the Utes 1-yard line. This time the Cougars opted for a handoff to Burnette. He was blown up behind the line of scrimmage by Utah’s Lander Barton.
In a couple of years, if Houston becomes the program it could be under Fritz, the Cougars will convert those chances. But, on Saturday, they were huge opportunities lost that could have made their night easier.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
