Cincinnati Bearcats Opponent Briefview: The Houston Cougars
By Chris Bains
Cincy on the Prowl closes out the brief preview series with the Houston Cougars who, before Saturday, were considered AAC title contenders.
The Skinny On Houston
- 2013 Record: 8-5
- All-Time Record: 396-345-15
- Conference: American Athletic Conference
- Head Coach: Tony Levin (2nd yr)
- Head-To-Head: Houston leads 13-9
- Last Meeting: Cincinnati 24, Houston 17 on November 23rd, 2013
- Kickoff Date, Time, Location: December 6th, Time TBD, Paul Brown Stadium
Area Of Strength – Linebacker
The Cougars boast a pair of talented players at linebacker in Efrem Oliphant and Derrick Mathews, who combined for 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack on Saturday night. This coming off a season in which they averaged 125 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks between the two of them. If Oliphant and Mathews even approach those numbers in 2014, Houston could be a much better overall team on defense. Well, at the very least at the linebacker position.
Area Of Weakness – Offensive Line
Houston’s offensive line is evidently a hot mess. They allowed a whopping 4 sacks (woof) against the UT-San Antonio Roadrunners in week one, recently up from the FCS level, and rarely gave quarterback John O’Korn the time to set his feet. As a result, he threw 4 picks on Saturday. Apparently the main questions surrounding the offensive line have been answered with a resounding palm to the face among Cougar fans.
Way Too Early Prediction
At one point the Houston Cougars were considered contenders for the AAC title and rightfully so. They won 8 games in 2013 and were upward trending with a developing quarterback at the helm and stability in the coaching staff heading into this season. But their performance against a FCS-call up gives me the utmost confidence in the Bearcats winning their last game of the year.