Cincinnati Bearcats Opponent Briefview: The Houston Cougars

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.