Photo credit, seattletimes.com
Dana Holgorsen worked as U of H football coach for eight months. Mike Leach, eight years at Washington State. The comparison entered the topic of discussion at the press game conference to show why Leach’s success at the school is far ahead.
Timing may have served as part of the issue, as Houston fell within inches of recovering an onside kick, which would have allowed it an opportunity to tie or take the lead with under a 2:20 left. However, Washington State’s Martin fell on the loose ball to help preserve a 31-24 victory over the Cougars on Friday night at NRG in the 2019 Advocare Kickoff Classic.
Houston trailed, 31-17 with 3:50 left before piecing together a seven-play, 75-yard drive to pull within seven points, 31-24. However, the final margin stood.
Houston lined up in an onside kick formation while Alford stubbed-bouncer took one bounce too many and landed in the hands of Martin, who leaped high to get control of the loose ball at Washington State’s 47-yard line. But Washington State’s running back Max Borghi’s 17-yard carry to the Cougars 36, all but ended any hopes of a comeback. Three plays later, quarterback Anthony Gordon kneeled on the ball two consecutive downs to run out the clock.
Even after battling multiple penalties and turnovers, the Cougars found themselves in a position to draw within seven after King scored on a 12-yard run to make the score 31-24 following the extra point kick.
Houston trailed 21-14 as the fourth quarter opened and stared down a sinkhole when Borghi beat a defender on a fly pattern out of the backfield. The 76-yard touchdown did not stand because of receiver Brandon Arconado’s offensive pass interference infraction.
King led the Cougars on the ground and through the air. He completed 14-of-24 attempts for 128 yards, a touchdown, and had 17 carries for 107 yards and two additional scores.
Despite slowing down Washington State’s high profile passing attack, Gordon exploited the Cougars defense by finding Arconado several times behind the linebackers but inside the safety’s.
Gordon shredded Houston’s defense to the tune of 440 yards on 36-of-48 attempts, three touchdowns, and one interception. Arconado induced the most damage in the Cougars secondary, reeling in nine passes for 115 yards.
Plagued by penalties, the Cougars found themselves in a hole too huge to dig out. A holding penalty negated King’s 72-yard touchdown scamper. It all happened when the Cougars forced Washington State to punt on consecutive series.
After, Houston used a short field from its 46-yard line, which led to Witherspoon’s 42-yard field goal, trimming the lead to four, 21-17, with 10:45 left.
Then Gordon guided Washington State on a 95-yard scoring drive. On the fourth play of the possession, Cougars sacked Gordon for a one-yard loss, but he regrouped and flipped a 31-yard pass to Arconado at the Washington State’s 45. Gordon followed the play with a 33-yard pass to receiver Davontavean” Tay” Martin to give Washington State a first down at the Cougars 22. Eventually, Gordon’s seven-yard touchdown toss to receiver Travell Harris capped the drive and increased its lead, 28-17, with 6:43 to go.
Washington State (3-0) added a 22-yard field to close it’s scoring as a result of a turnover when defensive lineman Cosmas Kwete corralled a loose ball after Stevenson fumbled when he caught a short pass at the 26 with 6:34 left.
After a quarter of stellar defense, King directed the Cougars on its best drive of the quarter, moving 82 yards in 15 plays, capped by King’s 13-yard scoring pass to receiver Marquez Stevenson with 7:33 left in the second quarter. King highlighted the drive twice. Facing third and four, on what looked to be a sack, watched King escape two defenders while dancing down to the 29-yard line to give the Cougars a first down. Then four plays later, King faked the handoff to running back Kyle Porter and ripped off 21 yards to the Washington State’s 38. After Washington State’s cornerback, Marcus Strong’s pass interference call gave Houston a first down at the four-yard line. Two plays later, Stevenson’s reception gave the Cougars a 7-0 lead following Dalton Witherspoon’s extra point kick.
“I thought we played frantic in the first half, both offensively and defensively,” Mike Leach explained. “Then, when we settled in, I thought we played well the second half. I wished we played the whole game like that, but again that’s part of the process to develop as a team.”
Following, Washington State answered when it pieced together a seven-play, 72-yard drive when Gordon completed four of four passes, including the tying touchdown throw to receiver Renard Bell, who quickly got behind Houston’s defensive back with 5:36 left in the second quarter.
Houston (1-2) continued its attack as King threw an 18-yard strike to Stevenson coupled with an unnecessary roughness call, which spotted the ball at the Washington State’s 28. Then King and running back Patrick Carr shared a pair of carries until King finished the drive with a one-yard scoring run. That bump its lead, 14-7 with 2:27 left in the first half.
Mike Leach and company had no thoughts of laying down before the half, driving the field to the Cougars 20. On third and nine, safety Gleson Sprewell stepped in front of Gordon’s pass and intercepted it in the end zone with 24 seconds left to halt the possession.
“I thought the first half was really tough as we’re learning some of those lessons,” Coach Leach said. “I felt like it was swimming in quicksand in the first half. I thought as a team, you learn a lot and develope a lot along the way. One was, playing on the road in a place where you got to deal with the distractions and transition.”
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