Cougars End Year With Strong Finish; Keenum Goes Out In Style

(credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

KEENUM DIRECTS THE BAND

• Photos from the game
• Play by play

What a finish for new Head Football Coach Tony Levine and the Houston Cougars as they complete the season with a 30-14 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the TicketCity Bowl. Quarterback Case Keenum finished the day 45-of-69 for 532 yards, 3 TDs and a most valuable player award. In so doing, Keenum set a new Cotton Bowl postseason record for most passing yards in a quarter â€" 227.

“Honestly, we left a lot out there,” says Keenum. “There were some throws that I missed, just different plays that we didn’t get run; executed well enough. I think we executed when we needed to. Just goes to show how good a football team we are because Penn State is a good football team. I think we’re a really good football team.”

Keenum and the Cougars proved their dominance. But most importantly, they proved that finishing 13-1 was no fluke. The 49-28 loss to Southern Miss in the C-USA Championship game is the only flaw on their won-loss record.

Their dominance and ability to play the game well became quite clear during and after the bowl game said senior wide receiver, Patrick Edwards, who set a new Cotton Bowl record for most receiving yards in a game with 228.

“I feel like if we play our game, we can win every game,” Edwards said. “Obviously the game we lost. We didn’t come out and play our game as we was supposed to play it.”

LEVINE STARTS 1-0

The TicketCity Bowl represented Tony Levine’s first-ever game as a collegiate head coach. While it has been hard for Levine to digest since accepting the head coaching responsibilities December 22, 2011, it might have finally hit home once the game was over.

“I think now it has really set in a little bit that I am aware I’m the head coach here. There’s so much going through your mind, even from the 6:30 a.m. wake up call, taking roll at (during) meals, making sure everybody is on the bus before you leave, getting here, the officials come up to the locker room to go over with you about the nuances of how they’re going to call the game, the coin toss, are we going to take the ball or defer.”

That’s quite a bit for a coach to digest, especially an assistant who has never even come close to being in such a position.

“By the time the game was kicked off, it still hadn’t sunk in. Toward the end there, seeing the rest of the coaching staff come down from the press box, coaches on the sideline taking their headsets off, really it’s not cliché, I’m not trying to sound funny, but when I got hit with the Gatorade was the first time I felt like a head coach.”

Levine also probably felt more like a head coach when he saw senior receiver Tyron Carrier, UH’s all-time leader in receiving yards, suffer an unspecified leg injury while making a catch during the game.

“Tyron going down was extremely difficult. What he means to our program, what he’s done here, what he’s played through is remarkable. To see him go down today and not be able to finish the game broke my heart.”

NUMBERS

The offense and defense posted large numbers against Penn State. The offense, under the direction of Keenum, finished with 600 yards of total offense, 532 passing. The Cougar defense limited the Penn State offense to 306 yards of total offense and intercepted Penn State quarterback Robb Bolden 3 times. Bolden was also sacked twice.

Two of the Houston Cougar wide receivers tallied more than 100 receiving yards. Edwards caught 10 passes for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns while senior Justin Johnson caught 12 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. The 12 catches set a new Cotton Bowl record for Johnson who also played his last game as a Houston Cougar.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it was easy. When Jacolby and Swank and the line is blocking like that, you know better than everybody if you give (indiscernible) enough time, he’s going to dissect the defense.”

Johnson, as always, took his usual humble approach and shared the credit for the success of the win with teammates.

“The line did a great job of blocking, running backs picking up blitzing. We just did what we did: run our routes. We just did what we were supposed to do as receivers and made the catch.”

KEENUM GOES OUT IN STYLE

Keenum, a sixth-year senior, finishes his career at the University of Houston with numbers that will probably never be exceeded. He finishes with 19,217 passing yards while total offense stands at 20,114. Keenum threw 155 TD passes and tallied 178 total touchdowns. Keenum finishes with 1,546 passing completions, 39 300-yard career games and 3-5000 yard passing seasons. What a way to finish a game and a career says Keenum.

“I was trying to savor every moment, do everything I wanted to do after a game. I’ve seen guys like Anthony Alridge on our team direct the band. I went up there, gave everybody hugs; threw the Gatorade on Coach Levine. It was just an awesome game. I’ll remember this forever. I know all the guys in there will â€" couldn’t think of a better way to go out.”

The script couldn’t have been written any better. Meanwhile, co-offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury will join Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. Also, Levine has made his first hire in former UH linebacker Chris Pezman who will serve as Assistant Athletic Director for Operations. He formerly served as Director of Operations at Reliant Park.