The Houston Cougars open their 2014 season Friday night by hosting intrastate foe Texas-San Antonio at Houston Football Stadium. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET, with television coverage on ESPNU and WatchESPN.
How to watch UTSA vs. Houston: Preview, TV schedule, odds, more
A mid-major stalwart hosts an FBS upstart Friday night. Here’s how to see it.
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Houston is attempting to improve on last season’s 8-4 regular season record. The Cougars finished their campaign with losses in four of their final five games, including a 17-point defeat at the hands of Vanderbilt in the BBVA Compass Bowl. Even with the late-season collapse, the season was a considerable step up for second-year coach Tony Levine. The Cougars dominated Texas opposition in 2013, defeating three opponents from the Lone Star State (including UTSA) by a combined score of 124-54.
UTSA, now in its third season as an FBS program and fourth season overall, earned bowl-level respect with five straight wins to close the season. While the Roadrunners did not qualify for a bowl due to their recent move into FBS, the late-season surge sets the stage for a potential Conference USA West division title run in 2014.
How to witness
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Radio: KBME AM 790 in Houston and Ticket AM 760 in San Antonio
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked entering the season, though Houston did receive two votes in the preseason Coaches Poll.
Vegas: Houston is a 10.5-point favorite, with an over/under total set at 56.
Weather forecast: Possible thunderstorms, with a daytime high in the mid-90s. Temperatures should drop into the 80s by kickoff.
Three names to know
John O'Korn, QB, Houston: As a true freshman in 2013, O'Korn was one of the best quarterbacks in the AAC. He threw for 3,117 yards and 28 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions, completing more than 58 percent of his pass attempts and averaging 7 yards per attempt. While the high-octane offense of Kevin Sumlin might now be residing in College Station, there's little doubt that Houston can still put points on the board through the air.
Larry Coker, head coach, UTSA: The former Miami boss became the program’s first and only head coach in 2011 and, after a 4-6 first season in the FCS ranks, has posted two straight winning seasons at the FBS level. Under Coker, UTSA has moved from the WAC to Conference USA, built a full 85-man roster, shepherded the program to full FBS status -- and the potential postseason berths that come with it -- and earned a five-year contract extension. Not bad for a guy who was fired from Miami.
Gavin Stansbury, DE, Houston: You might remember Stansbury from his 10-tackle performance against Auburn for Texas A&M last year, or his pair of sacks against Vanderbilt the next week. He finished the year as the Aggies' defensive MVP, but left the team due to "personal reasons" in July. He applied to Houston's graduate program, and will spend his final season with the Cougars without having to wait a year.
Two things at stake
Houston has received some buzz as one of the best mid-major programs for 2014. While a win over a still largely neglected UTSA would not do much to move the Cougars up the polls, it would almost assure that Houston would be 2-0 when another set of Cougars -- these ones from BYU -- host them on national television on Sept. 11.
If Texas-San Antonio is going to take the next step, it would be winning a game like this: The Roadrunners have yet to defeat a team that is from a “power” conference, and even though the AAC isn’t necessarily considered one of the big leagues anymore, it still holds substantially more cache than Conference USA. UTSA has progressed at breakneck speed, but a win Friday could send the program into orbit.
Further reading
Both Houston and UTSA are covered by the good folks at Underdog Dynasty.
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