“It’s two programs that have great tradition and great recent history.”
Photo used courtesy of houseofhouston.com.
That is from Houston coach Tony Levine Monday morning on the weekly AAC Coaches’ Teleconference. But for the Cougars, Thursday’s game against UCF has nothing to do with tradition and history and everything to do with defining this season.
Houston has had its ups and downs so far in 2014. The Coogs have struggled against talented teams and flat out dominated inferior foes. Now, coming off of a bye week, it’s time for conference play to begin. And even though it will only be the first AAC game of the year, it may easily be the most important.
It’s safe to say the the Cougars have failed to meet expectations in the first four games. The stinker against UTSA, the special teams troubles, and getting the offensive line to pass protect more effectively have all been problem points. On the bright side, Houston has found a formidable running game and the defense is playing at a very high level.
UCF has also hit bumps in the road, losing to Penn State in Ireland and at Missouri. The PSU game came down to the wire, and the Nittany Lions have shown signs of greatness in the Big Ten. Last week against Bethune-Cookman, the Knights appeared to be hitting their stride. Nothing like a confidence builder against inferior competition to get you into conference play.
The reason this game is so important is not only the opponent, but it sets the tone for the rest of the conference season. UCF is certainly no slouch, but is a team Houston should beat if it wants to take another step towards a successful season. UCF has struggled to move the ball in the post- Blake Bortles era, ranking 93rd in passing yards and 117th in rushing. That should have Derrick Matthews, Adrian McDonald and the rest of the “Third Ward Defense” frothing at the mouth.
It’s clear East Carolina and Cincinnati are the class of the AAC so far in 2014, but there are a handful of teams that will likely be jockeying for position under the top two. Houston can no doubt be one of those teams. It needs to start with a win against UCF, because the next two games are at Memphis and then home against a surprising 3-1 Temple squad that has only given up 48 points in four games. So getting out of the gate quickly is crucial.
“I think we’re gaining some confidence,” Levine said Monday. “I think after the first game this season, any that we had going into the season took a little bit of a hit. And I think we’ve battled back.”
We’ll see how confident these Cougars are as the Knights ride into town, and if that confidence can translate to success in this all-so important conference opener.
Cougars Quick Hits:
Thursday’s game is a nationally televised game on ESPN. Kickoff is at 6:00 P.M. at TDECU Stadium.
The UH Athletic Department says tickets are still available for the game. They can be purchased online on the Houston website.
The Cougars’ 10/11 game on Memphis will also be televised nationally. The game will be a 6:00 P.M. kickoff on CBS Sports Network.
