Houston & Central Florida in Conference USA Fight

November 5, 2010

The Houston Cougars started the season as the odds on favorites by the majority of college football handicappers to win the conference USA East title and make it to a respectable bowl game. After 2 games, the Cougars became a top-25 team, and were hosting the down UCLA Bruins in a game that was to put catapult them into the top 20. However, injuries at quarterback set them back for that match-up, and they lost to the Bruin 31-13.

It looks like Houston bit off more than they could chew in terms of out of conference opponents. Losses to UCLA and Mississippi St from the powerhouse SEC have cost them the possibility of playing a high end bowl game. Also, the loss to the Bulldogs sent them in a tailspin as they were handed another loss the following week at the hands of Rice. The NCAA football experts in Vegas had set the line for their game against the Owls at Houston -9.5. Not only did they not cover, but they were beaten outright by a team that has next to no defense. This was clearly a wake-up call for the Cougars.

Houston has a dynamic offense, and is known for their passing attack, but their running game has been solid all season long. Averaging 300 yards per contest through the air is generally enough to beat most teams, but adding an additional 170 on the ground should be a recipe for blowouts. For some reason the Cougars haven’t been able to capitalize on these stats.

As mentioned earlier, Houston has had several injuries at quarterback. Freshman David Piland has started the last 4 games in place of Case Keenum, and has done remarkably well. Piland is a slight guy, but he has the ability to pass with efficiency and accuracy. He has just over 1100 yards in 4 games, and a QB rating of 137. He has thrown 11 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions, and has a completed a respectable 59 percent of his passes. For a freshman he is doing a tremendous job, and will only get better as the season wears on. He will be tested Friday as the Cougars take on the best team from the West division of conference USA.

The Central Florida Knights are off to a great start to their 2010 campaign. Their only 2 losses were to 2 teams that are in BCS conferences and are playing far better than expected this season (N. Carolina St, Kansas St). Outside of those 2 losses, they have beaten every other team they’ve faced by at least two touchdowns. A 49-35 victory over East Carolina last week shows that they have the capability to light up the scoreboard.

They have an offensive philosophy that is common in college football today. Jeffrey Godfrey is a quarterback that has the ability to make first downs with his legs. He has only attempted 121 passes in 8 games, but has completed almost 64 percent of them. Godfrey is second on the team in rushing yards with 394. Ronnie Weaver leads the way at running back with 638 yards and 10 touchdowns. If Houston is to keep this game close they will need to slow down the methodical running game of UCF, and score on the 11th ranked defense in the country.

Central Florida is allowing just 16.5 points per game, but it’s almost a certainty that that number will increase after Friday’s game. Houston is averaging 47 points per game at home, and will be happy to be there after 3 consecutive road games. Expect a hard fought battle that comes down to the wire. UCF is listed as a 3.5 point favorite on the road, mostly due to the inexperience of Piland at quarterback. If the Cougars can get on the board early they will force UCF to throw the ball which is out of their comfort zone. Tune in and see which side of the ball will dominate when the top ranked “D” of UCF goes against the prolific passing attack of Houston!

Written by Glenn Andrew · Filed Under NCAA Football

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