2008 Houston Cougars Football Preview

2008 Houston Cougars season preview from Maddux Sports. Below you can find our official Houston Cougars football preview as well as the 2008 Houston Cougars Football Schedule. Get Free football predictions against the sportsbooks college football betting line.

Coach: Kevin Sumlin (1st year at Houston)
Team Name: Cougars
2007 Overall Record: 8-5
Returning Starters: 12

The Houston Cougars (8-5 overall, 6-2 C-USA) finished tied for first in the C-USA West and earned a berth in the Texas Bowl where they met Texas Christian University. They lost to TCU 13-20. The Cougars look to expand their three-year bowl run in 2008 to four.

Houston proved that they could put points on the board in 2007 as they averaged 34.5 PPG, which was 23rd in the nation. They were fourth in total yards, 10th in rushing and 25th in passing. QB Case Keenum (273 ATT, 187 COMP, 2,259 YDS, 14 TDs, 10 INT) had an outstanding frosh season in 2007. Keenum is a playmaker but he will have competition from junior Blake Joseph, who has a much stronger arm. Whoever quarterbacks the team, they may have difficulty finding sure-handed targets. There are also concerns regarding running back. RB Terrance Ganaway (109 CAR, 550 YDS, 6 TDs), a sophomore, is versatile enough to pick up yards as a rusher and a receiver. The offensive line is sound.

Last season, the defense allowed 29.2 PPG. That’s just too much. This season, they’ll play a 4-3 rather than a 3-4, which should put more pressure on QBs. The front four looks good, with sack leader DE Phillip Hunt (10.5 sacks), a senior, being the foundation for the line. The linebacking squad is low on speed, while the secondary includes skilled free safety Kenneth Fontenette (4 INT, 69 tackles, 28 solo) as the centerpiece.

The Houston Cougars visit Oklahoma State on September 6 for a game that will be tough for them to win. If they do upset State, Houston could be set for a perfect season. That is if they can win swing games on September 27 at East Carolina and on November 15 when Tulsa visits.

New head coach Kevin Sumlin is starting his first year ever as a college head coach. Sumlin is going to want to throw the ball a lot and he needs to find a quarterback who can handle the workload and receivers who have sure hands. Sumlin has emphasized basics with this team, hoping to expand their skills enough so they’re not simply running on talent. He knows that this club, if it wants to be an elite team, must not merely out score opponents, they must outplay them.

Houston Cougars Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Home/Away
Aug 30	Southern	Home
Sep 6	Oklahoma State	Away
Sep 13	Air Force	Home
Sep 20	Colorado State	Away
Sep 27	East Carolina	Away
Oct 9	UAB	Home
Oct 18	SMU	Away
Oct 28	Marshall	Away
Nov 8	Tulane	Home
Nov 15	Tulsa	Home
Nov 22	UTEP	Home
Nov 29	Rice	Away

 

For more info on the 2008 Houston Cougars football program, view the Cougars website or read up on the rest of the non BCS ncaa football teams below.