A year ago, this Thursday night ESPN matchup between the Houston Cougars and the Tulane Green Wave went down very differently. Houston’s 38-31 demise started with a missed field goal with 10:32 left in the game and ended with a fake-kneel turned 16-yard run for Tulane running back Amare Jones and then a Justin McMillan to Jalen McClesky 53-yard game-winning touchdown with just seconds left on the clock.
Tonight’s rematch between the two American Athletic Conference opponents unfolded in less dramatic fashion.
Houston defeated Tulane 49-31 in the Cougars first game of the 2020 season in front of a smattering of fans decked out in red and white. Tulane’s defense, expected to be a weak spot for the Green Wave came out swinging, intercepting Houston quarterback Clayton Tune’s fourth pass of the game. Safety Macon Clark snagged Tune’s toss and returned it 64-yards to the house, giving the Green Wave a nice 7-0 lead before their offense even had to step foot on the field.
Houston recovered on the next drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Mulbah Car. The senior running back had a record-breaking night for the Cougars, finishing with seven carries for 30 yards and two touchdowns and an additional two catches for 21 yards.
Tulane’s defense responded with a huge sack on Tune that resulted in a fumble. Nose tackle Jeffrey Johnson scooped up the loose ball and ran it in for a touchdown, putting Tulane up 14-7 and gracing everyone with a big guy celebration.
Green Wave kicker Merek Glover added a 39-yard field goal and Tulane was sitting pretty at 17-7 to end the first quarter. Quarterback Michael Pratt ran in a touchdown to start the second quarter but that was the end of Tulane’s scoring for the rest of the half as Houston proceeded to go on a 21-7 run that lasted until almost the end of the third. By the time Tulane got back on the board, with an 8-yard fade pass from Pratt to sophomore wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson, the momentum had already swung in the Cougars favor.
That notion was confirmed by a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Houston wide receiver Marquez Stevenson, the third of his career, making him second all-time in school history. Stevenson finished with five catches for 118 yards and one touchdown, averaging 23.6 yards per play. He also added one carry for eight yards. This was Stevenson’s 9th 100-yard receiving game.
Tune finished 20-33 for 319 yards (his third career 300-yard game) and two touchdowns as well as two interceptions. But higher than numbers go, was the junior quarterback’s ability to spot weaknesses in Tulane’s secondary, exploit them, all while utilizing 10 different receivers.
Not only does Houston win its very first game of the season in smashing fashion but the team scored the most points in Holgorsen’s history with Houston. Call it pent up frustration, call it revenge football, call it what you want to call it – the Cougars play was straight anabolic.
