HOUSTON VS. KANSAS
Both of these teams went 6-5 during the regular season and I have heard a lot of talk about how Kansas? schedule was so much tougher that that of Houston. However, a closer look at the Division IA teams that Kansas actually beat this season reveals that Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State had a combined record of 29-26. I don?t know about everyone else but I am not overly impressed by that competition. In the Jayhawks? five losses, the average score was 34-10 and in not one of those games were they able to score more than 17 points, being held to just a field goal twice so they are not exactly what one would call a high powered offensive team.
Yeah I know, the Jayhawks? strength lies in their defense. Tell that to Texas who dropped 618 yards of offense on these guys. Against teams that can pass the football like Texas Tech, Colorado, Texas and Iowa State, Kansas allowed 333, 200, 282 and 257 passing yards respectively. Hell, Florida Atlantic threw for 299 yards and Louisiana Tech for 257 yards against this secondary so I don?t see them having a great deal of success in stopping the aerial assault that Houston will bring to this game.
Houston led Conference USA in total offense this season by averaging 465 yards per game. Their passing game is ranked 15th in the nation as Cougar QB Kevin Kolb has thrown for 3,044 yards and 19 touchdowns from a no-huddle shotgun formation. This offense has averaged 29.5 points per game and their lowest output of the year was a 20 point effort against Memphis in a game in which DeAngelo Williams chewed up the clock by rushing for 198 yards and Houston fumbled the ball twice into the Memphis? endzone. To balance out their offense, the Cougars have RB Ryan Gilbert who rushed for 1,030 yards with a 6.1 yard per carry average.
This is a big game for Houston as they have the chance to beat a Big 12 team in a bowl game that is being played in their home state. Cougar fans travel well and we will see a clear advantage for them in the stands as Amon C. Carter Stadium is only a four hour drive from the U of H campus. Honestly, I like Houston to win outright against what I think is an overrated Kansas defense.
The Verdict: HOUSTON (+3.5)
Both of these teams went 6-5 during the regular season and I have heard a lot of talk about how Kansas? schedule was so much tougher that that of Houston. However, a closer look at the Division IA teams that Kansas actually beat this season reveals that Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State had a combined record of 29-26. I don?t know about everyone else but I am not overly impressed by that competition. In the Jayhawks? five losses, the average score was 34-10 and in not one of those games were they able to score more than 17 points, being held to just a field goal twice so they are not exactly what one would call a high powered offensive team.
Yeah I know, the Jayhawks? strength lies in their defense. Tell that to Texas who dropped 618 yards of offense on these guys. Against teams that can pass the football like Texas Tech, Colorado, Texas and Iowa State, Kansas allowed 333, 200, 282 and 257 passing yards respectively. Hell, Florida Atlantic threw for 299 yards and Louisiana Tech for 257 yards against this secondary so I don?t see them having a great deal of success in stopping the aerial assault that Houston will bring to this game.
Houston led Conference USA in total offense this season by averaging 465 yards per game. Their passing game is ranked 15th in the nation as Cougar QB Kevin Kolb has thrown for 3,044 yards and 19 touchdowns from a no-huddle shotgun formation. This offense has averaged 29.5 points per game and their lowest output of the year was a 20 point effort against Memphis in a game in which DeAngelo Williams chewed up the clock by rushing for 198 yards and Houston fumbled the ball twice into the Memphis? endzone. To balance out their offense, the Cougars have RB Ryan Gilbert who rushed for 1,030 yards with a 6.1 yard per carry average.
This is a big game for Houston as they have the chance to beat a Big 12 team in a bowl game that is being played in their home state. Cougar fans travel well and we will see a clear advantage for them in the stands as Amon C. Carter Stadium is only a four hour drive from the U of H campus. Honestly, I like Houston to win outright against what I think is an overrated Kansas defense.
The Verdict: HOUSTON (+3.5)
