LDN - Sports

Ward, No. 6 Houston demolish UConn

[September 30, 2016] HOUSTON -- Houston coach Tom Herman opted for an exercise in vocabulary to share the word -- atonement -- motivating his squad in advance of its matchup with Connecticut, the team that ruined the Cougars' bid for an unbeaten season in 2015.

Senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. dazzled, and the sixth-ranked Houston Cougars throttled the UConn Huskies 42-14 Thursday night at TDECU Stadium.

Ward cemented his status as a Heisman Trophy candidate, passing for a career-high 389 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 65 yards and two scores.

He completed 17 consecutive passes bridging the first half and third period and spearheaded an offense that hit 40 points for a fourth consecutive game, the longest such streak for Houston (5-0, 2-0 American Athletic Conference) since 2011.

Houston rolled to a conference title and a victory over Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl despite that 20-17 setback at UConn last season. When presented with an opportunity to exact revenge, the Cougars instead righted past wrongs.

"We never use the word 'revenge.' The word we use is 'atonement,' to make a wrong a right," Herman said. "We had a chance to atone for the transgressions of last year's team."

The Ward-led offense excelled, amassing 540 yards while converting 8 of 16 third downs and all five red-zone opportunities into touchdowns without committing a turnover. Excluding a possession late in the first half that followed a Huskies score with 30 seconds left, the Cougars produced six consecutive touchdown drives.

Houston dominated defensively, too, limiting the Huskies (2-3, 0-2) to 335 yards, including 62 rushing yards on 27 attempts. The Cougars began the game leading the nation in rushing defense, ranked fourth in scoring defense and fifth in total defense.

"We couldn't move the ball," Huskies coach Bob Diaco said. "We had trouble on defense. The guys were super frustrated."

Aside from a 62-yard scoring pass from Bryant Shirreffs to Noel Thomas with 30 seconds left in the first half, the Huskies found the Cougars impossible to penetrate until the fourth quarter after the Cougars' defensive intensity clearly waned. UConn totaled 137 yards in the final period with the outcome already well in hand.

Ward completed 32 of 38 passes. Houston receiver Linell Bonner caught 12 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown, while Steven Dunbar finished with five receptions for 97 yards and a score. Ward, meanwhile, was in absolute control of the offense.

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"It means everything to be 1-0 (this week), as we say," Ward said. "Just the stats, I don't think about that at all. The only stat that I worry about is the win or loss."

Huskies receiver Noel Thomas continued his climb up the UConn receiving chart with six receptions for 135 yards. UConn receiver Hergy Mayala added six catches for 92 yards. Shirreffs finished 13 of 29 for 239 yards plus a rushing touchdown.

Having sputtered to the tune of four first downs in the first quarter, the Cougars came alive in the second. Ward capped an 80-yard drive that began with 2:29 left in the first period with a dazzling 30-yard touchdown run, darting up the middle of the defense before cutting toward the Houston sideline and finding the end zone.

That play ignited a blistering stretch of offense, one that featured scoring drives covering 61, 60 and 86 yards on the touchdown marches in the second. Houston grabbed a 28-0 lead when Ward hit Dunbar on a 15-yard pass with 1:37 left in the first half, and the Huskies proved powerless to slow Ward or the Cougars' onslaught.

"He's probably the best player I played against," Huskies linebacker Junior Joseph said. "He's very electric. That's why he's in the race for the Heisman. Just a great player."

NOTES: The Cougars were missing three starters: RB Duke Catalon (concussion), LB Tyus Bowser (undisclosed) and LB Matthew Adams (coach's decision). Bowser and Adams were involved in an altercation prior to Wednesday's walkthrough, resulting in Bowser suffering a broken bone that will sideline him for several weeks. ... With his 62-yard touchdown reception, Huskies WR Noel Thomas moved into ninth place in program history with 127 receptions, surpassing Kashif Moore (126 from 2008-11). On his previous catch, a 17-yard grab, Thomas passed Jason Williams (1,469 yards from 2002-05) for 15th in receiving yards. ... Cougars QB Greg Ward Jr. has 10 games with a rushing and passing touchdown since 2015, the second most in FBS in that span.

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