No.6/7 Houston Downs Texas State

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. accounted for 328 yards and three touchdowns as the No. 6/7 Houston Cougars scored nine touchdowns to defeat Texas State 64-3 Saturday evening.

How It Happened:

• Houston converted a pair of fourth downs on its opening possession and Gregg Ward Jr. capped the 12-play scoring drive with a 10-yard run. The extra point was missed as Houston took the early 6-0 lead.
• D’Eriq King scored Houston’s second TD of the game as he took a Ward Jr. screen pass 48-yards to the end zone. The drive started on Houston’s own 5-yard line, took six plays and lasted 2:26.
• A 35-yard Duke Catalon run set the Cougars up in the red zone three plays into their third drive of the evening. The Bobcat defense stiffened, holding Houston out of the end zone and forcing a 31-yard Ty Cummings field goal.
• Texas State managed only two first downs in its first four possessions as the Houston defense limited the Bobcats to 24 yards of total offense in the first quarter.
• Houston made it 22-0 with 13:25 to play in the second quarter. Ward Jr. threw his second TD of the game, this time, a 15-yard strike to Steven Dunbar. The extra point was blocked.
• Catalon counted Houston’s fourth touchdown of the first half with a 13-yard scamper. The 61-yard drive lasts only four plays and featured Catalon for three carries and 27 yards.
• James Sherman put the Bobcats on the board with a 32-yard field goal with 6:59 to play in the second quarter. Tyler Jones was 5 of 7 on the drive for 44 yards as the Bobcats moved down inside the red zone before the drive stalled. 
• The Cougars answered Texas State’s points with a Dillon Birden touchdown. Houston traversed 69 yards in nine plays, taking only 2:49 off the clock.
• Houston scored a final time before the half as Ward Jr. connected with Linell Bonner in the left corner of the end zone, giving the Cougars a 43-3 advantage.
• Houston ran 52 plays and totaled 429 yards of total offense in the first half while hauling Texas State to 82 yards on 31 plays.
• Houston’s Jordan Easton took the opening kickoff of the second half 99-yards to the end zone, weaving his way down the left sideline for the Cougars’ second longest scoring play of the season.
• Backup quarterback Kyle Postma scored on a 21-yard rush at the 8:12 mark of the third quarter, concluding a four play, 53-yard drive for a 57-3 Cougar lead.
• Houston provided the final 64-3 score with Postma’s second rushing score of the game. Postma scored on a 1-yard carry after leading the Cougars on a near eight-minute drive.

Notable:

A sell-out crowd of 33,133 was on hand, marking the largest crowd in Bobcat Stadium history … Houston’s 64 points are the most surrendered by Texas State since the 2010 Cougars scored 68 in a 68-28 win in Houston on Sept. 4.

Who Stood Out:

Tyler Jones completed 17 of his 30 passes for 100 yards.  Stedman Mayberry led the Bobcats with 19 yards rushing, while Elijah Anderson hauled in three passes for a team-high 31 yards. Defensively, Texas State was led by Garrett Davis with seven stops, including five solos.

Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. was 20 of 26 for 289 yards and two scores, while also rushing seven-time for 39 yards and a score in the 2.5 quarters of work. Ward Jr. finished with a 195.7 QB rating.

Up Next:

Texas State hosts Incarnate Word next Saturday (Oct. 1) at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ABC Austin and CW35.