Houston running backs Alois Blackwell, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Offensive Player with 149 yards, and Dyral Thomas each rushed for over 100 yards in the contest against the Terrapins’ No. The Cougars not only made a huge statement in their first season by winning the conference title that year, but the bowl game win topped it all off. 4 Maryland in the 1977 Cotton Bowl 31-24.Īfter years of being denied admission into the Southwest Conference, the football team finally competed in it in 1976. 6 in the national poll and capped it all off by defeating No. They don’t all go to (Texas) A&M or Texas.”Īrguably the best season under Yeoman came in 1976, when the Cougars went 10-2 and finished No. “I think it was an awakening moment for a lot of people to see how many football players are in this state. “That was a seriously critical game for us in the program’s progress,” Yeoman said of the win. 3 Michigan State Spartans in a 37-7 rout.Ĭoming into the contest, the Spartans had not lost a game since the 1966 Rose Bowl, but the Cougars punched them in the mouth, forcing three interceptions in the win, which helped put the program on the national map. One of Houston’s biggest wins in the Yeoman era came in 1967 when the Cougars went into East Lansing, Michigan, and shocked the No. Under Yeoman, UH had multiple recruiting and improper payment violations that led to punishments by the NCAA, which included a three-year probation beginning in 1966, a one-year sanction in 1977 and a three-year probation in 1989, 19. While Yeoman is the longest-tenured and the winningest coach in Houston history, his stint with the University was not unblemished. The Hall of Fame head coach won 160 games in 25 years with the Cougars, taking them to 11 bowl games (6-4-1) and was the leader when Houston finally joined the Southwest Conference. Houston dominated Miami (Ohio) 49-21 in the 1962 Tangerine Bowl. He immediately made an impact taking the Cougars to only their second bowl game in program history at the time after a 7-4 first season. Years of YeomanĪs the calendar turned to the ‘60s, the Cougars once again competed as an independent, this time a 16-year run, and in 1962, Bill Yeoman took the reins of the program. Under Lee, the Cougars also made their first bowl game appearance in the 1952 Salad Bowl, which they won by defeating Dayton 26-21. Their best year in this initial phase came in 1952 under head coach Clyde Lee when the team ended the year with an 8-2 record. 500 for much of it.Īfter a two-year independent run, the Cougars joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1951. ![]() The Cougars were coached by William Jewell Wallace (7-14) during their first two years of existence.īetween the infancy seasons of the program until 1962, Houston hovered around. Houston first competed as a Lone Star Conference member and went 4-6 in its inaugural season, which included a 3-game winning streak and a victory over Stephen F. Outside of scoring the first touchdown in UH history, he was also the first all-conference selection for UH. In 2003, The Cougar caught up with Charlie Manichia. Quarterback Charlie Manichia scored the first touchdown in Houston history, but the Cougars lost the game 13-7. 21, 1946, against Southwestern Louisiana Institute, who later became Louisiana-Lafayette. The first official game in program history kicked off on Sept. After years of delay, largely in part due to World War II, the two’s vision to start an intercollegiate program became reality in 1946. Valenti, started a petition to launch an official intercollegiate football team to represent UH. Then sports editor of The Cougar, Johnny Goyen, along with Jack J. ![]() Roughly 67 years prior to Miranda staring in awe of Keenum’s play on the field, the seeds to establishing the University’s varsity football program began in 1941. This is The Cougar’s series - History of the Powerhouse: UH football. Even though the Cougars lost the contest, Miranda became forever hooked with the Cougars’ program. The then redshirt sophomore quarterback finished that particular game completing 35 of 61 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns. ![]() “He’s good.”Īs he continued to watch Keenum play against the Cowboys, he began to see why. “You just need to watch this guy,” Miranda recalled his college friends say to him when he was still a student. Miranda, who had just graduated from the University a year prior as a mechanical engineering technology major, slowly began to pay attention to a player in white that was wearing No.
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