Greg Ward Jr. torched the Owls on the ground, and did enough to keep them off-balance with the pass as No. 19 Houston beat No. 22 Temple, 24-13, in Saturday’s inaugural American Athletic Conference championship game.
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The Owls are heading to a bowl game for the first time since 2011 after wrapping up a 10-3 season.
The Cougars started off hot and controlled the game the whole way en route to the historic win.
Brandon Doughty threw for 410 yards with three touchdown passes and the Hilltoppers (11-2, 8-0) defeated the Golden Eagles (9-4, 7-1) in the Conference USA championship game at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The Cougars drove 32 yards in 10 plays, where sophomore running back Javin Webb capped the drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown, giving UH the early 7-0 lead.
After the teams exchanged punts, Houston took a 10-0 lead when Ty Cummings finished off a nine-play, 42-yard drive with a 24-yard field goal.
Owls sophomore Austin Jones kicked a 39-yard field goal with 11:29 remaining as Temple crept within 24-13.
Temple’s defense held on the ensuing series, and the offense marched into Houston territory but finally stalled when Walker threw an incomplete pass behind Adonis Jennings on fourth and 3 from the Cougars’ 38. Ward Jr. was hit hard as he went into the endzone, injuring his ribs, which would affect him the rest of the game. “I tried to put the ball in his area, just give him a chance with the ball, and he made plays”, Walker said.
Honestly, Temple’s defense did a better job than expected defending Ward, given the huge days it allowed to Kizer and Flowers. He becomes the first Houston quarterback to run for 1,000 yards in a season.
The Houston Cougars achieved a major victory on Saturday, and punched their ticket to a New Year’s Six bowl in the process.
The final college football playoff rankings and bowl selections will be released Sunday at 2 p.m., when Houston will learn their postseason destination. The scramble was Houston’s longest rushing touchdown of the season.
Ward’s second touchdown came on a 10-yard run that made it 24-3 with less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. A pass interference call on Houston’s William Jackson III gave the Owls a first down at the Cougars 45 to start the drive, but from there, the Owls turned the ball over on downs after a ball floated behind WR Adonis Jennings on fourth and third.
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This American Athletic Conference recap may contain materials and/or content provided courtesy of the Temple and Houston athletic departments.
