Vanderbilt didn’t cross into Houston territory until 12:08 remaining in the third quarter. Vanderbilt Commodores scored 48.3 points compared to allowed 23.0 points with point differential of 25.3.
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The Commodores got the ball to start the second half, and for a brief moment it looked like McCrary would be able to lead his team to the promised land, but a 50-yard drive was erased when true freshman Josh Crawford fumbled at the Houston 30.
Houston’s cougar mascot does pushups in the second quarter between Houston Cougars and Vanderbilt Commodores after Houston scored a field goal on Saturday, October 31, 2015, in Houston.
Stat of the game: Houston joined Baylor as the only FBS teams that have defeated six opponents this season by at least 21 points.
Vanderbilt gave the ball away like candy on Halloween night.
It was the Cougars’ first shutout against a team from a major conference since beating Texas A&M 33-0 in 1978. The quarterback situation doesn’t seem to get any better, with Johnny McCrary and Kyle Shurmur combining to go 5-of-20 passing for 44 yards and three interceptions, which works out to a almost invisible passer efficiency rating of 13.48.
It was the most dominating performance by the Cougars this season – and against a Southeastern Conference, no less.
However, first-year coach Tom Herman is quick to point out that being at home doesn’t matter if they don’t execute.
All that seemed to be missing were capes. Three of the Cougars’ final four games will be a test as they host Cincinnati, Memphis and Navy. But, Cunningham continues to flash blazing sideline-to-sideline speed and should be a key player in VU’s attempt to defend Houston dual-threat QB Greg Ward this weekend. Linebacker Elandon Roberts leads the nation in solo tackles with eight per game and is fourth in sacks, with 1.3 per contest, while linebacker Steven Taylor is fifth nationally in sacks, with 1.14 per game, and sixth in tackles for loss, with 1.9 per game. Three plays later, Ward hooked up with Demarcus Ayers for an 11-yard touchdown.
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Ty Cummings had field goals of 22 yards and 37 yards in the first half. Ralph Webb leads the ground attack with 594 yards and four scores while Trent Sherfield (41 catches for 518 yards, two TDs) is the leading receiver for an offense averaging only 18 points. With a win over Vanderbilt, expect the Cougars to continue to move up the rankings. Ward recorded a total of 210 passing yards and 46 rushing yards against the Knights.
