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The Houston Cougars have had a week off and are no doubt ready to get back on the field. They will hit the road for the second straight week as they head to Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at noon ET on Saturday. With a combined 972 yards of offense in their previous games, we can expect a fast-paced game.
Two weeks ago, Houston won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by the Memphis Tigers 33-32. The win came about thanks to a strong surge after the first quarter to overcome a 14 to nothing deficit. The Cougars' QB Clayton Tune did his thing and passed for three TDs and 366 yards on 57 attempts in addition to punching in one rushing touchdown. That was the first 300+ yard effort for Tune this season.
Houston's defense was a presence as well, as it got past the Tigers' offensive line to sack the QB four times for a total loss of 21 yards. It was a group effort with five guys contributing.
Meanwhile, the Navy Midshipmen were within a late touchdown of stealing the victory, but they took the "L" against the SMU Mustangs 40-34. A silver lining for the Midshipmen was the play of QB Tai Lavatai, who passed for two TDs and 136 yards on 20 attempts in addition to rushing for two TDs and 121 yards. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Lavatai has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season. Lavatai's sharp performance also set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
This next contest is expected to be close, with the Cougars going off at just a 3-point favorite. Those who got lucky with them against the spread two weeks ago might want to hold off on placing bets this time since the team has yet to string together back-to-back wins against the spread.
Houston's victory brought them up to 3-3 while the Midshipmen's loss pulled them down to 2-4. A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Houston enters the contest with 17 sacks, good for 26th best in the nation. As for Navy, they come into the game boasting the seventh fewest rushing yards allowed per game in the nation at 89.5.
