No. 25 Memphis took charge in the AAC West race with a comeback at Houston. Here are three takeaways from the Tigers’ victory on Thursday.
Two years removed from a trip to the Peach Bowl, Houston looked ready to clear a big hurdle in its quest to return to a New Year’s Six bowl. Squaring off against Memphis on Thursday night, the Cougars coughed up a large lead to lose 42-38 at home. Mike Norvell’s crew claimed another critical division tiebreaker in the win.
A week after taking down Navy when the Midshipmen were ranked, Memphis beat the other contender in the AAC West. The Tigers consolidated their place in the AP Top 25 this week just a week after climbing back up into the poll. Houston lost any chance of returning to the rankings this season after their third loss of the year.
Last year, Houston faded down the stretch after winning big games early in the year. This year, the Cougars rebounded from a blowout loss to Tulsa last weekend to ensure that they remain in the American Athletic Conference race. A 17-0 lead at halftime should have been safe, since Memphis was 0-59 coming into this contest when they trailed by 17 or more at the intermission. But the Tigers ended their streak of futility in the comeback.
Memphis still remains behind several other strong Group of Five teams, including the two undefeated squads in the other division. But we almost learned more about where the Cougars might be headed after they faded against Memphis at TDECU Stadium this week. Here are three takeaways from the divisional showdown that headline Thursday’s prime-time slate.
1. Kyle Postma is the answer at quarterback
After losing Greg Ward Jr. to graduation, the Cougars were forced to turn to a new quarterback this season. At the beginning of the year, Major Applewhite and the offensive coaches turned to Kyle Allen. The Texas A&M transfer presented a different style than Ward brought to the table last year.
It proved a short-term solution, as Allen struggled in his first three starts. Applewhite eventually pulled the hook on Allen, opting to go with Kyle Postma after the Texas Tech loss. Things turned around for the Cougars soon after the shift, as Postma proved far more familiar with the offense than the former Aggies recruit.
Postma showcased his arm on Thursday night, keeping pace with veteran passer Riley Ferguson on the night. While Ferguson finished with more yardage, Postma put up big numbers as well. He finished the night with 315 yards and a touchdown on 29-of-40 passing. Postma also added 49 yards on the ground, outrushing Memphis by himself.
Even though he couldn’t hold on to the lead Thursday, Postma remains the best chance to lead Houston to the postseason this year. The Kyle Allen experiment continues to fade into the background as Postma maintained his grip on the starting quarterback position with another solid performance in defeat.
2. A stout Houston defense was exposed after looking unbeatable
The entire reason why Houston managed to build a big first-half lead was as much because of its defense as because of what the Cougars offense pulled off. The strong front seven forced Memphis to become one-dimensional on offense, as they struggled to move the ball on the ground. Once that advantage evaporated, Houston crumbled under the weight of expectation.
Through the first half, the Cougars forced a fumble and an interception that killed off any momentum Memphis might have built up. Then they forced the Tigers to try a long field goal before halftime, which Major Applewhite iced thrice with timeouts before freshman kicker Riley Patterson missed.
But Mike Norvell’s team adjusted expertly at the intermission, charging out of the gate to pull back the deficit. Prolific quarterback Riley Ferguson finished the night with 471 yards and a touchdown, recovering from his early interception to fuel the comeback. It was the second time in 2017 that Ferguson topped 400 passing yards.
The Tigers ended up pulling off victory on the road thanks in large part to the fact that they cracked the riddle of the Houston offense. Unable to maintain the defensive intensity for 60 minutes proved fatal for the Cougars as they fell Thursday night.
1. Houston demonstrated its strong running game despite the defeat
The Houston defense kept Memphis one-dimensional all day. It ultimately didn’t matter thanks to Riley Ferguson’s strong outing, raising questions about whether balance is necessary for offensive success. The Cougars outgained the Tigers 239-30 on the ground Thursday night, but all it did was prolong the agony of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Even then, the solid rushing performance bodes well for the rest of the season. Houston still has to play South Florida and Navy this year, but they also get to play East Carolina and Tulane. If they can get past the Pirates and Green Wave, another postseason will be in the works.
To get there, though, they will need Duke Catalon and Dillon Birden to continue coming up with big performances. Birden led all rushers on Thursday with 106 yards and a touchdown, while Catalon posted 65 yards and three scores. Both also contributed to the passing game, combining to catch three passes for 41 yards.
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The painful defeat to Memphis effectively knocks Houston out of the American Athletic Conference race and ends the dream of another New Year’s Six appearance. But as long as they continue posting solid rushing figures for the rest of the season, they have a chance to play spoiler and make a bowl game this year.