Cincinnati Football: 3 takeaways from AAC showdown win at Houston

1. The Bearcat defense did good job containing Houston

It was hardly the most impressive possible performance by the Cincinnati defense, as they conceded 424 total yards to Houston and allowed the Cougars to continue dreaming about an upset into the fourth quarter. But a late tipped pass turned into a pick-six, allowing the Bearcats to escape Texas with their fifth win of the season.

Clayton Tune, the quarterback who took over when D’Eriq King was redshirted, had a rough go of things against the Bearcats. Tune finished just 9-of-27 for 184 yards. He threw for two touchdowns, but he also had three interceptions that included the late pick-six.

Wide receiver Bryson Smith added a 50-yard touchdown on a trick play in the second quarter, and backup quarterback Logan Holgorsen tossed a fourth interception for the Cougars on one of his two passing attempts. As a result, the team finished with 234 total passing yards on 10-of-30 passing with three touchdowns and four turnovers.

With six different players getting carries on the ground, the Cougars finished with 190 rushing yards as a team. That topped the mark posted by Michael Warren II and the Cincinnati backfield, as Houston regularly generated positive yardage when they decided to keep the ball on the ground. But they were unable to produce any points from the effort, as Cincinnati run defense bent but didn’t break over the course of the contest.

At the midpoint of the season, Cincinnati did exactly what they needed to do to escape TDECU Stadium with a victory that kept them right at the head of the AAC East race alongside Temple. With a home game against Tulsa looming in Week 8, the Bearcats consolidated their place in the AP Top 25 thanks to the takedown of Dana Holgorsen’s Cougars.