Houston Cougars 2018 Football Preview

Houston Cougars 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: The first season of the Major Applewhite era did not go entirely as planned, as the Cougars struggled to a 7 win season that culminated with a second consecutive bowl loss, this time to Fresno State. Houston is now 0-2 in their last 2 bowl games against Mountain West opponents. The Cougars could have a few struggles, as they are limited in depth at , RB, WR and LB, but if they can get some chips to fall, winning more than 7 games could be in the cards.

Breakdown Offense: The cougars dropped by 7 points per game last fall, as they came in with an average of 28.3 points per game, down from over 35 the season before in Tom Herman's final go as head coach. They passed for 261.3 yards per game, while they rushed for 166.83 yards per game.

The QB situation got a little bit of good news when Quentin Dormady transferred in from Tennessee, and was made eligible immediately. D'Eriq King, the currant starter, could use a good push at the position. King is the only other player on the roster who has taken a collegiate snap, and passed for 1260 yards in 10 games last season, with 7 TDs and 2 INTs. He rushed for another 379 yards and 8 scores, but Houston is better when they have a clear line pocket passer who happens to be able to run, and King does not fit that bill. This should be an interesting developing situation in fall camp.

Mulbah Car rushed 80 times as the backup last fall, and averaged 4.85 yards per carry, but lacks explosiveness and big play ability. Houston needs a home run hitter in this RB group, and right now, none have been identified. Davion Mitchell and Patrick Carr are the only depth left at the RB position, and they carried a combined 18 times last season.

Steven Dunbar and Linell Bonner are gone, meaning that Houston loses their two best receivers from last fall. They combined for 156 receptions and 1979 yards, along with 8 scores, and 170 yards receiving per game. That leaves a massive void in the passing game. Courtney Lark becomes their most experienced receiver returning, and he caught just 13 passes as a sophomore last fall. Keith Corbin caught 10 passes, and is looking to start as well. Houston lost 5 total receivers who caught passes last season, leaving this group as a red flag unit to watch.

The line appears to be sorted out, as Josh Jones (LT), Braylen Jones (LG), Will Noble (C), Mason Denley (RG), and Dennis Bardwell (RT) are all heading into fall camp with starting jobs. Jarrid Williams provides depth at the OT spots, while Keenan Murphy is the key reserve at OG. Ryan Deshotel enters fall as the backup C.

Breakdown Defense: DT Ed Oliver is one of the best defensive players in college football, and he returns for what should be his final season in a Houston uniform. He finished last season with 16.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 73 tackles, 3 PBUs, 7 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles, and a blocked kick. He can line up basically anywhere on the line, and does nothing but create havoc. He officially starts at DT, while Payton Turner and Jerard Carter are the starters at DE. They combined for 7.5 TFLs last fall, and should have more benefit of the disruption that is Oliver this fall. Zach Vaughan brings some depth at DE, and Aymiel Fleming is the key reserve at DT.

LB is going to be a problem for Houston, as they lose both D'Juan Hines and Matt Adams right off the top. They accounted for 198 tackles last season. Emeke Agbule is the lone returning starter, and he totaled 62 tackles last fall, with 6.5 TFLs. Roman Brown played in just 3 games as a junior last fall, and pencils in to start at ILB. There is an ongoing battle at one OLB and one ILB starting spot, and those battles will rage into the fall. Leroy Godfrey figures in at the OLB spot, while David Anenih could figure in at ILB. Elijah Gooden also returns after playing in 10 games as a freshman. Jordan Milburn played in one game as a freshman.

Isaiah Johnson is back starting at CB this fall, and led the team with 7 PBUs last fall. Jeremy Winchester is gone on the other side, leaving the job open for Ka'Darian Smith. Smith is raw, and is an unknown quantity there, so expect a competition in the fall. Garrett Davis and Khari Dotson will start at Safety. Davis broke up 4 passes last season and totaled 51 tackles. Dotson, like Smith, is new to the job, and could get pushed in the fall.

Breakdown Special Teams: Caden Novikoff is back at PK, and hit 12/15 FG tries last fall as a junior, and converted on all 43 of his PATs.

Dane Roy had a decent season at Punter, and returns after averaging 41.78 yards per punt.

The Cougars lose all of their primary kick and punt return men from last season, and must reboot both positions in fall camp.

Final Analysis: The Cougars have some issues. It's unfair to blame Applewhite for said issues, but it would be more in line to blame Tom Herman for another year for not establishing a better foundation for Applewhite to work with when he took the torch. Herman was likely always looking with one eye out the door when he took the Houston job, and it shows. The Cougars have severely limited depth at QB, RB, and WR on offense, and they have severe issues at CB and S as well as at LB on defense. The return game has to start all over as well. To expect Houston to push for the AAC West title this fall may be a crazy thought, as upon further review, Houston appears worse off than thought originally. Still, Applewhite has waited a long time for this opportunity, and he and his staff have a plan to get this thing rolling again. Anything more than 7 wins would be a shock, and I believe that Houston may struggle to get there in 2018.