University of Houston Holds on to Beat UTSA 17-14

Written by: MAi'Ghen Storm | Photo credit: Oscar Herrera-Staff Photographer

Houston quarterback Donovan Smith threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns, and the Cougars held off UTSA 17-14 in their season opener on Saturday night.

Smith, who was making his first start for Houston, completed 22 of 34 passes. He threw touchdown passes to Joseph Manjack IV and Matthew Golden in the first half to help the Cougars build a 17-7 lead.

UTSA closed the gap in the third quarter, but the Cougars' defense came up with a big stop late in the game to preserve the win. With 5:42 remaining, the Roadrunners drove to the Houston 20-yard line, but they were forced to turn the ball over on downs.

Houston was able to run out the clock from there, thanks to a key 3-yard gain by Smith on third down with 1:45 remaining.

"We knew we were going to have a couple different things on those third-and-2, third-and-3 plays," Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said. "Donovan is a big dude, who can fall forward. As soon as they said 'It's going to the 48, and we're going to measure,' I said, 'Oh boy, this is going to be interesting. We got it by like that much."

The Cougars' defense also played a key role in the win, forcing three interceptions. Malik Fleming had two of the interceptions, and Marcus Jones had the other.

"We showed we are a defense that has a lot of potential to be great," Fleming said.

UTSA quarterback Frank Harris was 18 of 36 for 209 yards passing and a touchdown. He also threw three interceptions. "We didn't play winning football," UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said. "We had some opportunities, but we didn't take advantage of them."

The Cougars wore alternate "Luv Ya Houston" uniforms for the game, which paid homage to the "Luv Ya Blue" Houston Oilers jerseys. The jerseys are a powder blue with Houston in italics on the helmet.

"It was a great atmosphere," Smith said. "The fans were really into it, and it was a lot of fun to play in."

The Takeaways

• UTSA: The Roadrunners had issues staying on the field, going 4 for 13 on third downs and also committing eight penalties for 64 yards.
• Houston: The Cougars' defense was the key to the victory, forcing three turnovers and holding UTSA to just 209 yards passing.
• Luv Ya Houston: The Cougars wore alternate "Luv Ya Houston" uniforms, which paid homage to the "Luv Ya Blue" Houston Oilers jerseys. The jerseys are a powder blue with Houston in italics on the helmet.