By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
HOUSTON, Texas – It doesn't seem likely that one single play can be the deciding factor in a game with a 28-point final margin, but Tennessee Tech's 52-24 loss to Houston may have swung on one slipped tackle.
One near-miss for the Golden Eagles allowed momentum, which was swinging nervously toward the visitors, to return hesitantly to the home bench and the TDECU stadium crowd of 30,479 awash in red, was delighted.
For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost.
"We made fundamental mistakes that are correctable," said coach Watson Brown. "Defensively, we just weren't fundamentally good. Offensively, we had some big plays, but the disappointing thing is that we just didn't run the ball well."
Junior quarterback Jared Davis passed for a career-high 312 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore Brock McCoin hauled in nine passes for a career-high 264 yards and two touchdowns to highlight the Tech offense. The Golden Eagles (0-1) managed just 29 rushing yards against the Football Bowl Subdivision Cougars (1-0).
Senior safety Stephen Bush forced two fumbles in his first career game on the defensive side of the ball, one of the bright spots on defense. Seniors Tra'Darius Goff and Jimmy Laughlin were two of four Golden Eagles with a team-high five tackles.
Davis finished the night 16-for-26 passing for 312 yards, hitting McCoin with 71- and 77-yard touchdown passes, the two longest completions of his career. The 264 yards on the receiving end by McCoin was the most ever against Houston, and the second-most by a Golden Eagle receiver in school history.
It was also a Tech school record for most yards per catch, an average of an astounding 29.3 yards per reception.
It was that one play in the second quarter that made all the difference.
The Golden Eagles had just scored on a 71-yard pass from Davis to McCoin, a play in which McCoin made the catch on the long toss, dodged a defender and outraced three Cougars to paydirt.
It brought Tech (0-1) to within 14-10 midway in the second period, and the Golden Eagle defense stalled Houston (1-0) when senior linebacker Jay Rudwall stuffed the ball carrier on third down, bringing up a fourth-and-one at the TTU 41.
Cougar quarterback Greg Ward, Jr., tried the right side and appeared caught for a loss on the play, but he slipped through the tackler's hands and was off to the races for a 41-yard touchdown run.
With that one play, Ward and the Cougars kidnapped momentum and held it.
"We had him in the backfield," recalled Brown. "It was our ball. And then he goes and breaks it and scores."
Houston was able to capitalize on its speed to the outside, and Ward directed the offense to 627 total yards in the season-opening victory. The junior quarterback threw for 275 yards, hitting 21-of-28 passes, and also rushed 13 times for 107 yards. Demarcus Ayers caught 10 passes for 121 yards.
Houston took less than five minutes to take a 7-0 lead, stopping the Golden Eagles on the initial possession of the night and marching 56 yards in eight plays, with Ryan Jackson crossing the line from the one.
Tech responded with a 54-yard, eight-play scoring drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal by John Arnold. The two big plays in the drive were a 14-yard, third-down pass to Jordan Smith and a 46-yard completion to McCoin to the four.
Ward's three-yard run late in the first quarter made it 14-3 before Tech answered with the outstanding play of the night.
Davis rolled left and found McCoin alone downfield, hitting him with a pass of about 40 yards. The sophomore made the catch, then deked a defender and swept toward the end zone with three re shirts in vain pursuit.
It was less than two minutes later that the Golden Eagle defense got a third down stop, and brought up the ill-fated fourth down play for Ward.
Houston added a 26-yard field goal in the final minute of the half for a 24-10 lead at the break.
In the third quarter, Kyle Postma danced along the sidelines for a 29-yard touchdown catch, and in the fourth, the Cougars added two scores early in the fourth to build the lead to 45-10. The second came when Davis' pass was tipped and intercepted at the 10, setting up a short scoring drive.
Tech then mounted an 82-yard, 10-play drive capped by a two-yard touchdown by Willie Davis to pull the Golden Eagles within 45-17 with 9:32 left to play. A 47-yard completion to McCoin put the ball at the UH 10.
The Cougars continued to pound away, and moved 81 yards in nine plays for their final score, a three-yard run by Javin Webb for a 52-17 lead.
With just seconds left, Tech caught Houston off guard and Davis found a wide open McCoin downfield. Once again, he used his speed to outrun defenders for the 77-yard TD.
Pregame Notes
* The Golden Eagles will wear all white uniforms with white helmets in the game with Houston. The host Cougars are clad in red jerseys with red helmets and white pants.
* Tech game captains are Jay Rudwall, Jibrin Linge, Ladarius Vanlier and Tra'Darius Goff.
* Houston won the coin toss and deferred to second half. Tech will receive opening kickoff of the season.
* Entering the game, Tech coach Watson Brown is 4-3 against Houston, all of those coming during his time as coach at Rice.
* Ladarius Vanlier needs 16 yards to break the school record for most kickoff return yards in school history (currently 1,875 by Larry Shipp).
* Vanlier is 100 yards shy of the school record for punt return yards in a career. He has 544 (record is 644 by James Robinson).
* Tech's projected starting lineups includes four players making the first start of their career, including three in the offensive line. Chandler Nelson will start at left tackles, Joel Forrester at left guard and Charles Mouton at center. On defense, Brady Bose makes his first start at end.
* Ladarius Vanlier needs 34 all-purpose yards to pass Nick Solomon (1998-2001) and move to fourth in career yardage. He comes into the game with 3,769 all-purpose yards.
* Tra'Darius Goff is back on the field after missing the final eight games of the 2014 season due to a shoulder injury. He received a medical redshirt for the season. He led Tech with 101 tackles in both 2012 and 2013.
