American college football season
The 2021 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas , competing in the American Athletic Conference . They were led by third-year head coach Dana Holgorsen .
Previous season [ ]
The Cougars finished the 2020 season 3–5, 3–3 in AAC play to finish sixth in the conference. They lost the New Mexico Bowl 14–28 against Hawaii .[1]
Preseason [ ]
American Athletic Conference preseason media poll [ ]
The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021.[2] Cincinnati , who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.
Media poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Cincinnati
262 (22)
2
UCF
241 (2)
3
SMU
188
4
Houston
181
5
Memphis
168
6
Tulsa
153
7
Tulane
132
T-8
East Carolina
85
T-8
Navy
85
10
Temple
46
11
South Florida
43
Schedule [ ]
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance September 4 6:00 p.m. vs. Texas Tech * ESPN L 21–3843,478
September 11 5:30 p.m. at Rice * CBSSN W 44–726,253
September 18 6:00 p.m. Grambling State * ESPN+ W 45–022,998
September 25 6:00 p.m. Navy ESPNU W 28–2025,054
6:30 p.m. at Tulsa ESPN W 45–1015,890
6:30 p.m. at Tulane ESPN W 40–2215,026
October 23 8:20 p.m. East Carolina ESPNews α W 31–24 OT 22,925
October 30 6:00 p.m. No. 19 SMU ESPN2 W 44–3725,676
November 6 6:30 p.m. at South Florida ESPNU W 54–4228,667
November 13 11:00 a.m. at Temple ESPN+ W 37–818,440
8:00 p.m. Memphis No. 24 ESPN2 W 31–1328,712
November 27 11:00 a.m. at UConn * No. 24 CBSSN W 45–1712,685
December 4 3:00 p.m. at No. 4 Cincinnati No. 21 ABC L 20–3537,978
11:00 a.m. vs. Auburn * No. 20 ESPN W 17–1347,100
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings , after November 2) - Released prior to game All times are in Central time
[3]
Notes [ ]
^α This game was initially scheduled for ESPNU at 3:00 p.m. CT, but was moved to 8:20 p.m. CT on ESPNews because of a rain delay.[4]
Game summaries [ ]
vs. Texas Tech (Texas Kickoff) [ ]
Texas Tech vs. Houston
1
2 3 4 Total
• Red Raiders
0
7 17 14
38
Cougars
14
7 0 0
21
Date: September 4, 2021Location: NRG Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:11 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 35 minutesGame attendance: 43,478Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Indoor (N/A)Referee: David AlvarezTV announcers (ESPN ): Mark Jones (play–by–play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporter)
Scoring summary 1 06:37 HOU Clayton Tune 1-yard rush (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(16 plays, 75 yards, 8:23) HOU 7–0
02:13 HOU Nathaniel Dell 23-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(8 plays, 54 yards, 4:24) HOU 14–0
2 11:47 TTU Tahj Brooks 41-yard rush (Jonaathan Garibay kick)(1 play, 41 yards, 0:10) HOU 14–7
00:23 HOU Seth Green 9-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(13 plays, 75 yards, 4:52) HOU 21–7
3 08:08 TTU Tyler Shough 8-yard rush (Jonathan Garibay kick)(6 plays, 60 yards, 3:06) HOU 21–14
07:20 TTU Riko Jeffers 13-yard interception returned (Jonathan Garibay kick)(2 plays, -7 yards, 0:48) TIE 21–21
00:36 TTU Jonathan Garibay 34-yard field goal(4 plays, 6 yards, 1:15) TTU 24–21
4 02:05 TTU Xavier White 3-yard pass from Tyler Shough (Jonathan Garibay kick)(8 plays, 71 yards, 2:52) TTU 31–21
01:00 TTU Tahj Brooks 44-yard rush (Jonathan Garibay kick)(2 plays, 48 yards, 0:15) TTU 38–21
Line
Over/under
HOU –2.5
63
Statistics
Texas Tech
Houston
First downs
15
15
Total yards
376
251
Rushing yards
145
77
Passing yards
231
174
Turnovers
1
4
Time of possession
23:23
36:37
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Texas Tech
Passing
Tyler Shough
17/24, 231 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Tahj Brooks
15 rushes, 134 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Erik Ezukanma
7 receptions, 179 yards
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
27/38, 174 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs
Rushing
Mulbah Car
13 rushes, 37 yards
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD
at Rice (Bayou Bucket Classic) [ ]
Houston at Rice
1
2 3 4 Total
• Cougars
17
0 14 13
44
Owls
0
7 0 0
7
Date: September 11, 2021Location: Rice Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 5:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: Game attendance: 26,253Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBDReferee: Charles LamertinaTV announcers (CBS Sports Network ): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst) and Desmond Purnell (sideline)
Line
Over/under
HOU –7.5
51
Statistics
Houston
Rice
First downs
23
15
Total yards
393
212
Rushing yards
144
126
Passing yards
249
86
Turnovers
0
3
Time of possession
32:01
27:59
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
22/30, 236 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Clayton Tune
9 rushes, 49 yards
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
7 receptions, 87 yards
Rice
Passing
Luke McCaffrey
9/19, 86 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing
Khalan Griffin
19 rushes, 86 yards
Receiving
Jorden Myers
5 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD
Grambling State [ ]
Grambling State at Houston
1
2 3 4 Total
Tigers
0
0 0 0
0
• Cougars
7
14 21 3
45
Date: September 18, 2021Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:06 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 6 minutesGame attendance: 22,998Game weather: SunnyReferee: Nate BlackTV announcers (ESPN+ ): Alex Del Barrio (play–by–play) and Stanford Routt (analyst)
Scoring summary 1 00:15 HOU Nathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(6 plays, 47 yards, 2:06) HOU 7–0
2 10:40 HOU Marcus Jones 48-yard punt returned (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(3 plays, 3 yards, 1:57) HOU 14–0
05:23 HOU Alton McCaskill 17-yard rush (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(8 plays, 80 yards, 3:03) HOU 21–0
3 11:54 HOU Alton McCaskill 34-yard rush (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(4 plays, 48 yards, 0:59) HOU 28–0
07:01 HOU Nathaniel Dell 10-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(7 plays, 56 yards, 3:32) HOU 35–0
02:03 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 1-yard rush (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(6 plays, 58 yards, 3:06) HOU 42–0
4 06:10 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 22-yard field goal(15 plays, 62 yards, 8:38) HOU 45–0
Line
Over/under
HOU –41.0
52
Statistics
Grambling State
Houston
First downs
3
24
Total yards
102
422
Rushing yards
53
164
Passing yards
49
258
Turnovers
1
1
Time of possession
25:02
34:58
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Grambling State
Passing
Aldon Clark
5/12, 49 yards
Rushing
Darqueze Brutton
9 rushes, 18 yards
Receiving
Greg White
1 reception, 37 yards
Houston
Passing
Ike Ogbogu
14/22, 196 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
16 rushes, 114 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
8 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TDs
Navy [ ]
Navy at Houston
1
2 3 4 Total
Midshipmen
7
10 0 3
20
• Cougars
7
0 7 14
28
Date: September 25, 2021Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:02 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 8 minutesGame attendance: 25,054Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 6 MPH Referee: Hank JohnsTV announcers (ESPNU ): Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)
Scoring summary 1 13:57 NAVY Xavier Arline 40-yard rush (Bijan Nichols kick)(3 plays, 76 yards, 0:58) NAVY 7–0
01:35 HOU Marcus Jones 73-yard punt returned (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(3 plays, 4 yards, 2:03) TIE 7–7
2 07:53 NAVY Bijan Nichols 30-yard field goal(15 plays, 62 yards, 8:42) NAVY 10–7
00:52 NAVY Isaac Ruoss 1-yard rush (Bijan Nichols kick)(11 plays, 89 yards, 5:28) NAVY 17–7
3 03:16 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 2-yard rush (Kyle Ramsey kick)(7 plays, 43 yards, 4:23) NAVY 17–14
4 14:53 HOU Marcus Jones 47-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Kyle Ramsey kick)(7 plays, 81 yards, 1:55) HOU 21–17
12:08 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 1-yard rush (Kyle Ramsey kick)(5 plays, 26 yards, 2:39) HOU 28–17
06:12 NAVY Bijan Nichols 36-yard field goal(13 plays, 56 yards, 5:56) HOU 28–20
Line
Over/under
HOU –20.0
47
Statistics
Navy
Houston
First downs
16
20
Total yards
300
384
Rushing yards
202
127
Passing yards
98
257
Turnovers
1
0
Time of possession
33:21
26:39
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Navy
Passing
Xavier Arline
3/6, 83 yards
Rushing
Xavier Arline
19 rushes, 64 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Mychal Cooper
3 receptions, 83 yards
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
22/30, 257 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
17 rushes, 74 yards
Receiving
Christian Trahan
4 receptions, 65 yards
at Tulsa [ ]
Houston at Tulsa
1
2 3 4 Total
• Cougars
14
14 7 10
45
Golden Hurricane
0
3 0 7
10
Date: October 1, 2021Location: Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 32 minutesGame attendance: 15,890Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: W 2 MPHReferee: Luke RichmondTV announcers (ESPN ): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
Line
Over/under
TLSA –3.5
54
Statistics
Houston
Tulsa
First downs
22
14
Total yards
405
289
Rushing yards
144
31
Passing yards
261
258
Turnovers
1
3
Time of possession
32:26
27:34
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
17/24, 241 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
17 rushes, 77 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
6 receptions, 82 yards
Tulsa
Passing
Davis Brin
20/39, 258 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing
Anthony Watkins
8 rushes, 39 yards
Receiving
Sam Crawford Jr.
5 receptions, 101 yards
at Tulane [ ]
Houston at Tulane
1
2 3 4 Total
• Cougars
14
3 9 14
40
Green Wave
0
15 7 0
22
Date: October 7, 2021Location: Yulman Stadium New Orleans, LA Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutesGame attendance: 15,026Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Mostly Sunny • Wind: NE 4 MPHReferee: Tim RichTV announcers (ESPN ): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
Line
Over/under
HOU –6.5
60
Statistics
Houston
Tulane
First downs
18
17
Total yards
435
308
Rushing yards
147
94
Passing yards
288
214
Turnovers
0
1
Time of possession
31:34
28:26
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
23/36, 288 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
18 rushes, 93 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
KeSean Carter
6 receptions, 69 yards
Tulane
Passing
Michael Pratt
20/30, 214 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Cameron Carroll
13 rushes, 68 yards
Receiving
Will Wallace
2 receptions, 54 yards, 1 TD
East Carolina [ ]
East Carolina at Houston
1
2 3 4 OT Total
Pirates
10
0 0 14 0
24
• Cougars
17
7 0 0 7
31
Date: October 23, 2021Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 3:00 p.m. CDT (Kicked at 8:20 p.m. – delayed 5 hours and 20 minutes to kickoff due to lightning ) Elapsed time: 3 hours and 27 minutesGame attendance: 22,925Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 9 MPHReferee: Edwin LeeTV announcers (ESPNews ): Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)
Line
Over/under
HOU –13.5
57
Statistics
East Carolina
Houston
First downs
20
16
Total yards
360
256
Rushing yards
82
87
Passing yards
278
169
Turnovers
3
1
Time of possession
29:13
30:47
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
East Carolina
Passing
Holton Ahlers
23/37, 278 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Keaton Mitchell
11 rushes, 38 yards
Receiving
Tyler Snead
7 receptions, 114 yards
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
19/29, 169 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
12 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Christian Trahan
6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD
No. 19 SMU [ ]
Southern Methodist at Houston
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 19 Mustangs
7
13 14 3
37
• Cougars
17
6 7 14
44
Date: October 30, 2021Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 37 minutesGame attendance: 25,676Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 6 MPH Referee: Charles LamertinaTV announcers (ESPN2 ): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), Alyssa Lang (sideline)
Scoring summary 1 11:20 HOU Nathaniel Dell 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(9 plays, 78 yards, 3:40) HOU 7–0
9:26 HOU Nathaniel Dell 48-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(2 plays, 56 yards, 0:33) HOU 14–0
2:20 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 50-yard field goal(9 plays, 55 yards, 4:32) HOU 17–0
0:00 SMU Jordan Kerley 43-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)(7 plays, 75 yards, 2:20 HOU 17–7
2 11:41 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal(7 plays, 69 yards, 3:19) HOU 20–7
7:28 SMU Tre Siggers 50-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)(1 play, 50 yards, 0:09) HOU 20–14
2:45 SMU Rashee Rice 6-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (kick blocked)(7 plays, 35 yards, 3:07) TIE 20–20
0:00 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 30-yard field goal(12 plays, 62 yards, 2:45) HOU 23–20
3 14:45 SMU Bryan Massey 100-yard kickoff return (Blake Mazza kick) SMU 27–23
9:22 HOU Nathaniel Dell 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(11 plays, 72 yards, 5:23) HOU 30–27
5:46 SMU Tre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)(8 plays, 75 yards, 3:36) SMU 34–30
4 13:36 HOU KeSean Carter 4-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(14 plays, 75 yards, 7:10) HOU 37–34
0:30 SMU Blake Mazza 45-yard field goal(10 plays, 58 yards, 1:34) TIE 37–37
0:17 HOU Marcus Jones 100-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick)HOU 44–37
Line
Over/under
SMU –1.0
62
Statistics
SMU
Houston
First downs
18
23
Total yards
355
489
Rushing yards
50
77
Passing yards
305
412
Turnovers
1
1
Time of possession
24:37
35:23
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
SMU
Passing
Tanner Mordecai
24/37, 305 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing
Tre Siggers
13 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Danny Gray
5 receptions, 73 yards
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
27/37, 412 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing
Ta'Zhawn Henry
21 rushes, 49 yards
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
9 receptions, 165 yards, 3 TDs
at South Florida [ ]
Houston at South Florida
1
2 3 4 Total
• Cougars
9
17 21 7
54
Bulls
14
14 7 7
42
Date: November 6, 2021Location: Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: Game attendance: 28,667Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBDReferee: Tim RichTV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)
Line
Over/under
HOU –13.5
53
Statistics
Houston
South Florida
First downs
30
23
Total yards
646
399
Rushing yards
261
110
Passing yards
385
289
Turnovers
0
2
Time of possession
33:07
26:53
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
21/26, 385 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing
Ta'Zhawn Henry
10 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
8 receptions, 164 yards, 1 TD
South Florida
Passing
Timmy McClain
22/46, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing
Timmy McClain
11 rushes, 46 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Xavier Weaver
6 receptions, 105 yards
at Temple [ ]
Houston at Temple
1
2 3 4 Total
• Cougars
7
3 14 13
37
Owls
0
0 0 8
8
Date: November 13, 2021Location: Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutesGame attendance: 18,440Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: S 13 MPHReferee: Edwin LeeTV announcers (ESPN+): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Leger Douzable (analyst)
Line
Over/under
HOU –25.0
53
Statistics
Houston
Temple
First downs
24
10
Total yards
446
218
Rushing yards
217
99
Passing yards
229
119
Turnovers
0
3
Time of possession
39:22
20:38
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
21/34, 224 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
21 rushes, 129 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Seth Green
7 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD
Temple
Passing
Justin Lynch
11/24, 119 yards, 2 INTs
Rushing
Justin Lynch
14 rushes, 78 yards
Receiving
Randle Jones
5 receptions, 36 yards
Memphis [ ]
Memphis at Houston
1
2 3 4 Total
Tigers
0
3 7 3
13
• No. 24 Cougars
0
21 0 10
31
Date: November 19, 2021Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 8:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 40 minutesGame attendance: 28,712Game weather: • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 4 MPHReferee: Hank JohnsTV announcers (ESPN2 ): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
Line
Over/under
HOU –9.5
59
Statistics
Memphis
Houston
First downs
24
25
Total yards
322
461
Rushing yards
106
197
Passing yards
216
264
Turnovers
2
2
Time of possession
25:34
34:26
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Memphis
Passing
Seth Henigan
21/45, 208 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing
Rodrigues Clark
12 rushes, 32 yards
Receiving
Calvin Austin III
5 receptions, 103 yards
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
20/34, 264 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing
Ta'Zhawn Henry
13 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD
at UConn [ ]
Houston at Connecticut
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 24 Cougars
7
14 17 7
45
Huskies
0
10 0 7
17
Line
Over/under
HOU –32.0
54.5
Statistics
Houston
UConn
First downs
21
16
Total yards
472
238
Rushing yards
149
82
Passing yards
323
156
Turnovers
1
1
Time of possession
31:16
28:44
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
21/30, 301 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
9 rushes, 54 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Jake Herslow
5 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD
UConn
Passing
Steven Krajewski
9/19, 79 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Steven Krajewski
8 rushes, 53 yards
Receiving
Kevens Clercius
2 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD
at No. 4 Cincinnati (AAC Championship Game) [ ]
2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 21 Cougars
10
3 0 7
20
• No. 4 Bearcats
14
0 21 0
35
Scoring summary 1 11:55 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 37-yard field goal(7 plays, 50 yards, 2:57) HOU 3–0
9:38 CIN Tyler Scott 25-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick)(5 plays, 82 yards, 2:11) CIN 7–3
4:23 HOU Nathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(10 plays, 74 yards, 5:07) HOU 10–7
4:06 CIN Jerome Ford 79-yard run (Christian Lowery kick)(1 play, 79 yards, 0:11) CIN 14–10
2 11:40 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal(13 plays, 44 yards, 7:21) CIN 14–13
3 12:02 CIN Leonard Taylor 8-yard pass from Desmond Ridder(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:58) CIN 21–13
11:04 CIN Alec Pierce 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick)(2 plays, 23 yards, 0:41) CIN 28–13
7:38 CIN Jerome Ford 42-yard run (Christian Lowery kick)(3 plays, 62 yards, 1:18) CIN 35–13
4 6:06 HOU Jake Herslow 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)(13 plays, 90 yards, 7:28) CIN 35–20
Line
Over/under
CIN –10.5
52.5
Statistics
Houston
Cincinnati
First downs
22
14
Total yards
336
400
Rushing yards
86
210
Passing yards
250
190
Turnovers
1
0
Time of possession
40:19
19:41
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
17/26, 250 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
13 rushes, 39 yards
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD
Cincinnati
Passing
Desmond Ridder
11/17, 190 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing
Jerome Ford
18 rushes, 187 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Alec Pierce
2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD
vs. Auburn (Birmingham Bowl) [ ]
2021 Birmingham Bowl
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 20 Cougars
7
3 0 7
17
Tigers
0
3 10 0
13
Date: December 28, 2021Location: Protective Stadium Birmingham, AL Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 25 minutesGame attendance: 47,100Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind:Referee: Michael MothershedTV announcers (ESPN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Eric Mac Lain (analyst) and Taylor Davis (sideline)
Line
Over/under
HOU –1.5
49
Statistics
Houston
Auburn
First downs
19
15
Total yards
398
352
Rushing yards
115
125
Passing yards
283
227
Turnovers
2
0
Time of possession
29:50
30:10
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Houston
Passing
Clayton Tune
26/40, 283 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing
Alton McCaskill
14 rushes, 78 yards
Receiving
Nathaniel Dell
10 receptions, 150 yards
Auburn
Passing
T. J. Finley
19/37, 227 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Tank Bigsby
16 rushes, 96 yards
Receiving
Tank Bigsby
5 receptions, 68 yards
Rankings [ ]
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll
Pre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Final
AP
RV
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
RV
RV
20
17
17
19
16
21
Coaches
RV
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
RV
RV
RV
19
17
17
16
16
21
CFP
Not released
NR
NR
24
24
21
20
Not released
References [ ]
Venues Bowls and rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons