by Chris Macaluso
LSUsports.net
The University of Houston football team enters its game at LSU Saturday night looking to rebound from a couple of early season setbacks.
The first was a 30-27 overtime loss in it?s season opener last weekend against cross-town rival Rice and the second is the loss of two key senior receivers.
All-Conference USA receiver candidate Orlando Iglesias, who has nearly 2,100 career receiving yards, sprained an ankle in the loss to Rice while Kendall Williams, who led the Cougars with 6 catches for 74 yards last week, will miss the LSU game with a knee injury.
Also gone from the Cougar squad is tailback Ketric Sanford who finished his eligibility at the end of last season. Sanford impressively amassed 105 yards on 27 carries in Houston?s 20-7 defeat of LSU last season.
But injuries and graduations shouldn?t totally disable the powerful and deep Houston offense which features multiple receiver sets. Quarterback Jason McKinley leads the Cougars again this season. Tiger fans may remember McKinley from last year?s contest in Tiger Stadium in which the Cougar QB completed 19-27 passes for 203 yards and one touchdown.
“We will still have the ability to go down there and win the football game,” said first-year Houston head coach Dana Dimel. “Our football team is just getting tested early this season. Only positives can come from that as long as we get ourselves back on track for this upcoming game.”
Dimel is seeking his first win as the Cougar head man. He came to the Conference USA after three successful seasons as head coach at the University of Wyoming where he compiled a 23-12 record. He replaces Kim Helton who led Houston to just two winning seasons in seven years.
McKinley played well again in last week?s loss to Rice, completing 32 of 47 passes for 339 yards and two TD?s. Houston?s offense compiled 384 total yards compared to 283 for Rice. Contributing to Houston?s downfall last week was Rice?s special teams which blocked two punts and a field goal attempt.
“It?s hard to be pleased when you lose such a heartbreaking game,” McKinley said. “We were excited about the offense, about going out for the first time and being able to move the ball like we did. Like I said, when you lose the ball game, though, it kind of takes all that excitement away”
The Cougar QB spread the ball around the field to a host of receivers last weekend. Senior KeKowa Bell who hauled in five catches for 87 yards and sophomore Brian Robinson who caught six balls for 50 yards and two touchdowns figure to play key roles in Houston?s offensive attack Saturday.
McKinley said his team expects a tough battle in Tiger Stadium, but feels confident he and his teammates will be prepared.
“I think it makes the LSU game a much bigger game due to the fact we lost last week,” he said. “We?ve had guys go into big places before and we?ve gone into LSU and have won there, and I think it helps out a lot with the crowd factor and the overall environment there.”
Sophomore running back Joffery Reynolds should get the bulk of the carries for the Cougars. Reynolds rushed for 57 yards on 17 carries in his first career start in last Saturday?s loss.
Defensively the Cougars return just four starters from last year?s 7-4 squad. Leading the way so far for Houston is strong safety Emile White, who had 15 total tackles last Saturday including one for a loss.
Dimel said he?s a little concern his young defense will have trouble containing what could be a very explosive LSU offensive attack.
“They (LSU) are in a situation where they have a new coach as well and they go out and win their first game and gain a lot of momentum,” he said. “They have a handful of receivers that are talented. They also have two quarterbacks that they feel comfortable with and they feel like they have all of the weapons to be effective. They are a team that can put some points on the board.”