On this day in 2007, Houston turned a rivalry game into a full-blown offensive showcase and put its name in the NCAA record book.
The Cougars became the first FBS team ever to have a 300-yard receiver and a 200-yard rusher in the same game, and they did it with Donnie Avery and Anthony Alridge leading the charge. Avery hauled in 13 catches for 346 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns. Alridge piled up 205 rushing yards and scored four times in Houston’s 56-48 win over Rice.
The numbers around them were staggering too. Houston rolled up 748 yards of offense on 81 plays, good for 9.2 yards per snap.
Case Keenum and Blake Joseph split the quarterback duties, with Keenum going 15 of 18 for 156 yards and Joseph finishing 11 of 18 for 318 yards and three touchdowns. The 748 combined yards between the teams ranked as the second-most ever in Conference USA at the time.
Houston came out blazing, scoring 28 points on 14 plays in the first quarter. Then the game flipped.
The Cougars went 26 minutes without a point, and Rice grabbed control before halftime. With 15 seconds left in the half, Joseph hit a 42-yard pass to the Rice 1-yard line, but on the next snap he fumbled and the Owls recovered.
That turned into a 34-28 Rice lead at the break.
The second half opened badly for Houston, too. Keenum took over, but was intercepted four plays later. Rice answered with an 11-play scoring drive, though it missed the two-point try and moved ahead 40-28.
From there, Keenum found a rhythm. Starting on the next play, he completed 11 straight passes and directed touchdown drives on four of the next five possessions, with all four scores coming on the ground. Houston moved in front 56-48, and when Rice got the ball back with 2:20 left, Loyce Means ended it by intercepting Chase Clement on the first play.
The game was part of a wild stretch in the Bayou Bucket. For six straight seasons, Houston and Rice combined for at least 60 points, including four games with 80 or more points in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, and two games with 100 or more points in 2007 and 2011.
Avery’s 346 receiving yards still stands as the sixth-highest total in NCAA history. It remains the Conference USA record and would have been the record in the Southwest Conference, the American and the Big 12.
In Other News...
Houston Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Reshape Everything
Houstons place in the Big 12 conversation is about to get a lot clearer at TDECU Stadium, where the No. 20 Cougars welcome No. 18 Oklahoma State in a matchup that could ripple far beyond one October Saturday. Both teams arrive with offenses capable of making life uncomfortable on the other side, and for Houston, this is the kind of ranking-vs-ranking game that can help define whether its early-season momentum is a real path into the league race.
Oklahoma State has already shown how quickly a season can change, rebounding into a 4-1 start behind quarterback Drew Mestemaker and an attack that has made the Cowboys look very different from last years version. For Houston, the stakes are obvious even before the final whistle, with Big 12 championship positioning and the College Football Playoff picture both in play as the Cougars try to protect their standing against a team that looks built to challenge it. [Read more 🡒]
Conner Weigman Is Giving Houston Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
Conner Weigman keeps giving Houston something it has not always had at quarterback: a national profile to go with the production. The Cougars' signal-caller threw for 242 yards in the win over Kansas State, and the performance pushed him into the conversation on multiple watch lists while adding another layer to a season that already feels different around the program.
Weigman was named to the Davey O'Brien Great 8 for Week 6 and remains on the midseason watch list for that award, while also drawing recognition as the Shriners Children's East-West Bowl Monday Morning Quarterback and as a top-15 candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. For Houston, the bigger picture is starting to take shape around a quarterback whose best moments are now getting noticed well beyond the Big 12. [Read more 🡒]
Re'Shaun Sanford Has Become A Symbol Of What Houston Needs
Re'Shaun Sanford II has given Houston something it needed in the backfield: steadiness, production and a reminder of how much a roster can lean on persistence. After battling through serious injury setbacks earlier in his career, the running back has grown into a much larger role this season, emerging as the Cougars leading rusher while complementing senior Makhi Hughes and giving Willie Fritz a reliable option in the offense.
Sanfords path has made him more than just a useful contributor. He has 404 yards on 75 carries with two touchdowns, but his value goes beyond the numbers because he has shown what it takes to come back and stay ready when opportunities arrive. Fritz has made clear he wants younger players around the program to take note, especially freshman John Hebert, whose season has already been cut short, and Sanfords example now carries as much weight in the locker room as it does on game days. [Read more 🡒]