Return to Glory?

Houston could restore itself to national power status with a win at the Orange Bowl Saturday Night

Those who are newer fans of College Football know little about the history of the Houston Cougar Football program. That is because for the better part of the last 15 years Houston has been either on probabtion, or a total laughingstock. The Cougars were so bad that they were passed over in Big 12 expansion, for Baylor of all schools! Can you imagine that? But not so long ago, Houston was a powerful, potent program.

From 1976 thro 1991 Houston was the second best "urban" football program in the nation. Early in that era they were second only to the great Southern California teams and after 1983 second only to Miami. In 1983 a good Houston team traveled to the Orange Bowl only to get walloped by the Canes, who won the first of 11 straight on their way to the first national title for a school from the state of Florida. During that period of time Houston was a key rival to both Texas and Texas A&M, and often times it would be Cougars not the Longhorns or the Aggies representing the Southwest Conference in the Cotton Bowl. Houston played on New Year's Day 4 times between 1976 and 1984, and boasted 1989 Heisman Trophy Winner Andre Ware. In 1990, the Cougars dropped only one game and finished in ranked #9 in the nation despite being on probation. Coming of probation in 1991, everyone expected big things from the Cougars.

Then in September 1991, something dreadful happened. The Cougars were dumb enough to play Miami in a nationally televised primetime game at the Orange Bowl. The game was suppossed to be a showcase of Houston's unstoppable run and shoot offense. Ranked #8 in the nation, the Cougars were humiliated by the eventual national champion Hurricanes 40-10. Like LSU (1988 by a 44-3 score) and Texas (1990 by a 46-3 score) before them a blowout loss to the Canes as a top ten team sent the program into a total tailspin, which took years to snap out of. (it appears that LSU has returned the favor to Miami 17 years later, but the jury is still out on whether Miami's collapse will be as dramatic as LSU's). Miami totally exposed the weakness of Houston's run and shoot offense that had put up big numbers against the Texas schools. Once Texas, Texas A&M and Arkansas had the tape of how Miami blew up the run and shoot, Houston's run was over and they have been down ever since.

Houston is now on the road to recovery. Dave Maggard who was Miami's Athletic Director at the time of the big game in 1991 is now leading the Houston program and his choice for Head Coach Art Briles reminds Maggard of Jimmy Johnson. The early results have been promising. The Cougars have gone bowling tow of the last three seasons (the first bowl appearances since that dreadful September night in Miami) and have started this season 4-0 and have one of the best offenses in the nation. With Miami down in the dumps, this is the time for Houston to regain their national prominence and get a measure of revenge for Miami's demolition of them 15 years ago. If Houston doesn't beat Miami this Saturday, perhaps 15 more years of agony await.