The 5 Best Moments From #24 Houston’s Win Over UTSA

Hope you didn’t blink during that second half. Otherwise, you probably missed an insane play.

The #24 Houston Cougars defeated the UTSA Roadrunners 37-35 in three overtime periods at the Alamodome on Saturday afternoon. It was one of those games where the momentum swung so many times, it was impossible to tell who would come out on top. It wouldn’t surprise me if most of East Texas paid a visit to the Cardiologist on Tuesday.

Both teams team had plenty of highlights throughout the day with this one. It was near impossible to pick the five best, but I tried anyways. These were the moments that stick out as the most memorable from this incredible in San Antonio.

5. Frank Harris’ 38-Yard Touchdown Run

Despite UTSA’s loss, San Antonio native and senior quarterback Frank Harris put in a spectacular effort today. Harris finished with 28 completions on 43 attempts for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He also added 63 rushing yards on eight carries. 38 of those yards came on one play when he took it to the house himself in the second quarter. This was the moment that it became abundantly clear we were in for a crazy afternoon.

4. The Emergence of Sack Avenue

They weren’t especially effective at the beginning of the game, but Houston’s defensive line came to life close to the end of the first half. Arguably their most memorable play of the game came when Derek Parish reached Frank Harris as he threw, causing the ball to pop up in the air. This enabled Nelson Ceasar the pick the ball off and run it back deep into UTSA territory. Houston had three sacks in this game and six tackles for loss.

3. This Incredible De’Corian Clark Touchdown

The UTSA receiving corps made several huge plays to keep their team’s hopes alive throughout this game. Joshua Cephus, Zakhari Franklin, and De’Corian Clark all had at least six catches. While Clark caught two touchdown passes, it was this one on a quality throw from Harris in the third quarter that was particularly exciting.

2. Tank Dell: Big Plays Only

Surprisingly, the Coogs only targeted receiver Tank Dell a handful of times throughout the day. When they did, it usually had stellar results. Look at this concentration on this touchdown grab near the sideline. It’s somewhat surprising they didn’t go his way even more often.

Dell finished the day with five catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets.

1. Clayton Tune Leaving It All Out There

Houston quarterback and captain Clayton Tune lived up to the hype today. The senior simply made play, after play, after play, after play when his team needed it. This included running and throwing. No play was more apparent of this than when he scored his team final two-point conversion. Tune leapt over a defender into end zone, almost doing a complete front flip in the process. Tune finished with 206 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown, not including the two-point conversion.

Honorable Mention: Bubba Baxa’s Transformation

Baxa, a transfer from Miami, nailed a few critical kicks for the Cougars to help them get this win. On top of being cool under pressure, can we take a second to appreciate the transformation he’s gone through in college with all that ink?