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Cougars: We Are The
Champions
From staff and
Conference USA reports
©2006 Bonesville.net. All rights reserved.
The Houston Cougars
rewarded a record home crowd Friday night with a 34-20 victory over the
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and a Conference USA championship.
In a game played before a
national TV audience on ESPN2 and 31,818 fans in Robertson Stadium, the
Cougars stormed back from a 17-13 halftime deficit to claim their first
league title since 1996 and a berth opposite a Southeastern Conference
opponent in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis (Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m., ESPN.)
Houston, C-USA's West
Division champion, improved to 10-3 with the win, the program's most
victories since 1990. The Cougars have won six games in a row.
The East Division champion
Golden Eagles, who have won four conference championships since the
league began sponsoring football in 1996, fell to 8-5 on the season and
will face Ohio of the Mid-American Conference in the GMAC Bowl in
Mobile, AL (Jan. 7, 8 p.m., ESPN.)
Vincent Marshall,
Houston's career receiving leader, was named the game's most valuable
player after catching eight passes for 100 yards. Marshall also had a
touchdown run on a lateral.
Cougars quarterback Kevin
Kolb, making his 49th career start, threw two touchdown passes to Biren
Ealy and ran for another score while completing 19 of 31 passes for 258
yards to become C-USA's career passing leader.
PAGE UPDATED
02/23/07 11:32 AM.
©2006 Bonesville.net and
other Publishers. All rights rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Game accounts and
statistics may be compiled from various sources, including but not limited
to staff, East Carolina University, opposing team and Conference USA reports.
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