2021 Houston Cougars football team

2021 Houston Cougars football
Birmingham Bowl champion
Birmingham Bowl, W 17–13 vs. Auburn
ConferenceAmerican Athletic Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 17
APNo. 17
Record12–2 (8–0 American)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorShannon Dawson (2nd, 3rd overall season)
Co-offensive coordinatorBrandon Jones (3rd season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorDoug Belk (1st, 3rd overall season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumTDECU Stadium
Seasons
← 2020
2022 →
2021 American Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 4 Cincinnati y$^   8 – 0     13 – 1  
No. 17 Houston y   8 – 0     12 – 2  
UCF   5 – 3     9 – 4  
East Carolina   5 – 3     7 – 5  
Tulsa   5 – 3     7 – 6  
SMU   4 – 4     8 – 4  
Memphis   3 – 5     6 – 6  
Navy   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Tulane   1 – 7     2 – 10  
South Florida   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Temple   1 – 7     3 – 9  
Championship: Cincinnati 35, Houston 20
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, competing in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Dana Holgorsen.

Preseason[edit]

American Athletic Conference preseason media poll[edit]

The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021.[1] Cincinnati, who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.

Media poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Cincinnati 262 (22)
2 UCF 241 (2)
3 SMU 188
4 Houston 181
5 Memphis 168
6 Tulsa 153
7 Tulane 132
T-8 East Carolina 85
T-8 Navy 85
10 Temple 46
11 South Florida 43

Schedule[edit]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 46:00 p.m.vs. Texas Tech*
ESPNL 21–3843,478
September 115:30 p.m.at Rice*
CBSSNW 44–726,253
September 186:00 p.m.Grambling State*
ESPN+W 45–022,998
September 256:00 p.m.Navy
  • TDECU Stadium
  • Houston, TX
ESPNUW 28–2025,054
October 16:30 p.m.at Tulsa
ESPNW 45–1015,890
October 76:30 p.m.at Tulane
ESPNW 40–2215,026
October 238:20 p.m.East Carolinadagger
  • TDECU Stadium
  • Houston, TX
ESPNews αW 31–24 OT22,925
October 306:00 p.m.No. 19 SMU
  • TDECU Stadium
  • Houston, TX
ESPN2W 44–3725,676
November 66:30 p.m.at South Florida
ESPNUW 54–4228,667
November 1311:00 a.m.at Temple
ESPN+W 37–818,440
November 198:00 p.m.MemphisNo. 24
  • TDECU Stadium
  • Houston, TX
ESPN2W 31–1328,712
November 2711:00 a.m.at UConn*No. 24
CBSSNW 45–1712,685
December 43:00 p.m.at No. 4 CincinnatiNo. 21
ABCL 20–3537,978
December 2811:00 a.m.vs. Auburn*No. 20
ESPNW 17–1347,100

[2]

Notes[edit]

^α This game was initially scheduled for ESPNU at 3:00 p.m. CT, but was moved to 8:20 p.m. CT on ESPNews because of a rain delay.[3]

Game summaries[edit]

Vs. Texas Tech (Texas Kickoff)[edit]

Texas Tech vs. Houston
1 234Total
• Red Raiders 0 71714 38
Cougars 14 700 21
     
Scoring summary
16:37HOUClayton Tune 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(16 plays, 75 yards, 8:23)		HOU 7–0
2:13HOUNathaniel Dell 23-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(8 plays, 54 yards, 4:24)		HOU 14–0
211:47TTUTahj Brooks 41-yard run (Jonaathan Garibay kick)
(1 play, 41 yards, 0:10)		HOU 14–7
0:23HOUSeth Green 9-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(13 plays, 75 yards, 4:52)		HOU 21–7
38:08TTUTyler Shough 8-yard run (Jonathan Garibay kick)
(6 plays, 60 yards, 3:06)		HOU 21–14
7:20TTURiko Jeffers 13-yard interception return (Jonathan Garibay kick)
(2 plays, -7 yards, 0:48)		TIE 21–21
0:36TTUJonathan Garibay 34-yard field goal
(4 plays, 6 yards, 1:15)		TTU 24–21
42:05TTUXavier White 3-yard pass from Tyler Shough (Jonathan Garibay kick)
(8 plays, 71 yards, 2:52)		TTU 31–21
1:00TTUTahj Brooks 44-yard run (Jonathan Garibay kick)
(2 plays, 48 yards, 0:15)		TTU 38–21
See also: 2021 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team and Texas Kickoff
Line Over/under
HOU –2.5 63
Statistics Texas Tech Houston
First downs 15 15
Total yards 376 251
Rushing yards 145 77
Passing yards 231 174
Turnovers 1 4
Time of possession 23:23 36:37
Team Category Player Statistics
Texas Tech Passing Tyler Shough 17/24, 231 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Tahj Brooks 15 rushes, 134 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving Erik Ezukanma 7 receptions, 179 yards
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 27/38, 174 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs
Rushing Mulbah Car 13 rushes, 37 yards
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD

At Rice (Bayou Bucket Classic)[edit]

Houston at Rice
1 234Total
• Cougars 17 01413 44
Owls 0 700 7
  • Date: September 11, 2021
  • Location: Rice Stadium
    Houston, TX
  • Game start: 5:30 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time:  
  • Game attendance: 26,253
  • Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBD
  • Referee: Charles Lamertina
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), and Desmond Purnell (sideline)
    
Scoring summary
110:08HOUAlton McCaskill 35-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(8 plays, 84 yards, 3:30)		HOU 7–0
5:37HOUDalton Witherspoon 38-yard field goal
(7 plays, 56 yards, 3:18)		HOU 10–0
2:19HOUJake Herslow 11-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 48 yards, 2:37)		HOU 17–0
20:13RICEJordan Myers 5-yard pass from Luke McCaffrey (Collin Riccitelli kick)
(11 plays, 81 yards, 5:01)		HOU 17–7
37:18HOUAlton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(17 plays, 75 yards, 7:42)		HOU 24–7
0:01HOUAlton McCaskill 2-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(10 plays, 85 yards, 4:29)		HOU 31–7
44:51HOUChandler Smith 14-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(2 plays, 20 yards, 0:49)		HOU 38–7
0:00HOUAlex Hogan 91-yard interception return
(9 plays, 60 yards, 4:51)		HOU 44–7
See also: 2021 Rice Owls football team and Houston–Rice rivalry
Line Over/under
HOU –7.5 51
Statistics Houston Rice
First downs 23 15
Total yards 393 212
Rushing yards 144 126
Passing yards 249 86
Turnovers 0 3
Time of possession 32:01 27:59
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 22/30, 236 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Clayton Tune 9 rushes, 49 yards
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 7 receptions, 87 yards
Rice Passing Luke McCaffrey 9/19, 86 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing Khalan Griffin 19 rushes, 86 yards
Receiving Jorden Myers 5 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD

Grambling State[edit]

Grambling State at Houston
1 234Total
Tigers 0 000 0
• Cougars 7 14213 45
  • Date: September 18, 2021
  • Location: TDECU Stadium
    Houston, TX
  • Game start: 6:06 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 6 minutes
  • Game attendance: 22,998
  • Game weather: Sunny
  • Referee: Nate Black
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Alex Del Barrio (play–by–play) and Stanford Routt (analyst)
   
Scoring summary
10:15HOUNathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 47 yards, 2:06)		HOU 7–0
210:40HOUMarcus Jones 48-yard punt return (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 3 yards, 1:57)		HOU 14–0
5:23HOUAlton McCaskill 17-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(8 plays, 80 yards, 3:03)		HOU 21–0
311:54HOUAlton McCaskill 34-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(4 plays, 48 yards, 0:59)		HOU 28–0
7:01HOUNathaniel Dell 10-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(7 plays, 56 yards, 3:32)		HOU 35–0
2:03HOUTa'Zhawn Henry 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 58 yards, 3:06)		HOU 42–0
46:10HOUDalton Witherspoon 22-yard field goal
(15 plays, 62 yards, 8:38)		HOU 45–0
See also: 2021 Grambling State Tigers football team
Line Over/under
HOU –41.0 52
Statistics Grambling State Houston
First downs 3 24
Total yards 102 422
Rushing yards 53 164
Passing yards 49 258
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 25:02 34:58
Team Category Player Statistics
Grambling State Passing Aldon Clark 5/12, 49 yards
Rushing Darqueze Brutton 9 rushes, 18 yards
Receiving Greg White 1 reception, 37 yards
Houston Passing Ike Ogbogu 14/22, 196 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Alton McCaskill 16 rushes, 114 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 8 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TDs

Navy[edit]

Navy at Houston
1 234Total
Midshipmen 7 1003 20
• Cougars 7 0714 28
  • Date: September 25, 2021
  • Location: TDECU Stadium
    Houston, TX
  • Game start: 6:02 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 8 minutes
  • Game attendance: 25,054
  • Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 6 MPH
  • Referee: Hank Johns
  • TV announcers (ESPNU): Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)
    
Scoring summary
113:57NAVYXavier Arline 40-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick)
(3 plays, 76 yards, 0:58)		NAVY 7–0
1:35HOUMarcus Jones 73-yard punt return (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 4 yards, 2:03)		TIE 7–7
27:53NAVYBijan Nichols 30-yard field goal
(15 plays, 62 yards, 8:42)		NAVY 10–7
0:52NAVYIsaac Ruoss 1-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick)
(11 plays, 89 yards, 5:28)		NAVY 17–7
33:16HOUTa'Zhawn Henry 2-yard run (Kyle Ramsey kick)
(7 plays, 43 yards, 4:23)		NAVY 17–14
414:53HOUMarcus Jones 47-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Kyle Ramsey kick)
(7 plays, 81 yards, 1:55)		HOU 21–17
12:08HOUTa'Zhawn Henry 1-yard run (Kyle Ramsey kick)
(5 plays, 26 yards, 2:39)		HOU 28–17
6:12NAVYBijan Nichols 36-yard field goal
(13 plays, 56 yards, 5:56)		HOU 28–20
See also: 2021 Navy Midshipmen football team
Line Over/under
HOU –20.0 47
Statistics Navy Houston
First downs 16 20
Total yards 300 384
Rushing yards 202 127
Passing yards 98 257
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 33:21 26:39
Team Category Player Statistics
Navy Passing Xavier Arline 3/6, 83 yards
Rushing Xavier Arline 19 rushes, 64 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Mychal Cooper 3 receptions, 83 yards
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 22/30, 257 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Alton McCaskill 17 rushes, 74 yards
Receiving Christian Trahan 4 receptions, 65 yards

At Tulsa[edit]

Houston at Tulsa
1 234Total
• Cougars 14 14710 45
Golden Hurricane 0 307 10
  • Date: October 1, 2021
  • Location: Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium
    Tulsa, OK
  • Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 32 minutes
  • Game attendance: 15,890
  • Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: W 2 MPH
  • Referee: Luke Richmond
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
     
Scoring summary
14:23HOUAlton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(8 plays, 81 yards, 4:29)		HOU 7–0
1:14HOUJeremy Singleton 47-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(4 plays, 85 yards, 1:21)		HOU 14–0
213:01HOUAlton McCaskill 27-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 56 yards, 1:10)		HOU 21–0
9:33HOUAlton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(5 plays, 32 yards, 2:01)		HOU 28–0
1:22TLSAZack Long 33-yard field goal
(11 plays, 65 yards, 2:58)		HOU 28–3
314:06HOUGervarrius Owens 45-yard interception return (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 10 yards, 0:54)		HOU 35–3
414:55HOUSeth Green 8-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(9 plays, 57 yards, 4:32)		HOU 42–3
9:26TLSAEzra Naylor II 41-yard pass from Davis Brin (Zack Long kick)
(6 plays, 72 yards, 1:46)		HOU 42–10
4:19HOUDalton Witherspoon 48-yard field goal
(9 plays, 44 yards, 5:07)		HOU 45–10
See also: 2021 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team and Houston–Tulsa football rivalry
Line Over/under
TLSA –3.5 54
Statistics Houston Tulsa
First downs 22 14
Total yards 405 289
Rushing yards 144 31
Passing yards 261 258
Turnovers 1 3
Time of possession 32:26 27:34
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 17/24, 241 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing Alton McCaskill 17 rushes, 77 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 6 receptions, 82 yards
Tulsa Passing Davis Brin 20/39, 258 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing Anthony Watkins 8 rushes, 39 yards
Receiving Sam Crawford Jr. 5 receptions, 101 yards

At Tulane[edit]

Houston at Tulane
1 234Total
• Cougars 14 3914 40
Green Wave 0 1570 22
  • Date: October 7, 2021
  • Location: Yulman Stadium
    New Orleans, LA
  • Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes
  • Game attendance: 15,026
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Mostly Sunny • Wind: NE 4 MPH
  • Referee: Tim Rich
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
      
Scoring summary
18:04HOUChristian Trahan 11-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(11 plays, 76 yards, 5:14)		HOU 7–0
0:22HOUJeremy Singleton 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(7 plays, 64 yards, 2:58)		HOU 14–0
210:45TULNTyrick James 13-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Christian Daniels Pass to Michael Pratt for two-point conversion)
(5 plays, 73 yards, 1:53)		HOU 14–8
3:33HOUDalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal
(7 plays, 20 yards, 2:26)		HOU 17–8
2:11TULNTyjae Spears 39-yard run (Merek Glover kick)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 1:22)		HOU 17–15
313:18TULNWill Wallace 29-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Merek Glover kick)
(1 play, 29 yards, 0:08)		TULN 22–17
8:16HOUDalton Witherspoon 24-yard field goal
(5 plays, 28 yards, 1:17)		TULN 22–20
1:20HOUJeremy Singleton 29-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Two-point pass conversion failed)
(11 plays, 80 yards, 4:40)		HOU 26–22
49:28HOUTa'Zhawn Henry 8-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 39 yards, 3:20)		HOU 33–22
1:03HOUAlton McCaskill 35-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 53 yards, 1:59)		HOU 40–22
See also: 2021 Tulane Green Wave football team
Line Over/under
HOU –6.5 60
Statistics Houston Tulane
First downs 18 17
Total yards 435 308
Rushing yards 147 94
Passing yards 288 214
Turnovers 0 1
Time of possession 31:34 28:26
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 23/36, 288 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing Alton McCaskill 18 rushes, 93 yards, 1 TD
Receiving KeSean Carter 6 receptions, 69 yards
Tulane Passing Michael Pratt 20/30, 214 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Cameron Carroll 13 rushes, 68 yards
Receiving Will Wallace 2 receptions, 54 yards, 1 TD

East Carolina[edit]

East Carolina at Houston
1 234OTTotal
Pirates 10 00140 24
• Cougars 17 7007 31
  • Date: October 23, 2021
  • Location: TDECU Stadium
    Houston, TX
  • Game start: 3:00 p.m. CDT (Kicked at 8:20 p.m. – delayed 5 hours and 20 minutes to kickoff due to lightning)
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 27 minutes
  • Game attendance: 22,925
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 9 MPH
  • Referee: Edwin Lee
  • TV announcers (ESPNews): Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)
     
Scoring summary
111:39ECUOwen Daffer 33-yard field goal
(9 plays, 60 yards, 3:21)		ECU 3–0
6:56HOUDalton Witherspoon 21-yard field goal
(11 plays, 70 yards, 4:43)		TIE 3–3
5:46ECUJsi Hatfield 40-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Owen Daffer kick)
(3 plays, 78 yards, 1:10)		ECU 10–3
5:34HOUMarcus Jones 98-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12)		TIE 10–10
1:38HOUChristian Trahan 2-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(5 plays, 32 yards, 2:47)		HOU 17–10
23:12HOUNathaniel Dell 14-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(2 plays, 13 yards, 0:22)		HOU 24–10
46:59ECUHolton Ahlers 1-yard run (Owen Daffer kick)
(6 plays, 71 yards, 2:40)		HOU 24–17
5:43ECUAudie Omotosho 13-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Owen Daffer kick)
(2 plays, 16 yards, 1:01)		TIE 24–24
OTHOUAlton McCaskill 25-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(1 play, 25 yards)		HOU 31–24
See also: 2021 East Carolina Pirates football team
Line Over/under
HOU –13.5 57
Statistics East Carolina Houston
First downs 20 16
Total yards 360 256
Rushing yards 82 87
Passing yards 278 169
Turnovers 3 1
Time of possession 29:13 30:47
Team Category Player Statistics
East Carolina Passing Holton Ahlers 23/37, 278 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Keaton Mitchell 11 rushes, 38 yards
Receiving Tyler Snead 7 receptions, 114 yards
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 19/29, 169 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Alton McCaskill 12 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Christian Trahan 6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

No. 19 SMU[edit]

SMU at Houston
1 234Total
No. 19 Mustangs 7 13143 37
• Cougars 17 6714 44
  • Date: October 30, 2021
  • Location: TDECU Stadium
    Houston, TX
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 37 minutes
  • Game attendance: 25,676
  • Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 6 MPH
  • Referee: Charles Lamertina
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), Alyssa Lang (sideline)
          
Scoring summary
111:20HOUNathaniel Dell 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(9 plays, 78 yards, 3:40)		HOU 7–0
9:26HOUNathaniel Dell 48-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(2 plays, 56 yards, 0:33)		HOU 14–0
2:20HOUDalton Witherspoon 50-yard field goal
(9 plays, 55 yards, 4:32)		HOU 17–0
0:00SMUJordan Kerley 43-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 2:20		HOU 17–7
211:41HOUDalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal
(7 plays, 69 yards, 3:19)		HOU 20–7
7:28SMUTre Siggers 50-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick)
(1 play, 50 yards, 0:09)		HOU 20–14
2:45SMURashee Rice 6-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza PAT blocked)
(7 plays, 35 yards, 3:07)		TIE 20–20
0:00HOUDalton Witherspoon 30-yard field goal
(12 plays, 62 yards, 2:45)		HOU 23–20
314:45SMUBryan Massey 100-yard kickoff return (Blake Mazza kick)
(0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15)		SMU 27–23
9:22HOUNathaniel Dell 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(11 plays, 72 yards, 5:23)		HOU 30–27
5:46SMUTre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 3:36)		SMU 34–30
413:36HOUKeSean Carter 4-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(14 plays, 75 yards, 7:10)		HOU 37–34
0:30SMUBlake Mazza 45-yard field goal
(10 plays, 58 yards, 1:34)		TIE 37–37
0:17HOUMarcus Jones 100-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13)		HOU 44–37
See also: 2021 SMU Mustangs football team
Line Over/under
SMU –1.0 62
Statistics SMU Houston
First downs 18 23
Total yards 355 489
Rushing yards 50 77
Passing yards 305 412
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 24:37 35:23
Team Category Player Statistics
SMU Passing Tanner Mordecai 24/37, 305 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing Tre Siggers 13 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Danny Gray 5 receptions, 73 yards
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 27/37, 412 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing Ta'Zhawn Henry 21 rushes, 49 yards
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 9 receptions, 165 yards, 3 TDs

At South Florida[edit]

Houston at South Florida
1 234Total
• Cougars 9 17217 54
Bulls 14 1477 42
  • Date: November 6, 2021
  • Location: Raymond James Stadium
    Tampa, FL
  • Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time:  
  • Game attendance: 28,667
  • Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBD
  • Referee: Tim Rich
  • TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)
           
Scoring summary
114:47USFBrian Battie 100-yard kickoff return (Spencer Shrader kick)
(0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13)		USF 7–0
8:35HOUJake Herslow 18-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(7 plays, 56 yards, 2:51)		TIE 7–7
6:44USFBrian Battie 29-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick)
(5 plays, 75 yards, 1:51)		USF 14–7
3:34HOUAtlias Bell safety
(3 plays, -1 yard, 0:44)		USF 14–9
214:52HOUDalton Witherspoon 19-yard field goal
(8 plays, 56 yards, 3:42)		USF 14–12
10:19USFMitchell Brinkman 33-yard pass from Timmy McClain (Spencer Shrader kick)
(10 plays, 75 yards, 4:33)		USF 21–12
8:19HOUAlton McCaskill 6-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(5 plays, 54 yards, 2:00)		USF 21–19
2:30HOUNathaniel Dell 55-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 87 yards, 0:40)		HOU 26–21
2:16USFBrian Battie 100-yard kickoff return (Spencer Shrader kick)
(0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14)		USF 28–26
312:50HOUAlton McCaskill 2-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(5 plays, 67 yards, 2:10)		HOU 33–28
10:04HOUTa'Zhawn Henry 97-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(1 play, 97 yards, 0:14)		HOU 40–28
6:58USFChris Carter 14-yard pass from Timmy McClain (Spencer Shrader kick)
(11 plays, 65 yards, 3:06)		HOU 40–35
4:44HOUJeremy Singleton 27-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(5 plays, 75 yards, 2:14)		HOU 47–35
43:59USFTimmy McClain 11-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick)
(9 plays, 60 yards, 2:34)		HOU 47–42
2:27HOUAlton McCaskill 16-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 44 yards, 1:32)		HOU 54–42
See also: 2021 South Florida Bulls football team
Line Over/under
HOU –13.5 53
Statistics Houston South Florida
First downs 30 23
Total yards 646 399
Rushing yards 261 110
Passing yards 385 289
Turnovers 0 2
Time of possession 33:07 26:53
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 21/26, 385 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing Ta'Zhawn Henry 10 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 8 receptions, 164 yards, 1 TD
South Florida Passing Timmy McClain 22/46, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing Timmy McClain 11 rushes, 46 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Xavier Weaver 6 receptions, 105 yards

At Temple[edit]

Houston at Temple
1 234Total
• Cougars 7 31413 37
Owls 0 008 8
  • Date: November 13, 2021
  • Location: Lincoln Financial Field
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutes
  • Game attendance: 18,440
  • Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: S 13 MPH
  • Referee: Edwin Lee
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Leger Douzable (analyst)
   
Scoring summary
18:47HOUAlton McCaskill 3-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(7 plays, 47 yards, 3:30)		HOU 7–0
27:46HOUDalton Witherspoon 39-yard field goal
(13 plays, 58 yards, 7:09)		HOU 10–0
311:29HOUTa'Zhawn Henry 6-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(8 plays, 65 yards, 3:31)		HOU 17–0
4:00HOUAlton McCaskill 34-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(5 plays, 52 yards, 2:05)		HOU 24–0
414:22TEMEdward Saydee 1-yard run (Justin Lynch pass to Darius Pittman for two-point conversion)
(4 plays, 45 yards, 0:56)		HOU 24–8
10:57HOUJaylen Erwin 35-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon PAT blocked)
(7 plays, 77 yards, 3:23)		HOU 30–8
6:13HOUSeth Green 6-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 42 yards, 2:28)		HOU 37–8
See also: 2021 Temple Owls football team
Line Over/under
HOU –25.0 53
Statistics Houston Temple
First downs 24 10
Total yards 446 218
Rushing yards 217 99
Passing yards 229 119
Turnovers 0 3
Time of possession 39:22 20:38
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 21/34, 224 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Alton McCaskill 21 rushes, 129 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving Seth Green 7 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD
Temple Passing Justin Lynch 11/24, 119 yards, 2 INTs
Rushing Justin Lynch 14 rushes, 78 yards
Receiving Randle Jones 5 receptions, 36 yards

Memphis[edit]

Memphis at Houston
1 234Total
Tigers 0 373 13
• No. 24 Cougars 0 21010 31
  • Date: November 19, 2021
  • Location: TDECU Stadium
    Houston, TX
  • Game start: 8:00 p.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 40 minutes
  • Game attendance: 28,712
  • Game weather: • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 4 MPH
  • Referee: Hank Johns
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
     
Scoring summary
214:03HOUAlton McCaskill 36-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(1 play, 36 yards, 0:15)		HOU 7–0
5:40HOUNathaniel Dell 19-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(11 plays, 93 yards, 4:36)		HOU 14–0
2:55MEMDavid Kemp 28-yard field goal
(9 plays, 65 yards, 2:45)		HOU 14–3
0:53HOUClayton Tune 20-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 63 yards, 2:02)		HOU 21–3
34:31MEMAsa Martin 5-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick)
(11 plays, 60 yards, 4:16)		HOU 21–10
414:52MEMDavid Kemp 22-yard field goal
(8 plays, 86 yards, 2:30)		HOU 21–13
3:24HOUDalton Witherspoon 34-yard field goal
(5 plays, 29 yards, 2:15)		HOU 24–13
1:43HOUTa'Zhawn Henry 4-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 18 yards, 0:52)		HOU 31–13
See also: 2021 Memphis Tigers football team
Line Over/under
HOU –9.5 59
Statistics Memphis Houston
First downs 24 25
Total yards 322 461
Rushing yards 106 197
Passing yards 216 264
Turnovers 2 2
Time of possession 25:34 34:26
Team Category Player Statistics
Memphis Passing Seth Henigan 21/45, 208 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing Rodrigues Clark 12 rushes, 32 yards
Receiving Calvin Austin 5 receptions, 103 yards
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 20/34, 264 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing Ta'Zhawn Henry 13 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

At UConn[edit]

Houston at UConn
1 234Total
• No. 24 Cougars 7 14177 45
Huskies 0 1007 17
      
Scoring summary
110:21HOUAlton McCaskill 31-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(6 plays, 55 yards, 3:02)		HOU 7–0
211:44HOUJake Herslow 49-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 52 yards, 0:50)		HOU 14–0
6:31UCONNKevens Clercius 34-yard pass from Steven Krajewski (Joe McFadden kick)
(3 plays, 25 yards, 1:09)		HOU 14–7
1:15HOUNathaniel Dell 6-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 52 yards, 0:50)		HOU 21–7
0:01UCONNJoe McFadden 25-yard field goal
(7 plays, 52 yards, 1:11)		HOU 21–10
311:08HOUNathaniel Dell 13-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(9 plays, 47 yards, 3:45)		HOU 28–10
6:02HOUDalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal
(7 plays, 61 yards, 3:36)		HOU 31–10
1:26HOUJeremy Singleton 34-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(3 plays, 55 yards, 1:18)		HOU 38–10
411:30UCONNMalik Dixon 37-yard interception return (Joe McFadden kick)
(2 plays, 12 yards, 0:46)		HOU 38–17
3:03HOUChandler Smith 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(4 plays, 27 yards, 1:50)		HOU 45–17
See also: 2021 UConn Huskies football team
Line Over/under
HOU –32.0 54.5
Statistics Houston UConn
First downs 21 16
Total yards 472 238
Rushing yards 149 82
Passing yards 323 156
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 31:16 28:44
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 21/30, 301 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing Alton McCaskill 9 rushes, 54 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Jake Herslow 5 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD
UConn Passing Steven Krajewski 9/19, 79 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Steven Krajewski 8 rushes, 53 yards
Receiving Kevens Clercius 2 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD

At No. 4 Cincinnati (AAC Championship game)[edit]

2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game
1 234Total
No. 21 Cougars 10 307 20
• No. 4 Bearcats 14 0210 35
     
Scoring summary
111:55HOUDalton Witherspoon 37-yard field goal
(7 plays, 50 yards, 2:57)		HOU 3–0
9:38CINTyler Scott 25-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick)
(5 plays, 82 yards, 2:11)		CIN 7–3
4:23HOUNathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(10 plays, 74 yards, 5:07)		HOU 10–7
4:06CINJerome Ford 79-yard run (Christian Lowery kick)
(1 play, 79 yards, 0:11)		CIN 14–10
211:40HOUDalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal
(13 plays, 44 yards, 7:21)		CIN 14–13
312:02CINLeonard Taylor 8-yard pass from Desmond Ridder
(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:58)		CIN 21–13
11:04CINAlec Pierce 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick)
(2 plays, 23 yards, 0:41)		CIN 28–13
7:38CINJerome Ford 42-yard run (Christian Lowery kick)
(3 plays, 62 yards, 1:18)		CIN 35–13
46:06HOUJake Herslow 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(13 plays, 90 yards, 7:28)		CIN 35–20
See also: 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team and 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game
Line Over/under
CIN –10.5 52.5
Statistics Houston Cincinnati
First downs 22 14
Total yards 336 400
Rushing yards 86 210
Passing yards 250 190
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 40:19 19:41
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 17/26, 250 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing Alton McCaskill 13 rushes, 39 yards
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD
Cincinnati Passing Desmond Ridder 11/17, 190 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing Jerome Ford 18 rushes, 187 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving Alec Pierce 2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

Vs. Auburn (Birmingham Bowl)[edit]

2021 Birmingham Bowl
1 234Total
• No. 20 Cougars 7 307 17
Tigers 0 3100 13
  • Date: December 28, 2021
  • Location: Protective Stadium
    Birmingham, AL
  • Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours and 25 minutes
  • Game attendance: 47,100
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind:
  • Referee: Michael Mothershed
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Eric Mac Lain (analyst) and Taylor Davis (sideline)
  
Scoring summary
18:46HOUAlton McCaskill 5-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(12 plays, 87 yards, 6:14)		HOU 7–0
26:58HOUDalton Witherspoon 52-yard field goal
(9 plays, 45 yards, 4:10)		HOU 10–0
3:10AUBBen Patton 27-yard field goal
(8 plays, 67 yards, 3:48)		HOU 10–3
312:12AUBBen Patton 35-yard field goal
(7 plays, 57 yards, 2:48)		HOU 10–6
3:52AUBKobe Hudson 12-yard pass from T. J. Finley (Ben Patton kick)
(11 plays, 78 yards, 6:20)		AUB 13–10
43:27HOUJake Herslow 26-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick)
(8 plays, 80 yards, 3:20)		HOU 17–13
See also: 2021 Auburn Tigers football team and 2021 Birmingham Bowl
Line Over/under
AUB –2.0 49
Statistics Houston Auburn
First downs 19 15
Total yards 398 352
Rushing yards 115 125
Passing yards 283 227
Turnovers 2 0
Time of possession 29:50 30:10
Team Category Player Statistics
Houston Passing Clayton Tune 26/40, 283 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing Alton McCaskill 14 rushes, 78 yards
Receiving Nathaniel Dell 10 receptions, 150 yards
Auburn Passing T. J. Finley 19/37, 227 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Tank Bigsby 16 rushes, 96 yards
Receiving Tank Bigsby 5 receptions, 68 yards

Rankings[edit]

Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
APRV——————RVRV20171719162117
CoachesRV—————RVRVRV19171716162117
CFPNot released——24242120Not released

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Cincinnati Chosen as Favorite in American Preseason Media Poll". theAmerican.org. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  2. ^ "2021 Houston Cougars Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Houston sits through 5-hour, 18-minute weather delay and OT before toppling East Carolina, 31-24". Underdog Dynasty. SB Nation. October 24, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
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