Oklahoma Sooners vs Houston Cougars Match Player Stats On Sep 03, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Sep 3, 2016

HOUSTON -- Whether or not "Kick Six, Part II" will have the same impact of the original remains to be seen.

But Saturday at NRG Stadium, No. 15 Houston used a reprise of the play that vaulted Auburn into the BCS National Championship Game three years ago to help undo No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday.

Brandon Wilson returned Austin Seibert's missed punt 100 yards -- officially -- to help turn the momentum the Cougars way in an eventual 33-23 win.

With Houston up 19-17 early in the second half, Seibert lined up for a 53-yard field goal.

But he stepped early, disrupting his rhythm and left the kick just short.

Wilson, normally a cornerback, caught the ball near the back of the end zone, his heels coming just an inch or two from going out of bounds when he caught the ball.

Wilson took the ball 110 yards for the touchdown, sending the mostly pro-Cougars crowd into a frenzy as their hopes of another special season after last season's Peach Bowl win over Florida State stayed alive.

The Cougars kept pouring it on after Wilson's heroics, forcing two Oklahoma turnovers to help stretch the lead.

But the biggest play of the day was Wilson's.

In 2013, Alabama missed a 57-yard field goal in the final second and Auburn's Chris Davis returned it from the end zone to lift the Tigers into the SEC Championship game and eventually to play for a national title. The play also kept the Crimson Tide from a championship chance.

Houston is hoping to reach the lofty heights of playing for a title this season but has few marquee games on its schedule to leave an impression on the College Football Playoff committee.

Saturday, the Cougars left a strong impression that might have to carry them for a while.

Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Seven of his completions and 125 of those yards went to Steven Dunbar.

Dunbar had six catches for 103 yards in the first half as six times Houston converted on third downs to keep the ball for more than 19 minutes before the break.

One of the biggest of those conversions came in the final minute when Ward eluded several Oklahoma defenders on third and 10 and appeared as if he would throw the ball away when he was bottled up near the sideline.

Instead, he found Linell Bonner for a 16-yard catch with 18 seconds left to keep the Cougars' drive alive.

Three plays later, on the final play of the first half, Ty Cummings hit a career-long 47-yard field goal to give the Cougars a 19-17 lead.

It was one of four first-half field goals for Cummings.

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma's quarterback who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting last season, threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Both of the touchdowns were to Mark Andrews, who hauled in a 25-yard touchdown catch with 2:05 remaining.

That gave the Sooners a brief glimmer of hope but Houston stopped the two-point conversion to put the game away for good.

NOTES: Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine left the game early in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. Perine returned but played sparingly the rest of the game. ... It was the fourth career 300-yard passing game for Houston QB Greg Ward Jr. ... Houston RB Duke Catalon, who was playing his first game for the Cougars after transferring from Texas and sitting out last season, took a hard hit early in the second quarter and missed the final nine plays of that series before returning on Houston's next possession. ... Oklahoma senior CB Dakota Austin was replaced in the second quarter by freshman Parrish Cobb after Austin struggled early. Austin re-entered the game just before halftime. ... Houston did not punt until the first drive of the second half. ... Houston hosts Lamar on Saturday. Oklahoma hosts Louisiana-Monroe. ... Former Oklahoma star and current Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Olympic track star Carl Lewis, now an assistant track coach at Houston, were the game's honorary captains.