FORT COLLINS, Colo.—The Houston Cougars will try to put the disruptions of Hurricane Ike behind them when they play the Colorado State Rams on Saturday.
They wouldn’t mind shaking off a two-game skid, either.
The hurricane played havoc with the Cougars’ routine for more than a week, forcing them to play a home game at Texas Stadium in Dallas and practice in Dallas for three days.
Rams coach Steve Fairchild is sympathetic, but he doesn’t expect to see a diminished team in Fort Collins.
“They have been dealt a difficult situation and you wish the best to their families,” Fairchild said. “The game is kind of secondary, but they will find a way to come in here prepared.”
The Cougars didn’t get back to Houston until Thursday. Coach Kevin Sumlin was so focused on getting the team ready for Colorado State that he didn’t make his regularly scheduled news conferences.
The Rams’ greatest concern is Houston’s high-powered offense, directed by redshirt sophomore quarterback Case Keenum. The Cougars average 40 points and rank seventh nationally in total offense, with 544 yards per game.
“They are a dangerous offense playing in a type of scheme if you have an experienced quarterback, which this guy is, makes it that much more dangerous,” Fairchild said. “He’s got some people to throw to, they are extremely fast and they look talented at the skill positions.”
Keenum has thrown for 1,141 yards and 13 touchdowns and has been intercepted only once this season. That interception, thrown last week against Air Force, ended a streak of 219 passes without a pickoff.
Wide receiver Mark Hafner is his favorite target, leading the Cougars with 22 catches. Keenum is also the team’s leading runner, rushing for a little over 49 yards per game.
“They just spread you all over the place and rather than playing just in between the numbers or between the hash and the numbers, you have to make tackles all over the field,” Fairchild said. “So they distribute the ball pretty good, spread the field pretty well, making you have to play athletically on defense in tackling in the open field.”
Fairchild is hoping his young cornerbacks, freshmen Brandon Owens and Gerard Thomas, are up for the task. Both were frequently tested two weeks against by Sacramento State.
“We are going to have to be on our game defensively,” Fairchild said.
The Rams hope the same when they have the ball against a Houston defense that has been back on its heels of late. The Cougars have allowed 759 rushing yards in losses to Oklahoma State and Air Force.
Fairchild’s dilemma is the Rams running game has generated only 83 yards per game this year. Gartrell Johnson, who had 957 yards last year, and Kyle Bell, with 2,075 yards in his career, have yet to get on track, averaging 84 and 18.5 yards respectively.
Quarterback Billy Farris has found a reliable target in junior Rashaun Greer, who has caught 17 passes for 222 yards.
