Considering the possibility of a 0-2 start to the AAC game, the University of Houston Cougars delivered one of the most unlikely comebacks of the college football season Friday night in Memphis.
UH scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 77 seconds to stun Memphis 33-32 in a game they trailed 19 in the fourth quarter, a bright spot for a team that endured disappointment after starting the year in the Top 25.
Memphis threw a field goal to go up 13 with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Cougars responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown, capped by a 13-yard pass from Clayton Tune to KeShean Carter with 1:17 remaining – to keep their hopes alive. They then recovered a kick in play, Carter finding Tune for the game-winning touchdown from two yards out with 18 seconds left.
According to ESPN Analytics, Houston had a 0.1% probability of victory with 3:30 remaining after Stacy Sneed was stopped for a one-yard loss to set up fourth-and-11 from the UH 24-yard line during the drive that made it a one-score game. The Cougars moved the chains on a 15-yard run by Tune, which found Nathaniel Dell for another fourth down conversion later in possession.
“Just when you think you can’t get any crazier, do you?” UH coach Dana Holgorsen said after the game. “Man, I don’t know what to say. I’m so proud of our coaches and our players. I’ve never been in such a resilient group. Obviously we’re sitting here at 3-3. Every game was like this .
“Obviously there must have been some pretty amazing individual plays to be able to put us in that position towards the end of the game. I’m sure a lot of people turned it off, but our guys are still playing.”
The Cougars scored 26 points in the fourth quarter, with Tune finishing the game with 386 total yards and four touchdowns. They beat the Tigers 186-80 after giving up a 41-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to lose 26-7.
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