Texans Player of the Game
Coutee returns, impresses during playoff loss
Jan 5, 2019, 6:34 pm
Keke Coutee was a lone bright spot. Bob Levey/Getty Images
The Colts may have won the game but the Texans are now sure how valuable rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee is to the team. He scored the Texans only touchdown of the day and finished with 11 catches for 110 yards.
Coutee played for the first time since November as he had been sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Texans found him early and often. He led the team in yards and catches at halftime but the overall offensive performance from Houston was poor. As the team started to show life in the second half, Coutee was key in moving the ball.
Deshaun Watson found Coutee for a short pass that he took up the field for a 17-yard gain but the drive would end in a punt. Coutee converted a fourth down try hauling in a Watson strike keeping the Texans moving. He would finish the drive catching a short pass to Watson's left and diving for the end zone for a touchdown. The play was reviewed to make sure he didn't fumble through the end zone and was upheld.
It was clear how valuable Coutee can be in this offense, especially when defenses have to worry about DeAndre Hopkins. He found himself open quite a bit, even when he wasn't involved in the play. His ability to take short passes and then turn them into more positive yards is impressive. With more experience, and an offseason of growth, a healthy Coutee is going to be a terror for the NFL to try to cover on this Texans team.
L.J. Cryer scored 14 points, Milos Uzan added 12 points and six assists, and No. 6 Houston beat Baylor 76-65 on Monday night for its third straight victory.
Terrance Arceneaux had 11 points and J’Wan Roberts scored 10 for Houston (20-4, 12-1 Big 12). Emanuel Sharp also finished with 10 after missing two games with an ankle injury.
The Cougars shot 51% and went 10 of 24 on 3-pointers. They reached 20 wins for the 10th consecutive season.
Norchad Omier scored 19 points and Langston Love added 15 for Baylor (15-9, 7-6), which shot 58% — including 9 of 15 on 3s. VJ Edgecombe had 14 points and Robert Wright III finished with 10.
Baylor lost its third straight road game and fell to 0-4 against ranked opponents in true road games this season.
Takeaways
Baylor: The Bears missed an opportunity to add a marquee win and fell to 4-8 in Quad 1 games. Baylor’s lack of depth came into play as Houston outscored the Bears’ bench 24-1, and three starters played at least 35 minutes.
Houston: The Cougars improved to 5-3 in Quad 1 games and remained atop the Big 12 standings.
Key moment
Uzan hit a 3-pointer that sparked a 10-1 run and gave the Cougars a 26-16 lead with 7:53 remaining in the first half. Houston’s lead never dipped below six the rest of the way.
Key stat
Houston, which entered forcing more than 14 turnovers per game and ranking in the top 10 nationally with a 5.2 turnover margin, forced Baylor into 15 turnovers and converted them into 28 points.
Up next
Houston visits No. 13 Arizona on Saturday, while Baylor hosts West Virginia the same day.