The UH/AAC Report
Houston receives reality check after their upset loss to SMU; The AAC West is up for grabs
Alex Baltazar
Nov 7, 2018, 5:38 am
D'Eriq King and his offense struggled against SMU Houston Cougar Football Facebook
SMU 45, Houston 31
Houston traveled up to Dallas as the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation to face an SMU team that was on paper very beatable. But Mustang’s QB Ben Hicks and company had other plans on a night that unexpectedly opened up a closer race for the AAC West division. After suffering their loss on Saturday, Houston only has a one game conference lead in the AAC West sitting at 4-1, while SMU and Tulane are currently tied at 3-2. Losing the division lead was seemingly out of reach for UH a week ago after their explosive victory against USF. But here they are, facing a much needed reality check which will hopefully translate into positive improvements.
Houston QB D’Eriq King and his offense were completely unrecognizable mainly due to the new defensive looks SMU was giving them. The Mustang defense decided to switch up their traditional scheme to one that was fully committed to protecting the air, while surrendering the ground. Their gamble worked. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles couldn’t seem to draw up an effective run game, causing him to rely on an uncharacteristically inaccurate King on third and long. King went for 11 of 22, 175 passing yards, 54 rushing yards, and 2 TDs; his lowest offensive showing this season.
Star DT Ed Oliver sat out his second game in a row due to a knee injury he suffered at Navy. He was a game time decision, but was sidelined before kickoff because of discomfort. Since Oliver’s absence, UH has allowed 81 points, and for the fourth time this season, Houston has allowed four opposing offenses to gain over 500 total yards.
Houston was down 17 points and was shut out by the end of the first quarter, but after a quick strike TD from King to WR Marquez Stevenson, and a fumble recovery TD scored by the defense, the Coogs came back to cut the difference to only three points in the second quarter. But that was the closest the Cougars would get to a fearless SMU team. Houston continued to attempt to get the run game going while Hicks was going off against the school he de-committed to back in 2014. Hicks went for 28 of 43, had 318 passing yards, and threw four TDs.
The weather was also seemingly going against Houston that night. A lightning delay halted any momentum the Cougars were seemingly gaining and sealed a well-deserved win for SMU. Houston falls to 7-2 for the season and will host Temple for their homecoming game on Saturday at 6 p.m., while SMU closes in on the AAC West division at 4-5 and will face a 1-8 Connecticut team.
Positives do remain. No notable injuries occurred. Stevenson continues to prove that he is one of the best WRs in the AAC. Oliver remains day by day, but should be ready to go this week. And best of all, Houston continues to control its own destiny towards the AAC championship game.
Negatives also loom. Houston plays a Temple team this week that was just in a shootout with UCF. They also have yet to play a Memphis team that is capable to run the ball all over them. The offensive game plan was also worrisome. It’s interesting to ask ourselves why HC Applewhite and OC Briles were so inclined to keep trying the run game for so long when it was apparent it would never get going? Houston has proved they can make quick, in game, adjustments throughout the season, so why stick to an obviously faulty run game? Lastly, the extent of Oliver’s injury is realistically unknown. The video looks worse that what they are making it seem, but hopefully he’ll be good to go by this weekend.
After allowing only five sacks in the first eight games, King was sacked four times by the Mustangs.
Major Applewhite’s record as Houston’s head coach is 14-8.
Marquez Stevenson has his 5th career 100 yard receiving game.
Memphis 59, ECU 41
Memphis can knock off Houston as the leader of the AAC West. They currently sit at 2-3 in conference play, and are 2 games behind Houston. But after their win in Greenville, NC, it is hard to dismiss the Tigers and their elusive run scheme from contention. QB Brady White went 21 of 30, threw for 362 yards, and had three total TDs. He was accompanied by RB Darrell Henderson who had 21 carries, rushed for 132 yards, and two rushing TDs. WR Damonte Coxie had 10 receptions, 176 receiving yards, and 2 TDs. This Memphis team is capable of putting big numbers on the board, and they proved it in the second half where they scored 35 points which earned them a hard fought win over the Pirates last Saturday. The Tigers improve to 5-4 in the season and will play Tulsa at home. ECU falls to 2-5 and will face Tulane, who upset USF by a huge margin.
UCF 52, Temple 40
Temple and No. 12 UCF got into a typical AAC shootout on Thursday night. The Owls managed to win the first half by scoring 34 points, but the Golden Knights always had an answer and also lit up the scoreboard with 28 points of their own. The key to the game for UCF came in the third quarter, where they managed to shut out Temple after what seemed like an impossible task to do. UCF only allowed the Owls to score six points in the second half, halting an impressive performance by QB Anthony Russo who went 31 of 52, threw for 444 yards, rushed for 46 yards and had five total touchdowns. WR Ryquell Armstead lead Temple in receiving with 7 catches for 142 yards, including two TDs. Much of the offense came from the ground for UCF, where Greg McCrea had 16 carries, 188 rushing yards, and a TD. QB McKenzie Milton went for 17 of 33, threw for 312 yards, rushed for 19 yards, and had four total TDs. The Golden Knights improve to 8-0 on the season and will face Navy at home, while Temple falls to 5-4 and will travel to Houston.
Other Notable Results in the AAC
Cincinnati 42, Navy 0
Tulsa 49, Connecticut 19
Tulane 41, South Florida 15
Stats pulled via UH Cougar Football.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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