It’s Rematch Time as Cougars Head to Bowl

It’s bowl time again, and for the fourth consecutive season the Cougars are making an appearance.

The last time this occurred was from 1978-81, when the Cougars played in two Cotton Bowls, the Garden State Bowl, and the Sun Bowl.

This year UH will face-off against Air Force in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31, in Fort Worth.

Houston will have a rematch against the Falcons in a game played at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the TCU campus. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

This is the second time the Cougars have played a postseason game in Fort Worth. In 2005, Houston squared off against Kansas in the Fort Worth Bowl; a game won 42-13 by the Jayhawks.

"We had a great experience when we were there before," said Dave Maggard, director of athletics. "They do a tremendous job, and we are really pleased to be going back. This is great for our fans. They will have a chance to be there, and we are encouraging our fans and alumni to come to the game.

"So, it's an outstanding opportunity for us to play Air Force again. The rematch should be an exciting one. It is all positive."

Since 2003 Houston has played in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, 2005 Fort Worth Bowl, 2006 AutoZone Liberty Bowl and last season's Texas Bowl.

Overall, the Cougars are 7-10-1 in bowl games.

For Maggard, another bowl trip for the Cougars is keeping the program on track in returning Houston football to the national spotlight.

"I talked to one of the bowl guys today, and he said one of the great things is that we are in the mix every year, which he said that is a good thing. The bowl people think about you now every year. (Playing in bowl games) is a step in the right direction for us. It is stabilizing our football program, and we are doing it again this year."

Houston and Air Force played on Sept 13, in a game that was relocated due to Hurricane Ike, moving from John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium to Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the SMU campus. The Cougars fell just three points shy of victory, 31-28.

Overcoming a 1-3 start, the Cougars rebounded to finish the regular season with a 7-5 record, and 6-2 and in second place in Conference USA's West Division. Houston came within one win of representing the West in the Conference USA Championship game.