Houston Cougars Football

Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen said it was "unacceptable" that two Cougars players got into a brief shoving match on the sideline during Saturday's 48-30 loss to Kansas.

Holgorsen explained to reporters that wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV challenged fellow wideout Sam Brown Jr. about a penalty Brown committed. Things quickly escalated.

"Manjack took it upon himself to go over there and confront Sam, which is not the right thing to do," Holgorsen said. "He was dead wrong and shouldn't have done it, and knows it, and felt bad about it."

Dana Holgorsen explains what led to @UHCougarFB WR Joseph Manjack IV to shove fellow receiver Sam Brown Jr on the sidelines during the 3rdQ of the loss to Kansas: "(Manjack) saw Sam retaliate (after taking a cheap shot) & was pissed..Two minutes later hugged it out with Sam." pic.twitter.com/NKbfGXWLaU

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) September 18, 2022

It was a frustrating day all around for the Cougars. They allowed 438 yards to the Jayhawks and committed 10 penalties that cost them 73 yards. That helped to undo a 14-0 lead Houston built midway through the first quarter.

Holgorsen's squad opened the season at No. 24 in the AP Top 25 poll, but successive defeats mean this is a season that could fall well short of expectations.

The Big 12 will add four new schools in the summer of 2023.

Central Florida, Cincinnati, Houston and BYU will officially join the conference next summer.

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco announced Friday the AAC has reached early-exit agreements with UCF, Cincinnati and Houston that will take effect July 1, 2023, and allow them to move to the Big 12.

UCF, Cincinnati and Houston are officially headed to the Big 12 in 2023. pic.twitter.com/70XfFtxuZQ

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) June 10, 2022

The Big 12 announced in September that all four schools would join the conference "no later than the 2024-25 athletic year."

Per ESPN's Heather Dinich, AAC bylaws require schools to give a 27-month notice before they leave in addition to paying a $10 million buyout fee. The earliest exit date for the schools if they abided by those rules would have been July 1, 2024.

Aresco told Dinich the AAC was willing to negotiate a higher exit fee that would allow UCF, Cincinnati and Houston to leave early:

"We typically do, because it's not a great situation when you know somebody's leaving. Often you can mitigate some of that by just again getting a larger exit fee and having them leave earlier so we'll certainly be willing to negotiate that as we've done in the past and as other conferences have done in the past, but I can't tell you precisely yet at this point, nobody's indicated what year."

Per Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, the three schools are paying $18 million apiece to leave early after the AAC initially sought $45 million.

All of these moves come after Texas and Oklahoma accepted invitations in July to join the SEC from the Big 12.

Per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, the 2024-25 athletic year is "still a more realistic target date" for the Longhorns and Sooners to leave.

If that ends up being the case, the Big 12 will have 14 members for the 2023-24 athletic year.

Cincinnati, Houston and UCF are reportedly in talks with the American Athletic Conference about a settlement that would allow them to leave for the Big 12 in 2023 instead of 2024.

Brett McMurphy of the Action Network reported Tuesday the schools are discussing an agreement worth in the "$17 million to $20 million range" after AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco sought a $35 million early-exit fee.

Sources told McMurphy the three programs are "fully confident" a deal will be finalized this month.

A whirlwind of movement started last July when Oklahoma and Texas accepted offers to join the SEC no later than 2025, which jump-started a battle between the conferences to remain viable once the dust settled from the realignment.

Losing OU and UT, its two most valuable programs, led the Big 12 to seek an expansion to 14 teams that it will achieve with the addition of the three AAC schools and BYU, which will give up its independent status in football.

Now, with most of the conference changes having been agreed to, schools are beginning to seek early departures to avoid the multiyear wait times before the switch.

A fee of up to $20 million is no small thing. In November, Russ Heltman of Sports Illustrated noted Cincinnati spent $74 million on athletics during the 2020-21 school year. So, all other things being equal, adding the settlement on top would represent a 27 percent increase in spending.

The television deal is the equalizer, though. Cincinnati will go from $6 million per year from that revenue stream to $26 million annually following the Big 12 move, per Heltman.

In other words, the early-exit fee could pay for itself in year one and then turn into pure profit from that point forward.

Meanwhile, the timing of the AAC departures is going to have an impact on other changes.

There are six Conference USA programs waiting to join the AAC—Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UT San Antonio—and three other C-USA teams heading to the Sun Belt—Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss.

In turn, C-USA has added Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State with discussions to also bring in Eastern Kentucky and Tarleton State, though the latter discussions have been tabled for now, per McMurphy.

So, while the wheeling and dealing continues, college sports fans can expect a lot of new rivalries no later than 2025 and possibly as soon as 2023.

Houston ended its 2021 season on a high note with a 17-13 win over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday. 

Quarterback Clayton Tune led the way with two passing touchdowns for the Cougars in what was effectively a road game at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.

Down three in the fourth quarter, Tune connected with Jake Herslow for the go-ahead touchdown with just over three minutes remaining:

JAKE HERSLOW GIVES HOUSTON THE LEAD.

(via @UHCougarFB)pic.twitter.com/faI7uvCw55

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) December 28, 2021

The Cougars had two turnovers and went over 30 minutes of game time between points, but they found a way to win with strong defense and clutch offensive plays.

Houston improved to 12-2, the third season in school history with at least 12 wins. It represents a major turnaround for head coach Dana Holgorsen, who went just 7-13 in his first two years with the program.

It's also the team's first bowl win since winning the Peach Bowl after the 2015 season.

Auburn (6-7) ends the year with five straight losses in the first season under Bryan Harsin. With former starting quarterback Bo Nix transferring to Oregon, backup TJ Finley couldn't muster enough offense for the Tigers.

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Notable Performances

Clayton Tune, QB, HOU: 283 passing yards, two TDs, one INT, 43 rushing yards

Alton McCaskill, RB, HOU: 14 carries, 78 rushing yards

Nathaniel Dell, WR, HOU: 10 catches, 150 receiving yards

TJ Finley, QB, AUB: 227 passing yards, one TD

Tank Bigsby, RB, AUB: 16 carries, 96 rushing yards, five catches, 68 receiving yards

Kobe Hudson, WR, AUB: four catches, 57 receiving yards, one TD

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Tune Lifts Houston to Impressive Win

The American Athletic Conference improved to 3-0 in bowl games after Tuesday's win, while the SEC dropped to 0-3. Houston showed it belonged with a strong overall performance that was led by its quarterback.

Tune showcased his scrambling ability early on, including on the first touchdown of the game.

Clayton Tune escapes the pressure and finds Alton McCaskill for 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/8GnMsQ09ZC

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 28, 2021

The 6'3, 215-pound junior's mobility was on display throughout the game as he somehow avoided big hits with regularity.

Clayton Tune just juked Smoke Monday into oblivion.

— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) December 28, 2021

Crowd erupts thinking Clayton Tune was sacked. He avoids the tackle, throws and completes pass for 4-yard gain. The Houdini of quarterbacks

— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) December 28, 2021

UH QB Clayton Tune has avoided multiple free blitzes today to get rid of the ball. Slippery.

— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) December 28, 2021

He extended plays with his legs to make things happen offensively, while his 43 rushing yards was among his career best.

Nathaniel Dell was also a reliable option down the field, representing more than half of the passing yards during the game with 150 receiving yards on 10 catches.

With a defense that forced Auburn into six punts and two turnovers on downs, Houston certainly earned the victory.

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Young Playmakers Show Auburn's Future

Auburn was without Nix as well as offensive linemen Brodarious Hamm and TaShawn Manning, while the defense was short-handed without cornerback Roger McCreary and linebacker Zakoby McClain. Cornerback Jaylin Simpson and star safety Smoke Monday were then both ejected in the second half because of targeting calls.

Houston played without Logan Hall and top cornerback Marcus Jones, but Auburn had a lot to overcome with personnel. On the positive side, the absences allowed the team to prepare for the future with players who could have key roles in 2022.

Tank Bigsby will clearly remain a focal point of the offense, and he was effective once again Tuesday as both a runner and receiver.

Big play for @AuburnFootball ‼️

No. 71 was MOVING 😤 pic.twitter.com/1fPhsJ0eqk

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 28, 2021

Auburn's offense when Tank Bigsby touches the ball: 8.1 yards per play.

Auburn's offense when Tank Bigsby doesn't touch the ball: 3.7 yards per play.

— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) December 28, 2021

There. goes. that. man. 😤#WarEagle | @tank_bigsby pic.twitter.com/gPHqrwEzQ1

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 28, 2021

The sophomore running back tallied 164 yards from scrimmage as the most dynamic offensive player for either team.

Kobe Hudson also impressed throughout the game, especially with his third-quarter touchdown catch:

Kobe Hudson with the toe tap in the end zone 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nYAjqCQOTR

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 28, 2021

Kobe Hudson is that dude.

Touchdown, Auburn. T.J. Finley to Kobe for a 12-yard touchdown -- and Auburn's first lead of the game with 3:52 to play in the third.

— Tom Green (@Tomas_Verde) December 28, 2021

That was a nice throw by Finley and Hudson continues to show why he will be receiver No. 1 to start next season.https://t.co/uNq5Lq9jm6

— Brian Stultz (@brianjstultz) December 28, 2021

Finley, meanwhile, looks like the favorite to begin next season as the starting quarterback after showing flashes of solid play in the Birmingham Bowl.

Throughout this game, TJ Finley’s ball placement has been the most impressive thing

— Emory Hunt (@FBallGameplan) December 28, 2021

Consistency was an issue, but the talent is clearly there for the 6'7" sophomore to be an impact quarterback at this level.

More playing time could lead to even more success as the Tigers try to build an SEC contender.   

UCF, BYU, Cincinnati and Houston are all planning to submit applications to join the Big 12, which is looking to regroup after news emerged that Oklahoma and Texas plan to join the SEC.

Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde and Ross Dellenger broke the news Friday, and ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Heather Dinich confirmed it as well.

Sports Illustrated reported that the applications are expected to be in next week, and approval could happen as soon as Sept. 10, when the Big 12 presidents are scheduled to meet.

As for how the league structure might work, SI wrote the following:

In this scenario, the four teams will join the league by 2023 or, at the very latest, 2024, and may even compete alongside Oklahoma and Texas before those two powerhouses depart for the SEC, making for a couple of awkward seasons in a 14-team Big 12.

The timeline is fluid and has been described as optimistic, but not unrealistic. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby has even gone on site visits, most recently taking a trip to meet with Houston officials on Thursday.

ESPN also noted that the potential expansion is moving very quickly.

"Things are moving very quickly," a source told ESPN Friday. "There's obvious momentum to get votes to the board."

The ESPN duo previously reported Thursday that the four aforementioned schools had informally contacted the Big 12 about joining.

The Big 12 has found itself in a bind after news emerged of Oklahoma and Texas' impending departures, but the conference was also left out of the newly formed alliance between the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC.

The SEC will clearly stand alone as the most powerful conference in college sports bar none when Oklahoma and Texas join, although the league has to contend with the alliance, which was formed in response to the SEC's power move.

That left the Big 12 as the lone Power Five conference that hadn't increased its power in some way. The natural move was to add schools, which appears to be moving at warp speed to keep up with the rest of the college sports landscape.

As for when those schools will join, American Athletic Conference members UCF, Houston and Cincinnati's most "realistic timeline" is 2024, per ESPN.

American Athletic Conference bylaws require schools to give a 27-month notice before they leave and pay a $10 million buyout fee. In that scenario, joining by the 2023 season would be a long shot, but an earlier exit and higher buyout could be negotiated. The most realistic timeline, sources said, is 2024.

Sources told ESPN that those three schools have not told the AAC of their intentions.

BYU is an FBS independent but participates in the West Coast Conference for other sports. SI noted that the school must give the league advance notice if its intends to leave.

Former University of Houston football player Zamar Kirven has been charged with murder after a shooting that killed 22-year-old Sabion Kubitza and 20-year-old Jacob Ybarra, per Rosemond Crown and Katy Mendez of KWTX.

The McLennan County (Texas) Sheriff's Office said the shooting took place at about 2 a.m. Sunday morning and that the victims may have been asleep at the time.

Police said Kirven knew the victims and played high school football with both men.

Kirven played three seasons for Houston at linebacker after joining the program as a 2-star recruit out of Mart, Texas. He entered the transfer portal in December after he was reportedly kicked off the team for a violation of team rules, according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.

Kirven appeared in three of his team's first six games in 2020 before leaving the program. He saw action in 17 games over his first two years, making five starts in 2019.

The Houston football program has suspended freshman defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo after he was charged with assault/impeding breathing, per ABC13.com.

"We are aware of the serious allegations regarding Chidozie Nwankwo," the Houston athletic department said in a statement. "He has been suspended from the Houston football program, pending further information. We will have no further comment regarding this specific case."

On Jan. 28, Nwankwo's girlfriend told campus police he had choked her during an argument at his apartment. Nwankwo told authorities that a verbal confrontation occurred, though he didn't admit to any physical altercation. Charges were filed on Feb. 3.

According to court documents (via Click2Houston.com), the dispute began after the woman asked Nwankwo to help her with her hair. She told police she attempted to pack up her things and leave during the argument and Nwankwo threatened to hit her. She said he then held her by the throat and "squeezed," making her "gasp for air."

She said he slapped her and held her neck while he pushed her face into a mattress. 

He has been released on a $5,000 bond, with the stipulation that he is not permitted to come within 200 feet of the woman or contact her as part of an emergency order against him. 

College Football Hall of Famer Bill Yeoman has died at the age of 92.

Per Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston, Bill Yeoman Jr. confirmed his father's death on Wednesday. 

Before his coaching career began, Yeoman played college football at Texas A&M and Army from 1945-48.

Yeoman spent 25 years as head coach at the University of Houston from 1962-86. He is the school's all-time leader in games coached (276), wins (160), bowl game appearances (11) and bowl game wins (six). 

Among the highlights of Yeoman's historic career was adopting the veer offense, more commonly known as the triple-option. Houston used that style of play to win four Southwest Conference championships and finish in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll three different times in 1973, 1976 and 1979. 

Yeoman helped integrate college sports in Texas by becoming the state's first head football coach to give a Black player a scholarship when Warren McVea signed a letter of intent with the school in 1964. 

McVea issued a statement about Yeoman, via Berman:  

Former @UHCougarFB RB Warren McVea, first African-American to play football for @UHCougars (1964-67), on the passing of his former coach Bill Yeoman: “He was special to me because of our relationship & all we had to go through when he recruited me.He’s just like a father to me..” pic.twitter.com/FPhKMApfM2

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) August 12, 2020

In 2001, Yeoman was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the University of Houston Hall of Honor three years earlier. 

University of Houston defensive lineman Sedrick Williams will not play in the 2020 season because of heart complications related to COVID-19. 

In a post on Facebook, Williams said:

"I’ve had my mind made up for a min now , but hearing this story made it even easier ... As a result of the virus I’ve had complications with my heart and I really don’t know the outcome or what’s in store for me in the future , I just know that my life is more precious to me than football could ever be ... I’VE DECIDED TO OPT OUT OF THE 2020 FOOTBALL SEASON due to these complications ... I won’t take this year for granted , IM COMING BACK BIGGER , FASTER , & STRONGER than EVER ...
If you support my decision , thank you . If you don’t support my decision , thank you ."

Williams, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in July, said the death of basketball player Michael Ojo helped spur his decision. Ojo died last week after having a heart attack in practice. He was 27.

Williams is a transfer student from Kilgore College, where he was named Southwest Junior College Football Conference Most Valuable Player in 2019. The pass-rushing specialist recorded 48 tackles and seven sacks, along with 18 quarterback hurries, last season.

Williams will be able to take a redshirt this season and have two years of eligibility remaining at Houston. 

The University of Houston has suspended all voluntary workouts after six athletes tested positive for COVID-19.  

Per an official release from the school, the suspension is effective immediately and all six players who tested positive were symptomatic and are now in isolation:

Houston is suspending voluntary workouts after six symptomatic athletes tested positive for COVID-19. #Coogs pic.twitter.com/ArQot3mSIM

— Sam Khan Jr. (@skhanjr) June 12, 2020

Houston student-athletes were allowed back on campus for voluntary workouts starting on June 1. 

"The health of our student-athletes and staff will continue to be our top priority as we implement this phased approach," athletic director Chris Pezman told Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle on May 30.

Per Duarte, the university did not test athletes who took part in workouts unless they were experiencing symptoms. 

The University of Houston announced on March 12 it was suspending classes on campus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Students returned to class, either online or in an alternate format, on March 23, but athletic activities remained suspended. 

The NCAA Division I Council voted on May 20 to allow voluntary on-campus workouts for student-athletes in football and men's and women's basketball effective June 1.