[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 179 (Thursday, December 10, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FOOTBALL 
                               CHAMPIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2015

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, the University of 
Houston Cougars capped off their thrilling season with a 24-13 win 
against the Temple University Owls in the American Athletic Conference 
Championship Game. Houston won by 11 points and led from the very start 
of the game. With this win, the Cougars finished the regular season 12-
1. They now face a matchup against the #9 Florida State University 
Seminoles in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.
  What is most amazing about the Cougars successful season is the fact 
that it was engineered by a rookie head coach: Tom Herman. Herman is a 
former national championship winning offensive coordinator at Ohio 
State University and a previous recipient of the Broyles Award for the 
nation's top assistant coach. He came to the University of Houston as a 
first-time head coach this season. This type of success in a coach's 
first season is rare. Herman's Houston team was led by its do-it-all 
quarterback, Greg Ward, Jr., who finished the season with 2,590 passing 
yards, 16 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. The All-Conference 
quarterback also tacked on 1,041 rushing yards and 19 touchdown runs 
for good measure. The excitement of watching this team play brought me 
back to 1989, when Coach Jack Pardee's run-and-shoot offense led the 
Cougars to a 9-win season and quarterback Andre Ware took home the 
Heisman Trophy.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom Herman and the Houston Cougars aren't finished just 
yet. After the Cougars New Year's Eve duel with perennial powerhouse 
Florida State, the team will refocus its sights on coming back strong 
again next year. With the Cougars locking in Coach Herman to a contract 
extension and returning many of its key contributors, this team will be 
a force next year and hopefully for years to come. I look forward to 
spending December 31st ringing in the New Year with friends, family, 
and another Cougars victory. Go Cougars!
  And that's just the way it is.

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