SCORE BY QUARTERS
Houston17733-30
Penn St.0770-14
First Quarter
Hou-Edwards 40 pass from Keenum (M.Hogan kick), 13:08.
Hou-FG M.Hogan 35, 9:12.
Hou-J.Johnson 8 pass from Keenum (M.Hogan kick), 2:35.
Second Quarter
PSU-Green 6 run (Fera kick), 5:57.
Hou-Edwards 75 pass from Keenum (M.Hogan kick), 1:43.
Third Quarter
Hou-FG M.Hogan 38, 4:21.
PSU-Brown 69 pass from Bolden (Fera kick), 2:38.
Fourth Quarter
Hou-FG M.Hogan 22, 14:52.
A-46,817.
TEAM?STATSHouPSU
First downs2514
Rushes-yards16-6844-169
Passing532137
Comp-Att-Int45-69-07-27-3
Punt Return Yards1947
Punts-Avg.6-42.59-41.6
Fumbles-Lost0-02-0
Penalties-Yards6-556-55
Time of Possession27:4932:11
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Houston, C.Sims 6-39, Hayes 2-20, Keenum 7-10, Team 1-(minus 1). Penn St., Green 15-63, Redd 14-53, Belton 6-38, Bolden 6-16, De.Smith 2-0, Team 1-(minus 1).
PASSING-Houston, Keenum 45-69-0-532. Penn St., Bolden 7-26-3-137, Belton 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING-Houston, J.Johnson 12-148, Edwards 10-228, Carrier 9-44, Ron.Williams 6-58, C.Sims 5-30, E.Smith 2-13, Hayes 1-11. Penn St., De.Smith 2-49, Green 2-6, Brown 1-69, Haplea 1-12, Suhey 1-1.
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
Houston 7, Penn State 0: The Cougars needed only 1 minute and 52 seconds to take the lead. Case Keenum tossed a 40-yard TD pass to Patrick Edwards, who had Patrick Willis beaten by three steps. The key play of the drive came on third-and-10 from the Houston 24 as Keenum escaped pressure, scrambled to very, very near the line of scrimmage and hit Edwards for a 39-yard gain down the left sideline to the PSU 37.
Houston 10, Penn State 0: Matt Hogan booted a 35-yard field goal, matching his season long, with 9:13 left in the quarter. Keenum again came out firing, hitting Justin Johnson for 23 yards to the PSU 42. Two more completions moved the Cougars to the 25, but they stalled at the 17.
Houston 17, Penn State 0: Houston took over at midfield and needed only five plays to reach the end zone. Keenum found Tyron Carrier for 9 yards to convert a third-and-3 at the 43, then hit Edwards for 26 yards to the 8. He found Johnson for an 8-yard TD on the next play with 2:35 to go in the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
Houston 17, Penn State 7: Rob Bolden made a nice deep throw down the left sideline to Devon Smith for 43 yards to convert a third-and-17 from the Lions' 37, moving PSU to the 20. Two runs by Stephfon Green and one by Silas Redd set up first-and-goal at the 6, then Green took a direct snap and busted up the middle for a 6-yard score with 5:57 left in the half.
Houston 24, Penn State 7: Penn State had a major breakdown in the secondary as Keenum found a wide-open Edwards for an 83-yard TD with 1:43 to go in the half. There was not a defender within 10-15 yards of Edwards down the middle on the catch-and-run score.
THIRD QUARTER
Houston 27, Penn State 7: The Cougars settled for a 38-yard field goal rather than going for it on fourth-and-inches with the ball just inside the PSU 20-yard line. Houston actually ran two consecutive rushing plays, including a 14-yard gain by Charles Sims to the 29. On third-and-1 at the 19, Keenum barely misfired on third-and-1 at the 19 to set up the field goal by Hogan with 4:21 left in the quarter.
Houston 27, Penn State 14: Bolden fired a bullet down the seem to Justin Brown, who made a nice grab with his arms outstretched and raced to the end zone for a 69-yard score with 2:38 remaining in the quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
Houston 30, Penn State 14: The Cougars had a first-and-goal at 7 the opportunity but couldn't get in the end zone and had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Hogan with 14:52 to go. Keenum again did most of the damage on the drive, and the Cougars also got a 17-yard run from Michael Hayes.
- Compiled by Cory Giger
