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Bluebonnet Bowl 1973
Houston 47
Tulane 7 |
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The explosive Cougars, ranked 14th in the nation, rocketed to a 21-7 halftime lead on touchdown runs of one and three yards by fullback Leonard Parker and an electrifying 75-yard touchdown run by Marshall Johnson.
The Cougars, who rank seventh nationally in rushing offense, broke the bowl's total offense record of 516 yards. They set it in a 1969 victory over Auburn. The Cougars finished with 656 total yards.
Cougar running back Bonnie McGraw tacked on touchdowns of 1 and 32 yards and sub-quarterback Dave Husmann picked up his own fumble and ran seven yards for a score with 6:53 left in the game.
Houston, which finished with its best record in history at 11-1, opened scoring early in the first quarter on Johnson's touchdown gallop.
In the second quarter, Nobles, who finished with eight of 13 completions for 201 yards, set up Parker's touchdowns with key pass completions. Nobles connected with tight end Miller Bassler on a 60-yard play and hit Banker Bryan Willingham for 29 yards preceding Parker's TD run.
Houston struck for two third quarter
touchdowns in 1:18 to blow the game open. Nobles hit Willingham on a
61-yard pass run play to set up a two-yard touchdown by Nobles. When
Tulane's Martin Mitchell fumbled on the following kickoff, Roger Mayes
recovered at the Greenie 20. Two plays later McGraw plunged over from
the one.
Down 21-0, Tulane engineered its only touchdown drive when Mitchell took a second quarter kickoff and ran 56 yards to Houston's 32-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, third-string quarterback Buddy Gilbert, used sparingly this season, tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to flanker Tom Former, with.1:06 left in the first half.
Tulane, which finished its season with a 9-3 record, never could get its offense untracked against the stingy Cougar defense. Houston, which ranks fifth nationally against the rush, gave up only 173 total yards in the game, including 102 on the ground.
Houston's defense harassed scrambling quarterback, Steve Foley with two interceptions by Jeff Bouche and another by middle linebacker Daryl McGallion, voted the game's outstanding lineman.
Nobles, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, received the game's outstanding back award. Parker, Houston's seventh 1,000 yard rusher in eight seasons, gained only 47 yards against Tulane, but Johnson and McGraw took over, each going over 100. Johnson led all "rushers' with 114 yards in five carries the speedy McGraw had 108 yards in 13 carries.
Tulane recovered four of six Houston fumbles, but never could capitalize on any of the Cougars' miscues.
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| Houston's Reggie Cherry ducks just before being hit. | |
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| The Cougars didn't start well, fumbling the opening kickoff. | |
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Donnie McGraw had 108 yards. |
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Attendance- 44,358
Scoring Summary
First Quarter UH- Johnson 75 run (Terrell kick)
Second Quarter UH- Parker 1 run (Terrell kick) UH- Parker 3 run (Terrell kick) TU- Fortner 32 yard pass from Gilbert (Falgoust kick)
Third Quarter UH- Nobles 2 run (Terrell kick) UH- McGraw 1 run (Terrell kick)
Fourth Quarter UH- McGraw 32 run (kick failed) UH- Husmann 7 run (kick failed)
Individual Statistics
Rushing UH- Johnson 5-114, McGraw 13-108, Parker 12-47 TU- Bynum 12-40, Treuting 2-27, Hebert 4-24
Passing UH- Nobles 8-13-201, Husmann 4-6-52 TU- Foley 4-16-32, Gilbert 2-5--39
Receiving UH- Willingham 3-105, Bassler 1-60, Bogan 1-33 TU- Thibodeaux 2-19, Forner 1-32, Garza 1-17
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HOUSTON (AP) – Quarterback D.C. Nobles,
his passes sailing through Tulane's defense with radar accuracy, set up
three touchdowns with long throws and ran for another Saturday to lead
the Cougars to a record-shattering 47-7 victory in the 15th Astro-Bluebonnet
Bowl.
