Few in college football have had a better 2015 than Houston coach Tom Herman.
Less than a year after hoisting the national championship trophy, Herman led Houston to a 38-24 upset of Florida State in the Peach Bowl.
The win was unexpected not only because Houston came into the contest an underdog, but because the Cougars dominated from the opening kick. Florida State didn’t come out flat or uninspired to be playing a Group of Five team, it was just beaten by a better team.
The Seminoles woes started early when Houston shut down running back Dalvin Cook, who has been integral to the Seminoles offensive success this season. Cook was limited to a season-low 33 yards on 18 carries. He also added two catches for 26 yards.
Quarterback Sean Maguire struggled with his accuracy early and then suffered an ankle/foot injury that forced him out of the game for a little more than a series.
Houston took advantage and rolled to a 21-3 halftime lead.
But Florida State didn’t away quietly. In the second half, it loosened up that tight Houston defense and started to find success both passing and running the ball. However, it was clear Maguire was suffering from the ill effects of the injury as several of his passes came up short and made for easy interceptions for Houston defenders.
Maguire finished the game completing 22 of 44 passes for 392 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Maguire had thrown just two interceptions all season.
On the other side, Houston quarterback Greg Ward did was he does best – improvise. He was proficient both passing and running the ball thanks to his offensive line, which kept a normally aggressive Florida State defense at bay. Ward completed 25 of 41 passes for 238 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and rushed 20 times for 67 yards and two scores before he had to leave the game late in the fourth quarter with injury.
In his absence, backup Kyle Postma helped seal the victory with a 29-yard draw on third-and-7 with 2:25 remaining that set up the 2-yard game-sealing touchdown run by Ryan Jackson.
Houston notched its first 13-win season since 2011 and Herman became just the second coach to win 13 games in his first year (Chris Petersen, Boise State). Florida State finished 10-3, it’s first three-loss season since losing four games in 2011.
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