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2009 Houston Cougars NCAA Football Predictions

Written July 15, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Houston Cougars 2009 Predictions The Houston Cougars had a pretty respectable season in 2008 finishing up the regular season at 8-5, including a 34-28 win over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars finished up Conference USA play at 6-2, good enough for a 3rd place finish in the West Division. This year the Cougars bring back a ton of talent on offense with 8 starters back, but will have their work cut out for them on the defensive side with just 4 starters back.

The Cougars ranked 3rd in the Conference scoring nearly 44 points a game last year, and with all the talent they got coming back they could improve on those numbers this season. It starts with junior quarterback Case Keenum, who lit it up last year throwing for 5,020 yards and 44 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions. Keenum was the Conference USA player of the year last season, and there are no signs of this guy declining. Keenum gets his favorite target back at wide receiver in sophomore Tyron Carrier, who came in as a redshirt freshman and caught 80 passes for 1,026 and 9 touchdowns. Keenum did lose wide out Mark Hafner, who had 11 touchdown catches last season, but should have no problem distributing those passes to guys like junior LJ Castile and sophomore Patrick Edwards. Another reason to be excited about the Cougars offense is they return one of the best running backs in the conference in sophomore Bryce Beall, who ran for 1,247 yards and 13 touchdowns in his freshman campaign. Keenum also adds a threat on the ground, as the QB ran for 221 yards and 7 scores last season. The offensive line returns all three starters in the middle, but must replace both tackles. It looks as though senior Josh Bell has the edge at left tackle, while junior Roy Watts is expected to take over at right tackle. There will be some concern with the line and adding two new starters, but this figures to be one of the more explosive offenses in college football this season. Bet the Cougars this season at Sportsbook.com.

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On defense there will be a lot of new faces making their way to the starting lineup this season, including three up front on the defensive line. The lone returning starter up front is junior tackle Isaiah Thompson, but the Cougars need a better season out of this guy than they got in 2008. Sophomore David Hunter is expected to stater next to Thompson, while senior Tyrell Graham and sophomore Mohammed Usman take over at the two end spots. At linebacker the Cougars return one of the best young talents at this position in sophomore Marcus McGraw, and have two seniors that have seen plenty of playing time to start alongside him in Matt Nicholson and CJ Cavness. In the secondary the Cougars return senior corner Brandon Brinkley, and he was pretty solid in 2008 with 74 tackles and 4 interceptions. Another senior in Carson Blackmon will take over at the other corner spot, and will need to prove he can get the job done after playing in limited action last season. Both safety spots are up for grabs, and heading into fall practice it looks as though sophomore Nick Saenz has the edge at strong safety, while junior Jacky Candy takes over at the free safety position. Last year the Cougars gave up 31 points a game, and with so few starters back it could be another rough season on this side of the ball. Bet the Conference USA this season at Sportsbook.com.

My 2009 Prediciton: Tie for 2nd in Conference USA West Division. I think the Cougars are really going to be hurt by the schedule, as they have to play both Tulsa and UTEP on the road, and then also has a very tough game at home against Southern Miss. There is no question that this team could win this conference this season, but they are going to need a lot of inexperienced players to step up on the defensive side of things.

For those of you looking for some help with your NCAA football picks this season, be sure to check back for our expert college football predictions and the latest college football odds at Betfirms.

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