Houston was a 6.5-point underdog to Florida State in the Peach Bowl, but the Cougars proved they can compete with the nation’s best teams with a 31-24 victory over the Seminoles on Thursday in Atlanta.
The Cougars, which came in ranked No. 18 after a 12-1 season and AAC Championship Game, were impressive on both sides of the ball against Florida State. They locked down on Florida State’s rushing attack, holding Dalvin Cook to just 33 yards on 18 carries, and with sack totals included, held the Seminoles to 16 rushing yards on 23 attempts.
Houston’s defense also forced five turnovers, including four interceptions of Sean Maguire (22 of 44, 392 yards, two TDs, four INTs). Maguire was injured in the first quarter after a hot start and struggled with consistency for much of the game before closing with a late spurt as the Seminoles mounted a comeback that fell just short.
Story of the game: Houston’s defensive performance was impressive, but it was the offense finding it’s tempo and just gassing Florida State’s defense that got the Cougars the win. Houston outgained Florida State 452-362 on offense and were much more effective in the red zone, converting five red zone attempts into 27 points — FSU had three red zone trips for 13 points.
Houston’s offense was able to push the tempo when it strung together a few successful plays and get the Seminoles out of position. Florida State hadn’t played a team all year that went nearly as fast as Houston, and it showed with some breakdowns that led to key plays for the Cougars.
Prior to the Peach Bowl, Florida State’s defense had not allowed more than 24 points in a game this season.
via CBSsports.com