College Football Poll, 2007 Texas Bowl Recap

TCU Defeats Houston In Texas Bowl
by Mike Mitchell
December 28, 2007

TCU defeated state rival Houston 20-13 to cap an 8-5 season with three straight victories. A 7-yard touchdown run by Justin Watts early in the fourth quarter broke a 10-10 tie and proved to be the winning points.

Houston drove to the TCU 19-yard line in the closing seconds, but three consecutive passes fell incomplete and the Cougars also finished the season with an 8-5 record.

The Horned Frogs limited Houston to just 32 yards rushing. Star running back Anthony Aldridge, who rushed for 1,568 yards in 12 previous games for the Cougars this season, was held to only 28 yards on 15 carries.

Houston's interim head coach Chris Thurmond had a tough task, taking over for Art Briles who left the team to take the head coaching job at Baylor on November 28. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ken Sumlin takes over after the Sooners play West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

TCU has won three consecutive bowl games for the first time since 1936-1939.

Houston has lost eight straight bowl games, with its last victory coming in the 1980 Garden State Bowl. The Cougars were 6-2-1 in their first nine bowl games.

Houston has also lost eight straight games to TCU, but is still clinging to a 13-12 lead over its former Southwest Conference and CUSA foe.