2015 Houston Cougars football schedule
Coach Tom Herman and the Cougars return to action at 7 p.m. Saturday against Texas State. (Chronicle file photo)
Left guard Ben Dew will miss the remainder of the season with torn ligaments in his toe, coach Tom Herman said Monday. Dew, a fifth-year senior, will undergo surgery either Wednesday or Thursday. “It’s a shame,” Herman said. “A senior leader on our team … at a position that quite frankly is our thinnest position. Definitely a major blow.” Dew suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Sept. 12 game at Louisville, got an anti-inflammatory shot and played the entire game. The injury will force the Cougars to do some shuffling on the line. Zach Johnson moves from left tackle to right tackle, Carter Wall shifts from right guard to left guard and Alex Cooper from right tackle to right guard. Marcus Oliver (left tackle) and Colton Freeman (center) are the only linemen to remain at current spots. Herman said the Cougars were able to experiment with a reconfigured line during practice last week. The extent of Dew’s injury – at first it was diagnosed as turf toe – was not confirmed until an MRI on Friday. Also on the injury front, tight end Hayden Daniels is expected to return this week after being sidelined since early August with a bruised knee.
Javin Webb has supplanted Ryan Jackson as the No. 2 running back behind Kenneth Farrow, according to the depth chart for the Texas State game. Webb was dismissed from the team last season before getting a second chance under new coach Tom Herman. He had one of the best preseason camps of any player on the roster and moved into the backfield rotation to begin the season. With Farrow and quarterback Greg Ward Jr. getting a bulk of the rushing attempts, Webb and Jackson have seen limited carries in two games. Webb has seven rushing attempts, two fourth-quarter touchdowns in the season opener against Tennessee Tech. Jackson has 10 carries for 41 yards and one touchdown. “He’s earned it,” Herman said of Webb. “He’s played better than Ryan to this point. I don’t know how else to say it. Ryan has a lot of experience. We think Ryan can play better. Just because he’s a senior and Javin is a sophomore, whoever plays the best is going to go in the most.”
Tom Herman spent some time on the recruiting trail during the Cougars’ bye week, attending “7 or 8 high school football games” in the Houston area. In football circles, it’s hard to find anybody around the Houston area that hasn’t heard of the University of Houston’s catchphrase “H-Town Takeover.” Herman was asked what the 34-31 win over Louisville has done for recruiting. “There was a lot of congratulations, and not just for where we were in the season, but the legitimizing of the first nine months of our preparation and message that we are sending out from Cullen Boulevard,” Herman said. “It was very well received by the high schools and the fans I came in contact with.”
As part of UH Night at Minute Maid Park, coach Tom Herman will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Astros’ game against the Angels on Monday night. Herman said a UH staffer will have a glove and ball for him to warm up at practice. “We’re going to be cutting it close,” Herman said. “I get of the practice field, hop in car and show up at Minute Maid Park, run out and throw the first pitch and come back here and watch digital video with the staff.”