October 21, 1989 - Houston 95, SMU 21

[George S. Patton]

Wednesday marked the 20-year anniversary of that game. Many of us have shared the stories of being in the Astrodome for that game. The game should always serve as a reminder of why Cougar High is what it is - classless and the embodiment of everything that is wrong in amateur athletics!

Let's recall:
1,038 yards of total offense
771 passing yards
517 passing yards for Andre Ware

If we were a program just doing our thing and got embarrassed like that, then I would have felt it was our problem. As it was, we had just returned from the Death Penalty, started 14 freshman and were just trying to find our way again in college football.

All SWC schools knew that and were generous with their respect of what was going on. I could handle Texas A&M 63, SMU 14 because the Aggies made their point in the first half and pretty much back off in the second half. Heck, even Notre Dame ran the ball out of bounds at the goal line.

The New York Times responded with an editorial the following Monday blasting UH, head coach Jack Pardee and offensive coordinator John Jenkins for that abortion of a performance.

But not Cougar High! Those folks thought they would reveal how mighty they were. Instead they revealed how small and cowardly they were with that display.

We got our payback in 1992, 41-16. But the reason why Cougar High will always be held in such low regard is because of that night.

It has not been forgotten.

It will never be forgotten.

Most importantly, never let them forget that. And if they try to justify it, just give them the Heisman and say, "You people have no excuse for what you did and you know it.'' If they laugh and act cocky, then you will have known nothing has changed at Cougar High in the 20 years since.

Regardless of whatever happens Saturday at Robertson Stadium, I always come away knowing that I have nothing to do with that university down there. It's called having a clear mind -- something they would know nothing about.

Go Mustangs!

[BUS]

Remember the Alamo

[SmooBoy]

As I've mentioned often, I was there, and it was a LONG trip home. Still remember seeing them flash the stats during the game.

[peruna81]

Lots of folks lost alot of respect for Pardee that day...including our head coach. UH was trying to gain attention with a monumental win, and did...but not in the most positive way via the writers/sports talk/espn crowd.

That said, that Cougar team deployed the R&S in a way that we can only dream of at this point. It should not happen by any normal course of events, but I still harbor a desire to see SMU go '92 on 'em.

[homewrecker]

I hope JJ tell's the kids what happened back then. I love payback.

[newshound]

UH calls it execution; so does SMU
Houston Chronicle
Monday, OCTOBER 23, 1989
JERRY WIZIG

After the Astrodome scoreboard mercifully was turned off Saturday, the fallout remained on both sides following the Houston Cougars' 95-21 demolition job on SMU.

In the wake of the first 1,000-yard show by an NCAA team, there is conjecture as to how the Cougars might have taken a little pity.

Punt on third down, for example?

"I thought about that a couple of times," UH Coach Jack Pardee said Sunday. "But you can't be hypocritical. How do you tell your own players to work hard all week and execute, then you do something like that?"

SMU Coach Forrest Gregg and his players were angry. They felt the Cougars needlessly poured it on during their NCAA-record 1,021-yard show. UH averaged 11.9 yards per play.

Gregg noted Pardee pulled quarterback Andre Ware after a six-touchdown, 517-yard first-half passing performance "or they could easily have scored 100 or whatever they liked."

But noting backup David Klingler was throwing deep passes until late, Gregg added, "I didn't appreciate that, whoever was responsible."

Gregg's emotions seemingly had cooled only a little by Sunday. "I won't dwell on it now," he said. "It's over and done with. We will never, ever forget it.

"I've been in that situation myself. The object is to win, not to embarrass your opponent. The emphasis here was to score as many points and get as many yards as possible. That's not a good feat against a bunch of freshmen.

"But if that makes them (the Cougars) feel good, I'm glad for them."

Pardee said he understood Gregg's emotions.

"I told Gregg that this situation isn't what college football is all about," Pardee said. "I can understand his feelings. It's demoralizing.

"I'd been dreading this game all season. How do you get it over with when you stress good execution to your players all the time?

"My goal has never been to gain 1,000 yards. We just executed well. When the defense comes up to take away the short routes, our receivers react and run deep. That's the way they're taught."

Offensive coordinator John Jenkins, the man who calls the Cougars' plays, responded, "We had no goal of 1,000 (yards), no sir. That didn't figure into it at all.

"If all I was interested in was the statistics, or Andre's chances for the Heisman Trophy, we'd have left him in there to throw for about 12 touchdowns and 1,200 yards.

"I tried to remind our guys during the week that we'd been through three spring practices here. We've had about 15 scrimmages in that time. In two or three, we were casual and lollygagging around and looked terrible. That would happen to us this time if we went out and played SMU with that kind of attitude.

"They (the Mustangs) do a great job, but they're just freshmen, yet you have to take them seriously, like you take any game seriously."

SMU players indicated they would take the Cougars more than just seriously in the future.

Said quarterback Mike Romo, "Coach told us that we'll be here for four years and to remember this. We won't forget."

"I don't think even Oklahoma would do something like this. I'm sure they wouldn't," Tre Giller said.

"We're going to be the power someday, and things will change," receiver Michael Bowen said. "We'll remember this."

When Gregg noted starters like Manny Hazard, Paul Smith and Brian Williams were still running pass routes late in the game, Jenkins said, "We don't have anybody else. We were using everyone we had, every walk-on."

Receivers Verlond Brown, Kevin Mason and Henry LeBlanc were already out for the year with injuries. Tracy Good (leg injury) was held out. Kody Smith hurt a knee on the game's first play. With Kimble Anders and Chuck Weatherspoon the team's only two superbacks, Anders had to play inside receiver and Weatherspoon played nearly the entire game.

"I had more running backs than this in the USFL with a 40-something-man roster," Jenkins said of his Houston Gamblers days. "We had Todd Fowler, Sam Harrell and Daryl Clark. If Spoon had been hurt, we'd have had to use five receivers or put an offensive lineman in the backfield."

Walk-on Craig Alexander already was an alternate receiver. Jenkins also used walk-ons Tim Woods and Derrick Reeves plus freshman Marcus Grant. Grant had practiced just two weeks after the NCAA declared him eligible under Proposition 48 guidelines.

"We played everyone capable of playing, outside of people that we are redshirting," Jenkins said. He may put out a call for volunteers this week in the student newspaper, the Daily Cougar.

UH's offense let the final seconds expire at the SMU 17 without going for the touchdown to breach the 100-point mark. The last series included three straight running plays by Anders, a shovel pass to Anders, an incomplete screen pass and a pass to Woods for no gain.

Gregg, asked if he still considers Pardee a friend, replied, "This is not a good day to be asking me that."

Pardee said he didn't know what could have been done to alleviate the Mustangs' situation. "How do you get over the death penalty?" he asked.

[Pony4Life]

Great. After 20 years, I thought I couldn't get angry about it anymore.
Still hate Pardee.
Still hate Jenkins.
Always will.

[RGV Pony]

someone refresh my memory. Jenkins was on staff with the Gamblers, as was Pardee...wasn't JJ? Did JJ and Pardee work together w/ the Oilers, or was JJ there only when Glanville was there?

[The PonyGrad]

Good to see GSP aim his guns somewhere other than at SMU.

[CalallenStang]

someone refresh my memory. Jenkins was on staff with the Gamblers, as was Pardee...wasn't JJ? Did JJ and Pardee work together w/ the Oilers, or was JJ there only when Glanville was there?

JJ was on the '84 Gamblers Staff. His time with the Oilers did not coincide with Pardee's.

[NickSMU17]

Anyone watch that ESPN movie on the USFL....Excellent little story...

Talked about how exciting the H. Gamblers offense was running the run and shoot, and Jim Kelly's 574 5 td passing day.

I wonder if Kelly has any eligibility left.

[StallionsModelT]

That is just totally classless to do that to one of your conference rivals.

[ender3]

But that's the point, ModelT.

They weren't rivals. That was a division I football team with a Heisman trophy (soon to be) winner... against what, in very real terms, could be described as a high school team. 14 freshman starters... and not blue chip, five star freshmen, either.

Run and Shoot or not... Houston could have won that game handily without ever throwing the ball. The objective was not victory. The objective was humiliation. Teams that HATE each other would never have shown that type of disdain and disrespect for their (fairly helpless) opponents. I cannot imagine USC doing that to Notre Dame, or Michigan doing that to Ohio State.

The Houston Cougars are the most classless organization in the NCAA, and they always will be.

[Pony in SA]

For those of us that were there, the win 4 years later was one of the best post DP. Funny how things eventually come around and those who thought it was cool to run up the score did very little less. Jenkins is where ? Andre Ware just led the list of biggest heisman busts ? Pardee got his when he got sick. The RB Weatherspoon (sp. ?) spent time in jail.

I have mentioned before, but what I will always remember is Coach Gregg going after Pardee at end of first half after Houston was calling timeout with less than 10 seconds to go so they could throw to the end zone. I think it was like 41 to 7 or 14 at that point and they actually stopped the clock and went deep. Proud of Coach Gregg sticking up for our guys.

[George S. Patton]

Another form of poetic justice came the following week, I believe.

We beat NTSU, 35-9 and Houston went to Kyle Field and lost, 17-13. The best part of the Aggie win was when Aaron Wallace hit Andre Ware so hard, it jarred Ware's helmet off his head. Wallace held up the helmet as if he had just beheaded the imperialistic ruler. Kyle Field went nuts. One of the few times the Aggies ever had my support.