The 13-1, 2015 Peach Bowl Champion Houston Cougars aren’t rebuilding this season, but reloading with senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr at the helm.
Ward is an all-purpose dual threat machine and he fit coach Tom Herman’s offense like a glove. In his first season under Herman, he compiled 3,941 total yards and 38 total touchdowns. He will most likely outdo those numbers this season with multiple contributors on the offensive lineman returning. The team lost just two starting skill position players in Kenneth Farrow and Demarcus Ayers.
Senior receiver Chance Allen and junior receiver Steven Dunbar return 87 catches 1,134 yards and nine touchdowns of the Cougars’ passing game. That’s not including a multitude of other talented young contributors. The running game will take a hit in production, but Ward was the leading rusher for the Cougars.
As long as he can take the hits and not end up injured like he did last season, he could lead the Cougs to a perfect season. People forget, he was not the starter for Houston’s only loss during the season. Sophomore Kyle Postma, who did a great job filling in for Ward, was the starter for the loss.
Ward has all the tools to have a Heisman-like season. He’s efficient as evidenced by his 67 percent completion percentage and a 17-to-6 TD-to-INT ratio.
In terms of the rushing production, he’s even even more impressive. He rushed for 1,114 yards as a quarterback averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. In college, they include sacks in rushing yardage so it could’ve been even higher. No one can even touch his red zone production as a signal caller. He rushed for 21 rushing touchdowns and he doesn’t play in a triple option offense.
Greg Ward is the leader of this team and could continue pushing the team to even higher heights this year.
-HST Correspondent Collin Wieder
Stats Courtesy of College Football Reference
