USC Offense Greatest Ever? What About These Guys?

[MylesKnight]

Anyone remember the Jack Pardee/John Jenkins 1989 Univ. of Houston Cougars? (http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/4918584) Now this was OFFENSE.

[Galaril]

Yeah, I remember that team they were incredible.

[Klinglerware]

Yup, since they were on probation, it is amazing that they got any media exposure at all. I think that some of the UH booster organzations sell DVDs of some of those games on-line--I can't find the link though (removed?).

It's also interesting that the only offensive skill-position players to go on to solid NFL careers from the Houston run-&-shoot era were RB's: Kimble Anders and Lamar Smith.

[Maple Leafs]

John Jenkins was named head coach of the Ottawa Renegades of the CFL recently. He's a very strange guy.

[MJ4H]

Saw that team in person when I attended the game at Arkansas (Arkansas won in a shootout, something like 45-39, don't remember exactly). It was an amazing game.

[Huckleberry]

Texas fan here. USC's offense this year is better than that Houston offense. Against teams with winning records Houston averaged 32 points that year.

John Jenkins didn't know how to apply the brakes. As stated in the article, their overall average drops under 50 points if you take out the 95 against an overmatched SMU team filled with fish and sophs fresh off the death penalty.

Heck, I'd take Texas' offense this year over that Cougar squad.

[Klinglerware]

Texas fan here. USC's offense this year is better than that Houston offense. Against teams with winning records Houston averaged 32 points that year.

John Jenkins didn't know how to apply the brakes. As stated in the article, their overall average drops under 50 points if you take out the 95 against an overmatched SMU team filled with fish and sophs fresh off the death penalty.

Heck, I'd take Texas' offense this year over that Cougar squad.

True on all points--Jenkins rubbed people the wrong way (brashness, running up the score), but they were sure fun to watch when the offense was clicking.

Also, it was a good system for them--UH knew that they would never get the talent that UT gets, so (much like Texas Tech is doing now) they picked a system that could act as an equalizer against teams with superior talent.

[Huckleberry]

True on all points--Jenkins rubbed people the wrong way (brashness, running up the score), but they were sure fun to watch when the offense was clicking.

Also, it was a good system for them--UH knew that they would never get the talent that UT gets, so (much like Texas Tech is doing now) they picked a system that could act as an equalizer against teams with superior talent.
No doubt about any of that. It was definitely an intelligent move to make for Houston. The problem, as you admit, was the attitude that came along with it. Houston could have really taken off as a program based on capitalizing on the Houston area casual football fans, but they absolutely blew any chance to reel in more fans. Problem was that fans that would have loved to have pulled for the underdog in their very situation were put off by the cockiness and rudeness of things like Jenkins' attitude and the SMU game.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen as many non-Longhorn fans pulling for the Longhorns as when Houston came in to Austin with an 8-0 record in 1990. And if you've managed to make Texas the team an outsider wants to pull for in a matchup of Texas and Houston then you've really accomplished something. :D

[kcchief19]

Texas fan here. USC's offense this year is better than that Houston offense. Against teams with winning records Houston averaged 32 points that year.I'm not sure that's true.
The offense scored 60 or more points in five out of the 11 games and scored at least 39 points in every single game except one (an early season 17-13 loss at Texas A&M).Unless they only played three games against teams with a winning record and one of the teams was Texas A&M, that stat cannot be true. And that assumes that Houston averaged "only" 41.5 points a game in their other two games against teams with a winning record.


From an output and scoring standpoint, Houston's offense was off the charts. USC's offense benefits from its defense. I'm not taking anything away from what USC is doing, but there's no reason to take away from what Houston did either. It was quite an accomplishment in context.

[Huckleberry]

I'm not sure that's true.

Unless they only played three games against teams with a winning record and one of the teams was Texas A&M, that stat cannot be true. And that assumes that Houston averaged "only" 41.5 points a game in their other two games against teams with a winning record.

<TABLE border=1><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#c0c0c0 colSpan=8>1989-Houston (SWC)

</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>9/2</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>@</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>Nevada-Las Vegas (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Nevada-LasVegas.htm#1989) (4-7)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>69</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>0</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>9/23</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>@</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>Arizona State (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/ArizonaState.htm#1989) (6-4-1)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>36</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>7</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>9/30</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>vs.</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>Temple (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Temple.htm#1989) (1-10)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>65</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>7</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>10/7</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>vs.</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Baylor (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Baylor.htm#1989) (5-6)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>66</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>10</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>10/14</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>@</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Texas A&M (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/TexasAM.htm#1989) (8-4)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>L</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>13</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>17</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>10/21</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>vs.</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Southern Methodist (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/SouthernMethodist.htm#1989) (2-9)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>95</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>21</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>10/28</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>vs.</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Arkansas (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Arkansas.htm#1989) (10-2)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>L</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>39</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>45</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>@ Little Rock, AR</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>11/4</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>@</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Texas Christian (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/TexasChristian.htm#1989) (4-7)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>55</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>10</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>11/11</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>vs.</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Texas (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Texas.htm#1989) (5-6)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>47</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>9</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>11/25</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>vs.</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Texas Tech (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/TexasTech.htm#1989) (9-3)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>40</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>24</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>12/2</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>@</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>*Rice (http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Rice.htm#1989) (2-8-1)</TD><TD bgColor=#00ff00>W</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>64</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#00ff00>0</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#c0c0c0 colSpan=2> </TD><TD bgColor=#c0c0c0>9-2-0

</TD><TD bgColor=#c0c0c0> </TD><TD bgColor=#c0c0c0>589</TD><TD bgColor=#c0c0c0>150</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

From an output and scoring standpoint, Houston's offense was off the charts. USC's offense benefits from its defense. I'm not taking anything away from what USC is doing, but there's no reason to take away from what Houston did either. It was quite an accomplishment in context.
I'm not sure why saying that USC's offense, and Texas', this year is better is taking away from what Houston did. They had a great offense. But it wasn't the best ever, IMO. That's what the original post proposed.

[Klinglerware]

Actually, the 32 points per game is true. But that output is still impressive considering that Houston had inferior talent compared to several of these opponents.

1989-Houston (SWC)
9/2 @ Nevada-Las Vegas (4-7) W 69 0
9/23 @ Arizona State (6-4-1) W 36 7
9/30 vs. Temple (1-10) W 65 7
10/7 vs. *Baylor (5-6) W 66 10
10/14 @ *Texas A&M (8-4) L 13 17
10/21 vs. *Southern Methodist (2-9) W 95 21
10/28 vs. *Arkansas (10-2) L 39 45 @ Little Rock, AR
11/4 @ *Texas Christian (4-7) W 55 10
11/11 vs. *Texas (5-6) W 47 9
11/25 vs. *Texas Tech (9-3) W 40 24
12/2 @ *Rice (2-8-1) W 64 0

9-2-0 589 150

[Klinglerware]

Dola - Huckleberry beat me to it, and made it much prettier...

[Kodos]

Penn State with Kerry Collins and Ki-jana Carter was pretty good too. :)