1996 Houston Cougars football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 1996 Houston Cougars football Conference USA C-USA 7–5 4–1 Kim Helton 4th Neil Callaway 4th Pro-style Gene Smith 4th 4–3 Gary Haynes Antowain Smith Charles West Houston AstrodomeRobertson Stadium C-USA co-champion Liberty Bowl L 17–30 vs. Syracuse The 1996 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH represented the University of Houston in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the 51st year of season play for Houston and the first season as a member of Conference USA following the breakup of the Southwest Conference. The team was coached by Kim Helton. The team split its home games between the Houston Astrodome and Robertson Stadium. The Cougars became inaugural conference champions and were invited to the 1996 Liberty Bowl, their first bowl game since 1988. Houston won their conference for the first time since 1984. Schedule Houston did not play Rice for the first time since 1970. 1996 AP August 31 w y Sam Houston State Robertson Stadium Houston TX 43–25 14,110 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114810858/clements-passes-uh-past-bearkats/ Victoria Advocate Clements passes UH past Bearkats September 1, 1996 December 18, 2022 Newspapers.com September 7 7:00 pm l y y LSU 17 Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA 34–35 80,303 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-rb-faulk-lifts-lsu/140645761/ The Tennessean RB Faulk lifts LSU September 8, 1996 February 10, 2024 Newspapers.com September 14 6:00 pm w y y Pittsburgh Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA 42–35 OT 27,648 September 21 2:30 pm l y USC 15 Houston Astrodome Houston, TX FOX 9–26 21,035 October 5 w y y Southwestern Louisiana Cajun Field Lafayette, LA 31–24 18,247 October 12 7:00 pm w Memphis Houston Astrodome Houston, TX 37–20 15,553 October 19 l y Cincinnati Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio 20–31 19,064 October 26 5:30 pm l y North Carolina 9 Houston Astrodome Houston, TX FOX Sports Net 14–42 16,850 https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-angelo-standard-times-north-carolina/140694658/ San Angelo Standard-Times North Carolina swamps Houstin in Astrodome October 27, 1996 February 10, 2024 Newspapers.com November 2 w y Tulane Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA 20–17 14,474 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94620373/houston-villarreal-kick-tulane-2017/ Sun Herald Houston, Villarreal kick Tulane 20–17 November 3, 1996 February 9, 2022 Newspapers.com November 9 w y Southern Miss 20 Robertson Stadium Houston, TX 56–49 18,107 Houston slows USM bid November 10, 1996 Sun Herald https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88613492/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109347905/southern-miss-clinches-share-of-title/ September 11, 2022 Newspapers.com November 16 w Louisville Houston Astrodome Houston, TX FOX Sports Net 38–7 19,651 December 27 2:00 pm l y y Syracuse 23 Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl ESPN 17–30 49,163 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/houston/1996-schedule.html 1996 Houston Cougars Schedule and Results Roster 1996 Houston Cougars f 12 Sr Chuck Clements QB y 66 Jr Ben Fricke C y 23 Sr Antowain Smith RB y 84 So Justin Davis WR 15 Fr Tyson Helton QB y 32 Fr Halley Spencer WR 79 Sr Marcus Spriggs OT y 78 Fr Justin Stille G 13 Fr Brian Thiebaud QB 6 Sr Charles West WR 34 Sr Jermaine Williams RB y Jermaine Williams (American football) 46 Sr John Autenreith LB 48 Jr Keon Banks LB 90 Fr Adriano Belli DE y 60 So Matthew Elam DT 99 Jr Delondo Fields DT 35 Fr William Fields CB y William Fields (Canadian football) 25 So Freddie Fisher LB 24 So Stedmon Forman SS 93 Jr Rusty Foster DE 97 Jr Sebastian Villarreal KS https://web.archive.org/web/19961225143007/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/sfc/usa/sfci02ra.htm *Kim Helton References Houston Category:Houston Cougars football seasons Category:Conference USA football champion seasons Houston Cougars football Houston Cougars football