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The 16th-ranked University of Houston Cougars will face the No. 3-ranked University of Cincinnati Bearcats on Dec. 4 for the American Athletic Conference Championship at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
"Eyes on the prize," was the tweet on the Houston Cougar Football account.
Houston quarterback Clayton Tune threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns as the Cougars completed their regular season with a 45-17 domination of UConn in East Hartford, Connecticut. Nathaniel Dell caught two touchdowns as Houston improved to 11-1 overall and a spotless 8-0 in the AAC. The Cougars face the unbeaten Bearcats (12-0, 8-0), who are making their third straight appearance in the title game.
Houston easily disposed of UConn, which has lost 14 consecutive games against FBS opponents and finished 1-11 on the year. The Cougars were up 21-10 at halftime and scored their first four possessions of the second half. Tune completed 20 of 31 passes while playing just three quarters.
Houston totaled 472 yards of offense, while the Cougars defense recorded seven sacks and limited UConn to just 238 total yards.
The Cougars won all six of their away games for only the fifth time in school history and the first time since 2011.
Tune, 6-3, 215-pound junior from Carrollton, Texas thought playing in Connecticut was a good experience for Saturday’s game in Cincinnati.
“It’s cold up there and that’s something we’re not used to,” Tune said, according to the school’s website. “So it’s good to get out there and play in the cold and get used to it. I think we’ll be ready for it next week.”
Houston is making its third appearance in the AAC title game, having won the conference’s inaugural game in 2015. The Cougars have won 11 conference championships overall.