UH ekes out Independence Bowl victory over Louisiana-Lafayette: 'Ended the season with a W'

University of Houston (UH) Cougars senior signal-caller Clayton Tune ended his time in the red and white on Friday by leading the program to a 23-16 victory over the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

An Associated Press (AP) article that was ran by Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that Tune, a North Texas native, threw for 216 yards and three scores on 19-of-28 passing in a successful come-from-behind effort. 

“Ended the season with a W,” the team’s Twitter account proclaimed postgame.

The Cougars erased deficits of 13-0 and 16-6 to set up what transpired to be Tune’s memorable rally, according to the AP. 

Two of his touchdown passes were caught by his security blanket and favorite target, junior wideout Nate “Tank” Dell, with the final connection between them being the go-ahead play for UH. 

Cougars fans have witnessed Tune and Dell play catch each Saturday the last three years.

The AP reported that senior wideout KeSean Carter was the recipient of Tune’s first touchdown toss on an afternoon in which the mercury didn’t get past the freezing mark. 

According to the report, Carter, who previously attended and played for Texas Tech (TTU), grabbed three receptions for 104 yards. 

2022 marked the second consecutive year in which the Cougars capped their season with a bowl win.

The AP reported that UH head coach Dana Holgorsen used the game to honor the late Mississippi State (MSU) head coach Mike Leach, who died earlier this month. 

Per the article, Holgorsen, who played for Leach and would later serve as an assistant under the latter, wore a black hoodie with “STATE” emblazoned on the front. 

Leach’s defensive coordinator at MSU, Zach Arnett, has taken over the Bulldogs program.