SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Houston’s Klingler Has Ware-Like Numbers

Houston’s David Klingler, replacing departed Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware, passed for 426 yards and five touchdowns to power the 24th-ranked Cougars to a 37-9 victory over Nevada Las Vegas Saturday at Houston.

With air-raid sirens blaring after each passing Cougar touchdown, Klingler completed first-half scoring passes of 46 and nine yards to Patrick Cooper, 14 yards to Tracy Good and 47 yards to Marcus Grant for a 31-6 halftime lead.

Klingler, Ware’s understudy last season, completed 30 of 54 passes. One pass was intercepted. He distributed completions among nine receivers.

Houston had outscored its two previous season-opening opponents, 129-0, including last year’s 69-0 victory over UNLV, but the Rebels’ Todd Amrein’s kicked first-half field goals of 39 and 22 yards as UNLV averted another shutout.

Houston lost wide receiver Manny Hazard in the second quarter with a dislocated left elbow. Hazard set an NCAA record with 142 catches last season.

Klingler hardly seemed to miss him, spreading his passes among nine receivers.

Klingler threw touchdown passes of 46 and nine yards to Patrick Cooper, 14 and 23 yards to Tracy Good and 47 yards to Marcus Grant.

The Cougars, playing for the first time for Coach John Jenkins, burst from the stadium tunnel onto the field through a fog blown by machines accompanied by a shrill air raid siren. The same siren sounded after each Cougar touchdown.

Nevada Las Vegas’ Jim Strong, who was also making his head coaching debut, said his team didn’t feel the full brunt of the Cougars’ run-and-shoot offense.

“He held out on a lot of things for next week’s ballgame,” Strong said in pointing to Houston’s game on Thursday against Texas Tech. “Houston was out there working and executing.”

UNLV was beaten, 69-0, last year by Houston, but this year avoided the shutout as Todd Amrein kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 48 yards.

Houston’s Chuck Weatherspoon, who averaged an NCAA-record 9.6 yards a carry last season, rushed for 120 yards in 10 carries.

Tulane 21, Rice 10--Deron Smith threw two touchdowns and a tenacious defense forced four turnovers, including two interceptions in the fourth quarter, as the Green Wave won at Houston.

Smith’s second scoring pass, a 17-yard toss to flanker Steve Ballard on the first play of the final quarter, broke open a tight game marked by long Tulane drives and Rice possessions thwarted by turnovers and penalties.

Smith completed 19 of 30 passes for 221 yards.