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Loss pushes Cougars into troubled waters After a 46-40 loss against Navy, the Cougars suddenly find themselves in an uphill battle for the conference championship. | PG. 8

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SPIRIT

Football fans create 'Come and Take Him' T-shirt J.D. SMITH

SENIOR STAFF WRITER @JDSMITH_08

Under the ever-present threat that another school, one with more money and prestige like Louisiana State University, will try to steal head football coach Tom Herman, a student has taken her own steps to show support.

Elementary education junior Leah Hunt decided to show just how passionate Texas schools are about their football through designing a T-shirt to raise money for charity.

The red T-shirt, designed after the “Come and Take It” phrase from the Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution, features a star on top of Herman’s picture with the phrase “Come and Take Him” underneath.

"That's great," Herman said when shown an image of the shirt. "It's very witty."

The shirts became an overnight success in Houston as Hunt received 122 orders. It inspired Cole Swartz, a local fan, to start a GoFundMe that was featured in the Chronicle and on SportsTalk 790.

The campaign was also mentioned on the ESPN broadcast of the game against the University of Connecticut last Thursday.

The increased publicity has

been a boon for the campaign, leading it to be shared on social media nearly 3,000 times and raising over $20,000 in five days.

That is well on the way to reach the goal of supplying a shirt to every fan who attends the Nov. 17 match against Louisville.

After ironing out all details over the design and campaign with the University and the Athletics Department, Hunt was asked to not speak to press. He also did not respond to requests for comment in time for press.

The idea of Herman leaving has many students worried.

There are rumors that the University of Texas at Austin may fire its head football coach, Charlie Strong, after a disappointing season. Herman once served as a graduate assistant there.

There’s also a precedent: Former UH football coaches Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin each left for Power Five schools in Texas after successful runs at UH. “I would be deeply saddened and deflated by this news, and I truly believe the city of Houston would share my sentiments,” said communications senior Tony Marks. “We’ve already lost some great coaches to top five power conferences before Coach Herman. As great as they were, I am confident he’s

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Nguyen Le CLOSING EDITORS

Football fans have raised over $20,000 on GoFundMe to fund a T-Shirt campaign at UH. The design has not been finalized. | Courtesy of Cole Swartz

the best we’ve had in decades with UH’s record, ranking, fan base and national attention all soaring simultaneously.”

Despite Saturday’s surprising loss at the Naval Academy Midshipmen, Herman has raised the Cougars’ spotlight and led them to their highest ranking since 1990.

Not all students are so confident he’ll leave. One student said the best job available for Herman is the one he currently has.

“I don’t think (Herman leaving is) as likely as people make it out to be,” said political science senior Elliot Kauffman.

“You have to get a grasp on

what is the better job. On one hand, you have Houston, which is ranked number six, has an amazing quarterback coming into play next year and is on the rise with millions of dollars being built up in facilities.”

Whether Herman leaves is a decision that comes down to him and the University, but Hunt showed that students will do all they can to support him.

Kauffman summed up the thoughts of most Cougar fans.

“Right now, I’m a cheerleader for Texas getting the best coach they can not named Tom Herman," Kauffman said. news@thedailycougar.com

Trey Strange Bryce Dodds Leah Nash

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Part of the Student Life portfolio in the Division of Student Affairs, the CSM is concerned with the development of students, focusing on critical thinking, leadership, ethics, collaboration, intercultural competence, goal-setting and ultimately, degree attainment. While our students are engaged in producing and promoting media channels and content, our goal is to ensure they are learning to become better thinkers and leaders in the process.

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In his time at UH, Tom Herman has become a fan favorite for his attitude toward the University as well as his winning ways on the field. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

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TECHNOLOGY

UH seniors design product to help paraplegics stand JULIE ARAICA

STAFF WRITER @ JULIEARAICA

For some, standing is a privilege.

Quantek is a group comprised of mechanical engineering technology seniors Adrian Garcia, Julian Campuzano, Eli Gonzalez and Nghiep Nguyen.

For their senior design project, the four designed a wheel-driven exoskeleton to help individuals with paraplegia or spinal cord injuries stand on their own.

“We just felt like it was our duty as engineers to use our knowledge and build a device for people that need it,” Campuzano said.

While other teams weaved in the senior design project energy alternatives, the oil and gas industry and transportation, Quantek wanted something that stood out and had a human element to it.

The product allows the user to stand with the help of gears and

A group of mechanical engineering technology seniors used their design project to develop a product to allow paraplegics to stand up. | Courtesy of Quantek

motors on a scooter-like device.

The machine could prevent pressure sores, which develop due to lack of circulation and can lead to gangrene within the muscle, through promoting blood flow to the legs and reducing spasticity.

There are similar devices are on the market already, but their prices range anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 as they are designed to mimic walking. To cut down on costs and benefit a wider audience, Quantek created

a device that allows its user to stand on their own.

The design has social and health benefits.

"They have the ability to speak to someone face to face at eye level instead of always talking to people while sitting down," Garcia said.

Quantek's prototype, Janus, pays homage to the Roman god of beginnings because the group believes that, for many, the device can offer a new lease on life.

While designing the prototype, Quantek visited Adaptive Sports and Recreation Association, a center where people with disabilities go for recreational activity. The team was looking for input from those whom the device would benefit and visiting professional wheelchair events.

It was at one of those events last April, the National Wheelchair Rugby Championships, where the team came across Selvin Velasquez.

"I try to stay as healthy as I can by working out every day," Velasquez said. "This device would help me because it would get rid of some of the problems that I can get, like pressure sores and it can improve my blood circulation.”

Velasquez and others like him were a great source of inspiration for both the project and Quantek as individuals, Garcia said.

The materials required for the products are expensive, and the team has yet to make the official prototype for Janus due to insufficient funds. Quantek is hosting a GoFundMe campaign and need at least $7,000 to build a prototype.

“If we build this product, we can create something that can change the lives of many people who feel as though they have been neglected by the industry,” Campuzano said. news@thedailycougar.com

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Emily Burleson, EDITOR

FACULTY

Students pay the price for professors' late textbooks Only a quarter of faculty members are complying with a law that requires them to tell the bookstore by a fixed deadline which books they plan to use.

JASMINE DAVIS

SENIOR STAFF

@JPDAVIS_TDC

Textbooks are expensive, and UH professors' neglect of a state law requiring professors to report their courses’ required textbooks may be raising costs even more.

“Students don’t know what books to order until the last week, which sets them financially back,” said Valentin Perez, finance junior and two-year appointee to the Bookstore Advisory Committee.

He added that late faculty textbook submissions have been an ongoing problem for the committee.

“By law, (faculty members) are supposed to submit them a month in advance."

Perez is the only student member of the committee and has devoted a great deal of his time to researching the history of textbook adoption at UH. He said he’s found evidence dating back to the late '90s of communication problems between University faculty and the bookstore.

His goal on the committee is to make the process of buying textbooks easier on students.

He said the enforcement of the textbook law would be the first step.

Higher education law practitioner Debra M. Esterak confirmed this law as Texas H.B. 33, better known as the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which went into effect Sept.

1, 2011. According to section 51.452 of the law, all Texas universities must set a deadline for timely textbook submissions from professors.

Apparent benefits However, universities are allowed to pass this authority to the institutions’ official bookstores.

“The earlier we can order the books, the cheaper they will be for students,” said Nick Sherrod, the general manager for Textbook Brokers, a private textbook store located just off campus.

Sherrod estimated that around 10 percent of adoptions had still not been made by the first week of this semes-

ter — meaning 10 percent of professors haven’t shared their textbook requirements with any portion of the University or surrounding campus.

According to the Barnes & Noble College's FacultyEnlight website, which suggests textbook options for different courses and topics, adopting early allows time for the bookstore to offer the best and cheapest options for students.

This often involves shopping for a larger pool of books to offer as used and rental options.

The website also states that when students opt to rent or buy a used book, they save anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of the original cost. Early textbook adoption means the bookstore will know ahead of time which books will be in demand for the upcoming semester.

If the bookstore has this information by the end of the current semester, they are able to buy more books back from students at a higher price.

“We will pay 50 percent of the cost of that book if the book will be used next semester,” said Felix Robinson, the general manager at the University of Houston Bookstore, in a 2012 SGA meeting. “We want to be able to buy those books back before students leave.”

'Available and accessible' S.B. 33, the state law which governs textbook adoptions in Texas, says that the deadline universities set must be at least 30 days before the first day of class.

The deadline at UH tends to fall in late March for Fall semesters and late October for the Spring. These deadlines are set before registration opens to allow students to evaluate the cost of the required books before committing to a course.

“The initial email is sent out from the bookstore in partnership with Academic Affairs to all faculty four weeks prior to the deadline followed by two reminder emails,” Robinson said.

FacultyEnlight can aid professors in finding relevant textbooks for their courses.

A benefit of early adoptions, according to the FacultyEnlight

Finance junior Valentin Perez functions as the student expert on textbook adoption. A two-time appointee to the Bookstore Advisory Committee, Perez said faculty refuse to submit textbook requests to the bookstore on time, despite a 2011 state law that requires them to do so. Only 26 percent of professors met the most recent deadline. | Ajani Stewart/The Cougar

website, is that the more time the bookstore has to place and receive orders, the better equipped they are to deal with delays which can range from problems with shipping to searching for difficult-to-find titles.

“Our goal is to provide the correct course content materials and make them available and accessible to students two weeks prior to the start of classes each semester,” Robinson said.

Not a 'critical issue' For Fall 2016, the UH bookstore set the deadline as March 25.

By the April 13 meeting of the Bookstore Advisory Committee, only 26 percent of faculty members had submitted their textbook requests.

“We’ve tried everything to make it as easy as possible for them to do,” said Marcella

Norwood, a department chair within the College of Technology and faculty senate appointment to the committee.

“The bookstore has tried to make it as easy as possible for faculty to order books.”

Paula Short, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, said the reason for late textbook submissions is often due to faculty members taking time to ensure they’re selecting the best, most relevant materials.

“The University continues to work closely with faculty to make sure orders are processed in a timely manner,” Short said.

Faculty Senate President Jonathan Snow said that while he does not think the faculty senate has been involved in the issue before, the textbook request deadline set by the bookstore might be too early.

“I haven’t heard of any penal-

ties for being late,” Snow said.

“Textbooks are rapidly and readily available from so many sources these days. It’s hard to see it as a critical issue.”

Efforts to incentivize faculty to meet deadline are an ongoing focus of the Bookstore Advisory Committee, which works directly with the bookstore in addition to taking student and faculty input.

“Going forward, we will continue to strengthen the bonds we have formed with UH professors through ongoing conversations, while also exploring new, inventive ways to engage with them,” Robinson said. “Working together, we can ensure that each student has access to affordable course material options as early as possible, helping to guarantee student success.” news@thedailycougar.com

When are faculty really submitting textbook requests?

Nov. 1, 2011

University textbook deadline for Fall 2016

Textbook adoption law went into effect

March 25

April 13

State mandated textbook deadline for Fall 2016

26 percent of textbook requests received

July 23

Aug. 22

First day of Fall 2016 classes

Leah Nash/The Cougar

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 | 5

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thedailycougar.com/opinion

PUZZLES

opinion@thedailycougar.com

52 “Big Brother” host 53 Very pale 55 Brain of a PC 57 Feature of a disorderly fight 62 Certain shooting iron 64 Aquarium growth 65 Doing nothing 66 Like Santa’s workers 67 Department store section 68 Exciting star 69 Some bridge seats 70 Young winged god of the Greeks 71 Happy and appreciative DOWN 1 With no need to part?

2 Miscellaneous assortment 3 No longer new, as clothing 4 Primitive shelter 5 Bridgetown’s place 6 Decade makeup 7 Grain bane 8 “Eh” 9 Spectacles 10 Horse’s nibble 11 Wild melee 12 There is no good in it 13 Captain or general, e.g.

OPINION

STAFF EDITORIAL

Don't give up on the Cougars just yet

T

ACROSS 1 Word with “-ARama” 5 Parting words 9 Errand runner 14 Common cosmetics ingredient 15 Prefix for “dynamic” 16 Caterpillar, initially 17 Turkish currency 18 Car wash supply 19 Had a home-cooked meal 20 Wild fights 23 Forest denizen 24 Breakfast staple 25 “___ I care!”

27 Do more origami work 30 Visible blight 33 Geller with the spoons 34 Bear that’s not really a bear 37 Indication of police action 38 Fail to see 40 Flounder in water 42 Easy dupes 43 Group of eight 45 Place for a barbecue 47 Romanian currency 48 Parents and some poker players 50 Car front

Frank Campos, EDITOR

21 22 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 35 36 39 41 44 46 49 51 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 63

Egg part Mary ___ cosmetics Egyptian goddess Bit of gossip Longtime “All My Children” character Brawl ingredients Point to the right?

Drive away Follow, as a consequence High mountains Hawaii’s Mauna ___ Window frame Elaborate Catholic ritual Intensifies Black-and-white cookie Biochemistry abbr.

What six outs constitute Freud contemporary Music-score sign Ship workers Carpet feature Everyone has one Heroic person, to some Edible seaweed Honey-based drink On, as a candle

his is it, Cougars. This is our chance.

No, not our chance for glory or to make the playoffs — that will come with patience and guidance from the coach.

This is our chance to show our football team that we will stick with them no matter what.

Let’s just go ahead and face it.

We lost a game we should have won and due to that loss, we have dug ourselves into a deep hole.

We dropped drastically in the polls, lost to a conference team and gave up first place all in one game. On top of this, our playoff chances for this season seem far off because of our schedule's strength.

We at The Cougar say, "So what?"

We have seen our team overcome so much adversity over the last couple of years. We also know right now head coach Tom Herman and the rest of the Cougars are working their butts

off to ensure that this loss fuels them for the rest of the season.

Herman preaches daily how this team puts every minute of their time into playing for us.

Their blood, sweat and tears are for the fans.

We have to repay them by standing by them even when things aren't going as planned.

Students and faculty: Now is the time to give that extra effort and show your school spirit.

People may start to doubt the Cougars, but it’s important that students continue showing the enthusiasm and support displayed since the beginning of the season, when expectations were high.

We are not fair-weather fans or bandwagon riders. This is our football team.

We're just a few short years removed from a pair of 8-5 seasons, even a few more removed from the heartbreak of losing coaches like Kevin Sumlin to the sniping of a Power-5 program.

AT BAYLOR’S TRUETT SEMINARY, students are equipped with both knowledge and experience to pursue God’s call to ministry. Students work in mentoring relationships alongside pastors, international missionaries and leaders of faith-based entities to gain a unique understanding of life in ministry and insight into the day-to-day operations of churches and organizations.

Truett graduates are academically prepared and spiritually equipped to lead and to serve the Church and a world in need.

We are students and ministers.

We are Baylor’s Seminary.

Visit Truett Seminary: October 27-28

Fans seemed to have forgotten that in the wake of a 12-1 season and a Peach Bowl victory.

Let's not forget that Herman has done so much in his time here already, and if we want him to stick around, we have to show the support of a sell-out crowd each and every game to show him that the love he receives at UH will be unlike anything he could get anywhere else.

Greg Ward Jr. is still a star.

With him at the center of the team, we have a good chance to run the table, and that includes the Louisville Cardinals that has also had a stunning loss this season. Their quarterback may also be a superstar, but our defense will make him regret that he had to face us.

Let’s show the rest of the country that we can still pack our stadium and back our team — no matter what the circumstances this season and beyond. opinion@thedailycougar.com

6 | Wednesday, October 12, 2016

OPINION

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Frank Campos, EDITOR

EDITORIAL BOARD

ASYLUM

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Trey Strange

Let's welcome Syrian refugees Gov. Greg Abbott tried to send a strong message to the rest of the country by withdrawing Texas from the federal refugee resettlement program. Now it seems that he has given up on that fight.

Abbott said the withdrawal is necessary in order to “continue FRANK to prioritize CAMPOS the safety of OPINION EDITOR all Texans,” a laughable statement that made no sense at all. He did it to raise some proud conservative flag that, he thought, represented our state, but that bigotry is dying in Texas.

The U.S. was built on the backs of immigrants. Let’s continue that tradition by welcoming Syrian refugees that want nothing more than to make a positive impact to our society.

We can help While Texas has rescinded their appeal, putting one in the first place shows that Abbott is spreading Islamophobia instead of welcoming refugees.

I refuse to give into the Islamophobia that will rage in response to this column. Terrorism threatens this country and it can come from anyone at anytime — not just

Muslims coming to the U.S. for a better life.

We can’t be so stupid as a society that we will turn away these people, who are being killed and destroyed by a war they want no part of, because of an unfounded fear that their religion will make them want to harm us.

Most people don’t, or don't care to, understand the amount of death and violence due to the civil war that has raged for more than five years and claimed more than 250,000 lives in Syria.

The conflict started when the government arrested and tortured 15 school children for writing anti-government graffiti on a wall.

The government action prompted protests and eventually led to officials killing more people, followed by retaliation from rebels and more death. Among all this conflict and war are people who are suffering.

We are the greatest superpower in the world. These people need our help.

We can’t let fear mongering and bigotry decide our actions when there are people all over the world who are being terrorized by real evil. The acts of a few individuals among 1.6 billion plus Muslims does not define a religion.

Abbott’s withdrawal will not stop the resettlement of refugees in Texas. Not-for-profit groups still

MANAGING EDITOR

Bryce Dodds

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Leah Nash

CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Nguyen Le

NEWS EDITORS

Emily Burleson Alex Meyer Marialuisa Rincon SPORTS EDITORS

Reagan Earnst Jonathan Valadez

Texas currently has 7,479 refugees in programs. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

plan to settle refugees in Texas without government support since there is no law preventing people from crossing state lines once in the U.S.

Can't cave in Texas has already resettled 7,479 refugees as of 2015. Abbott’s fear of resettlement program makes no sense and only serves to push the stereotype that we should be scared of Muslims instead of welcoming all regardless of race or religion.

Terrorist attacks are not just done in the name of Islam like 9/11 that killed 2,996 people and was orchestrated by Osama bin Laden.

We have seen countless people die, including children, at the hands of terrorists like Dylann Roof, James Holmes and Adam Lanza.

None of them have claimed Islam as their reason to kill so many.

The will to kill is something that

is still completely misunderstood in our society today. It is clear, however, that anyone, despite their race, religion or creed can commit mass murder.

We need to work on things like stricter gun laws, enforcing and bolstering our current immigration laws and background checks to ensure that almost everyone entering the U.S. is here to make a positive impact.

Abbott’s statement and withdrawal will not define us. It certainly won’t stop those trying to help refugees resettle in Texas.

Don’t be scared of a religion; seek out ways to welcome these people in our country. Show them that we are not all cowards who try to push fear and hatred on to those who look and act different from us.

Opinion editor Frank Campos is a multimedia production senior and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

GOVERNMENT

Whistleblowers are necessary evil to keep government accountable

I

’m going to start this column with a quote from Lord Acton.

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Though this quote gets perpetually overused by those advocating for the evils of JORDEN governments SMITH — anarchists SENIOR STAFF COLUMNIST — the quote is still quite legitimate when you take a look at what government inherently is.

Our society has become willing to trust government and see it as a positive entity since it has done so much for us — beneficial or otherwise.

That has made us apathetic to the powers that be — the hegemonic force of government that controls us.

That is why the existence of

men like Julian Assange and sites like WikiLeaks are so important.

For freedom These entities let us know what the government is actually doing with its inordinate amount of power. They are what media should be: A check on the government to make sure it is not overstepping its boundary.

It is rare to see a major member of the U.S. media have to save themselves from the government because they had informed the people of what was secretly happening.

We now have to rely on those individuals within the government willing to risk it all. The government is not afraid of the people because the voice of the people is no longer a threat.

This is why people who have willingly alienated themselves to let the world know what is happening in the dark are so

important to us. We are, in a way, indebted to them for willing to sacrifice their life so we can live more freely.

Assange gave an interview in 2010 at TEDGlobal. “Why the World Needs WikiLeaks,” where he quoted his father, who said, “Capable, generous men do not create; they nurture victims.”

True informants There is a chief question among all these facts, figures and people: What of our humanity are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of being ignorant to what our government is doing?

WikiLeaks was brought to prominence because it released a video of U.S. troops firing at what they called insurgents. The assault led to the deaths of many Iraqi citizens and two Reuters correspondents.

People were understandably up in arms over this, contending

that this video harmed U.S. soldiers as it perpetuated hate from the citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange said, however, that the people on the ground see this every day.

The world needs “traitors” Traitors are the only ones who truly keep us informed and allow us to be free. The government is not an inherently good entity as we have been conditioned to believe from years of lackluster media attention and projects done on the government's behalf.

We are only whom we allow ourselves to be and we need to allow ourselves to be free. The world needs whistleblowers more than we want to admit.

Senior staff columnist Jorden Smith is a political science junior and president of the College Republicans. He can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

OPINION EDITORS

Frank Campos Thom Dwyer ARTS EDITORS

Karis Johnson Greg Fails PHOTO EDITORS

Justin Cross Ajani Stewart SENIOR STAFF

Caprice Carter Bruce Chao Jasmine Davis Peter Scamardo Jorden Smith Douglas Van

STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author.

Opinions expressed in The Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the students as a whole.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing.

GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be limited to 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies, but rather should present independent points of view. Deliver submissions to N221, University Center; e-mail them to letters@ thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

The Cougar is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

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SPORTS

sports@thedailycougar.com

Reagan Earnst, EDITOR

BASKETBALL

Senior players expect to build winning culture DEZ EWELL

STAFF WRITER @SRA_EWELL

Leadership. Team. Vision.

Culture.

These words echo throughout the bowels of Hofheinz Pavilion a few weeks before the beginning of the arena’s final season.

The Cougars are seven months removed from a season that saw them finish 12-6 in conference, and UH men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and the players are excited to build upon last year’s improvements.

Entering his third year as head coach, Sampson has raised the expectations that he has for his team. The Cougars are already working toward surpassing them through the leadership from returning players. “Through their leadership and through their actions, (the seniors have to) teach the new kids what our culture is,� Sampson said. “That’s their first responsibility. Your leaders and your seniors have to share the coach’s vision. It really defines who you are.�

Victor's values Culture is a word that has been used heavily at UH. Football head coach Tom Herman also honors it in the TDECU Stadium just a block down from Hofheinz Pavilion.

At UH, culture is a mindset that players must buy into if they plan on making it on either the basketball or football teams. “Culture will always be determined by your people,�

Sampson said. “That’s why you always have to have the right people. Our culture in this program right now is being established. Guys like Armoni Brooks this time last year was at McNeil High School in Round Rock, Texas. Devin Davis was at Odessa Junior College. They don’t know anything about this culture.�

Sampson said that if you gave all 10 American Athletic Conference coaches a 3x5 index card and told them to write down how they felt about the Cougars — it would be "good," "bad" or "indifferent."

He said that it is up to the seniors to drive a culture that breeds respect and positive

Senior Danrad "Chicken" Knowles is expected to play an important role as a team leader this season. | Reagan Earnst/The Cougar

feedback. They will determine what is written on the index cards.

Though Sampson is still establishing the values he wants associated with UH basketball, his returning players have followed Sampson’s vision and made sure newcomers are doing the same. “It’s up to all the seniors,�

Senior guard Damyean Dotson said. “From that standpoint, I’ve got to be a better leader this year and instead of talking about it, I’ve got to show it.�

It can be difficult for seniors to focus on the team's greater good when it is their last season and they feel that they have yet to prove themselves.

The pressure for a player to do the latter can come from all aspects of his life — family members, coaches and even NBA scouts — and can be immense.

The seniors at UH acknowledge this and know they must work hard to not break down.

They realize that basketball is a team sport and individual success is second.

The grand finale Although the seniors have individual goals for the season, they all reiterated their desire to help the team improve in every way. Dotson said he wanted to improve his decision-making and improve his defense all the way around.

Senior forward Danrad “Chicken� Knowles has an even

loftier ambition for the team. “The only goal I have is to

win the conference championship and win the conference

overall, really,� Knowles said.

Knowles’ vision for the team may be ambitious, but combined with Sampson’s coaching ability and influence the team has the opportunity to succeed in their final season.

If the Cougars can grow from last year and have an even better season, Sampson should be content with the direction of his team.

As the season opener approaches, the Cougars continue to mold the culture that they are fostering. For many of the seniors, the chance to play in an arena they’ve called home for the final time is a motivator to achieve success. “It's crazy that Hofheinz and I are going at the same time.�

Knowles said. “I’ve been here for four years. It’s the grand finale. We just got to do it.� sports@thedailycougar.com

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8 | Wednesday, October 12, 2016

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Reagan Earnst,

EDITOR

After falling to the Cougars last season, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has the Midshipmen in prime position to play for an AAC title. Navy leads the Cougars by one game in the AAC West. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

FOOTBALL

Navy sinks national championship hopes for Cougars JONATHAN VALADEZ

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @JONOUNSEEN

Entering the season, the odds that the Cougars faced to crash the College Football Playoff were enormous as a Group of Five school.

Even in last year's Peach Bowl victory, the team was considered a long shot to beat Florida State University.

After their breakout win in week one against the University of Oklahoma, who were then-No. 3 and seven-point favorites, the Cougars' chance to become the first non-Power Five team to make the playoff seemed realistic.

The momentum started to build through the first five weeks as the Cougars dominated their foes and appeared to be invincible — especially heading into conference play. Then the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen made the Cougars look vulnerable for the first time this season.

Power outage The shocking defeat killed the Cougars' chance to make the playoffs and could derail the season and the opportunity to repeat as American Athletic Conference Champions. It was the team’s preseason goal.

The Cougars now sit in second place in the West Conference and need Navy to lose at least two out of their remaining five conference games. Navy now owns the tiebreaker over the Cougars.

The team also needs to win their remaining conference games if they want to represent the West in the championship game.

Winning out will be no easy task since the rest of the conference knows that the Cougars are beatable.

Although no other team in the conference runs the triple option, many will replicate Navy’s game plan by attacking the Cougars laterally with sweeps and screen passes to the outside.

Senior linebackers Steven Taylor and Tyus Bowser were sorely missed in the second level of the Cougars’ defense as the team struggled to make open-field tackles. There’s also no telling how long Bowser will be out with an orbital fracture from a scuffle with teammate Matthew Adams.

Adams was suspended during the University of Connecticut game.

Taylor is likely to suit up in week seven against the University of Tulsa, but head

Their remaining schedule is considerably easier than the Cougars’.

Still have a chance

The Cougars' 46-40 loss against unranked Navy leaves Tom Herman's Cougars with an uphill climb to return to the AAC Championship. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar

coach Tom Herman can’t be thrilled considering he’s had to bench two starters in back-toback weeks due to team policy violations.

Subpar match Going back to the game, it wasn’t just the defense that got beat, though. The Cougars played sloppily in all aspects.

On offense, senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. had an uncharacteristic game as he threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball once. Ward’s three turnovers cost the Cougars 17 points.

Special teams also made a couple errant plays, including an 85-yard kickoff return that led

to Navy’s first touchdown and a roughing the kicker penalty that resulted in a game-tying field goal to close out the first half.

It is unlikely that the Cougars will have another game as bad as this, considering the weather and their mediocre performance, but they’ve put themselves in an uphill battle to win the conference crown.

Before the loss, it appeared that the Cougars were a lock to at least make it to another New Year’s Six Bowl. That ship may have sailed, too.

The best Group of Five university automatically qualifies for one, which is the Cotton Bowl this year, and right now it is the Boise State University Broncos.

Even if the Cougars beat the University of Louisville on Nov. 17, it will be hard for the CFP Selection Committee to put the Cougars high enough in the rankings to make the Cotton Bowl and then win the conference championship.

Regardless of where they finish, the Cougars will compete in a bowl game. Their plan, however, was to win the conference and leave it up to the committee to determine where they would play postseason.

The board will still decide the Cougars' destiny, but the likelihood of them playing in a more prestigious bowl has now dwindled at Navy’s expense.

The team needs to stay focused, continue to treat every game as if they’re 0-0 and play as if they’re looking for their first win.

Following the loss, the Cougars’ postseason fate looks bleak, but they still has a chance to repeat if certain scenarios fall into place.

The team, after all, is used to being an underdog. sports@thedailycougar.com