Keenum throws for 471 yards, Houston beats UTEP

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Case Keenum threw for 471 yards and two touchdowns and Charles Sims ran for 111 yards and had an 84-yard scoring reception in Houston’s 49-42 victory over UTEP on Thursday night.

Keenum completed 30 of 46 passes to help the Cougars improve to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in Conference USA.

Sims had 12 carries and two rushing touchdowns — 40- and 4-yard runs in the second quarter — and finished with two catches for 90 yards. Michael Hayes added 100 yards rushing on 10 carries and also scored.

Patrick Edwards led the Cougars in receiving with eight catches for 144 yards.

Joe Banyard ran for 240 yards and a touchdown for UTEP (2-3, 0-2), and Nick Lamaison completed 19 of 29 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

Banyard had a 68-yard touchdown run with 1:02 left in the third quarter to pull the Miners within three at 38-35. Houston’s Matt Hogan made a 29-yard field goal early in the fourth, Keenum added his 84-yard scoring strike to Sims with 9:42 left and connected with Justin Jonson on a 2-point conversion to make it 49-35.

UTEP cut it to seven on Leilyon Myers 2-yard run with 6:21 to go. The Miners had a chance to tie it or take the lead, but Mike Edwards failed to control Lamaison’s fourth-down pass in the end zone with 54 seconds left.