HOUSTON (AP) — Case Keenum’s first Senior Day was nothing to celebrate.
Houston’s injured quarterback hobbled onto the Robertson Stadium turf on crutches last Nov. 13, with the season’s smallest crowd offering lukewarm, empathetic applause.
Keenum was resigned that this is how his college career would end, a season and final home game ruined by a freak injury to his right knee.
The NCAA granted the school’s appeal to give Keenum one more chance to get it right and, boy, have he and the Cougars taken advantage.
No. 7 Houston (12-0, 8-0 Conference USA) has rolled through the regular season behind its record-setting quarterback and earned the right to host Saturday’s league championship against No. 24 Southern Miss (10-2, 6-2).