Houston quarterback Case Keenum, left, runs away from pressure by Tulsa's James Lockett during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)
(AP)
Case Keenum walked off the field, his hands on his helmet, as No. 13 Houston appeared destined for defeat.
Moments later, the Cougars' prolific quarterback was given a second chance. And he came through with another comeback to add to his Heisman Trophy resume
Keenum hit back-to-back passes to put Houston in field-goal range and Matt Hogan kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired to lift the No. 13 Cougars to a 46-45 victory against Tulsa on Saturday night.
It was the latest addition to a series of wild finishes for Keenum and the Cougars.
"This tops the craziest one," Keenum said.
After getting sacked on a potential tying 2-point conversion with 21 seconds left, Keenum bounced back to complete a 14-yard pass to James Cleveland and a 13-yarder to Tyron Carrier to set up Hogan's kick with just 3 seconds left. He drilled the ball just inside the left upright, igniting the Cougars' celebration.
The Cougars (8-1, 4-1 Conference USA) rushed onto the field and hoisted Hogan into the air after he connected on the longest kick of his career. He hadn't made a field goal of longer than 34 yards before his game-winner.
Tulsa (4-5, 2-3) players splayed out on the field after suffering their fourth straight loss.
"It was just chaos," Cleveland said. "They were sprinting on the field, and I just had to sit there for a minute. I didn't go sprinting on the field. I just had to let it soak in."
Keenum finished with 522 yards on 40 for 60 passing with three touchdown passes. It was the second straight game with more than 500 yards passing for the nation's most productive passer.
"Our team believes in him," Houston coach Kevin Sumlin said. "Offensively, defensively, everybody does, that no matter what the score is, we're never out of the game."
Charles Clay scored four touchdowns, and G.J. Kinne threw for a career-best 334 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a career-high 100 yards for Tulsa (4-5, 2-3). The Golden Hurricane had kept Houston out of the conference championship game the last two years as West Division champions.
