NCAA FOOTBALL: Peach Bowl win pushes Houston to new heights

University of Houston head coach Tom Herman lifts the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl trophy after the 18th-ranked Cougars' 38-24 win over ninth-ranked Florida State Thursday, December 31, 2015. The win was Houston's 13th of the season and the most significant Houston win in recent memory. less University of Houston head coach Tom Herman lifts the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl trophy after the 18th-ranked Cougars' 38-24 win over ninth-ranked Florida State Thursday, December 31, 2015. The win was Houston's ... more Photo: Justin Tijerina Photo: Justin Tijerina Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close NCAA FOOTBALL: Peach Bowl win pushes Houston to new heights 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

ATLANTA - The 18th-ranked University of Houston Cougars climbed into rarefied air they have not enjoyed since Andre Ware and the run-and-shoot era, knocking off the heavily-favored ninth-ranked Florida State Seminoles 38-24 Thursday in a New Year’s Six Bowl in front of a national audience.

Houston head coach Tom Herman has been brand-conscious since the beginning of the season, and the HTownTakeover movement reached an all-new level of frenzy when the underdog Cougars took it to the Seminoles in the Georgia Dome in front of 71,007 college football fans and in televised view of millions more.

Herman was able to spend a few moments reflecting on the magnitude of the victory and the emotions after the game.

“This is the greatest win in my life,” Herman said. “Hats off to our staff, our players and our administration - it feels incredible.”

Starting quarterback, junior Greg Ward Jr., completed 25-of-41 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown, rushing 20 times for 67 yards and another two scores. He echoed Herman’s sentiments, referencing the dedication and commitment it took to be a winner on New Year’s Eve.

“It means everything,” Ward Jr. said. “It all paid off. We all bought into Coach Herman’s plan and it paid off.”

The win promises to propel Houston further into the national conversation, a miracle run after going 7-5 a season ago and finishing tied for fourth in the American Athletic Conference. Junior wide receiver Chance Allen, who caught four passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns in the win, suggests that Houston has gained key knowledge about how to perform on the gridiron.

“We now know what it takes,” Allen said. “We need to continue to follow the plan and come in ready to work in the spring.”

Herman knows well what this kind of victory on this kind of stage can do for the program he has helped to resurrect and drive forward.

“I think the validation of the way we go about our business has really been neat to feel and palpable in the city,” Herman said. “It’s palpable on our campus that we have a ne sense of pride in this great university and this great football program, and it’s because of the players that have invested so much in it.”

Herman summed up the momentum and the potential of the Houston program succinctly in his press conference following the game.

“We’re back,” Herman said. “The sky is the limit.”

And to potential recruits, Herman added one more thing.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention to recruits out there that if you want to win championships and you want to win New Year’s Six bowl games and win thirteen games and kiss trophies and get really big rings, you can certainly do it here at one of the finest institutions in the country, and in my opinion the greatest city in America.”