NCAA FOOTBALL: Good feelings abound after Houston Peach Bowl victory

University of Houston junior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. darts for a first down against the Florida State Seminoles during the 2015 Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome on Thursday afternoon, December 31, 2015. Ward Jr. accounted for three touchdowns in the game, two rushing and one passing. (Ben Solomon/American Athletic Conference) less University of Houston junior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. darts for a first down against the Florida State Seminoles during the 2015 Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome on Thursday afternoon, December 31, 2015. Ward ... more Photo: Ben Solomon Photo: Ben Solomon Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close NCAA FOOTBALL: Good feelings abound after Houston Peach Bowl victory 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

ATLANTA - The 18th-ranked University of Houston Cougars earned arguably the most significant win in program history Thursday, knocking off ninth-ranked Florida State 38-24 in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.

The Cougars posted an impressive 12-1 season prior to the game, winning the American Athletic Conference Championship 24-13 against Temple, but were not given much of a chance by the national media against the Seminoles, only two years removed from a national championship.

The Cougars proved they, too, belong in the national conversation, racing out to a 21-3 halftime lead and holding on to weather a second-half comeback as they the Seminoles outscored them 25-13 in the final two frames.

Houston’s defense was the key to the game, turning the Seminoles over five times on four interceptions and one fumble, preventing Florida State from getting into any kind of offensive rhythm.

Florida State junior quarterback Sean Maguire suffered a sprained ankle early in the second quarter, and while he spent two offensive series receiving an X-ray, replacement quarterback, redshirt freshman J.J. Cosentino, completed one of his four pass attempts for five yards and was sacked twice for 12 lost yards.

Maguire gamely made an effort with a heavily-taped left ankle, and managed to complete 22-of-44 passes for 392 yards and two touchdowns, but also gave up the four picks, two of them to Houston senior free safety Trevon Stewart. After the game, Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher praised the tenacity and competitive spirit of his starting quarterback

“[I liked] his competitiveness, his toughness, his ability to compete in the game and his willingness to come back in there and lay his heart and soul on the line,” Fisher said. “This guy’s a competitor. I have the utmost respect for him as a player, leader, everything he stands for. He came back in and threw for 392 yards, and had us in a chance to get back in the ballgame.”

Houston caught Florida State off guard with a bevy of what might be termed ‘gadget plays,’ including one resulting in a 20-yard touchdown pass from junior wide receiver Demarcus Ayers (who reportedly is foregoing his senior season to declare for the NFL draft) to junior wide receiver Chance Allen. Herman explained after the win why he felt the bevy of trick plays were necessary.

“Well, I felt like we’re not going to match up player for player,” Herman said. “We felt like we had to use tempo to our advantage and go fast. And then we had to use some misdirection, when we weren’t going fast, because they’ve got some fantastic players, first-round [NFL] draft picks on that team, on defense.”

The victory unquestionably qualifies as an upset, but Houston has been surprising the college football world all season long. Herman pointed towards the philosophy and cohesion of his squad as keys to the terrific play on the field.

“I told each guy last night,” Herman said. “I said they don’t put recruiting stars on playing, on being the most physically tough team, or mentally tough team, and the team that is the most purpose-driven, meaning the team that loves each other the most.”

The passion Herman refers to, the idea of each player playing for the man beside him, the very real concept of family that exists within this Cougars locker room, ultimately propelled the dark horse Cougars to a win against a perennial powerhouse on one of college football’s biggest stages.

“That can overcome a lot,” Herman said, “by having the passion and purpose that this team has to go out and play a team loaded with NFL talent and say ‘we’re not going to back down, we’re going to be the aggressor.’”

That aggression was particularly evident in the second quarter, when Houston outgained Florida State 147 to -15 offensive yards, outscoring them 14-0 to take a commanding 21-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.

That aggression was the reason Houston was able to limit the Seminoles’ star running back, sophomore Dalvin Cook, to 33 yards on 18 carries. Fisher believed th

“We just didn’t block them,” Fisher said. “There was nothing that we had never seen. They just beat us on blocks. They beat us on blocks, and when we did break through, they were able to tackle well. I think that was a big key to what happened in the game.”

Florida State managed only 16 total yards rushing all game. The lack of a competent running game left everything in the hands of Maguire, and though he was able to make plenty of big completions, a few too many of those completions were to opposing players, like Stewart. Stewart said after the game that there was no such thing as enough, when it came to turning over the Seminoles.

“Really, we kept telling each other, man, keep fighting,” Stewart said. “The game ain’t over yet. We were trying to get more. We felt it wasn’t enough. [Defensive coordinator Todd] Orlando said keep bringing the pressure. That’s just what we do. We’re hungry players just trying to make it happen.”

Thursday, that is exactly what the Cougars did. They made it happen - a victory that would have been unthinkable this time one year ago, when the Cougars were playing in the Armed Forces Bowl after a 7-5 season that left them tied for fourth in the AAC. This year, the Cougars have bragging rights as the unquestioned best college team in the state of Texas. Stewart and the entire Houston program take great pride in their accomplishments this year, and are reveling in the success.

“It means a lot, having that [on] the University of Texas, Texas A&M, guys like that,” Stewart said. “Having a lot of friends on those teams, there’s a lot of bragging rights, and it feels good, especially, to come this far, not just to come to Atlanta, to the Peach Bowl, but also to win the game. It’s a good feeling.”

It is a good feeling for all of Houston’s fans, as well, with the Cougars likely to open next season among the top-10 ranked teams in the country. And with a sterling 13-1 record, taking down four top-25 teams along the way, the Cougars and their fans have earned some good feelings.