• Box score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — While the college football world was fixated on the happenings approximately 50 miles southwest of Legion Field in Tuscaloosa, the Houston Cougars were busy making a little history of their own against UAB.

There wasn't a capacity crowd, hundreds of media members, thousands of flashbulbs going off or grandiose nicknames for the battle between the Cougars and the Blazers. Just one undefeated football team, looking to stay that way.

With senior quarterback Case Keenum shattering another NCAA record along the way, the Cougars were dominant again Saturday, rolling to a 56-13 win over UAB before 13,909 to improve to 9-0, their best start in school history.

"It's been a really special season," Keenum said. "And it's cool that we still have a lot of special things in front of us."

The No. 14 Cougars, who are now 5-0 in Conference USA play for the first time ever, edged the program's previous best starts of 8-0 achieved in 1990 and 1979.

Keenum was his usual efficient self, completing 39 of 44 passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for two more scores. He moved past former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang (17,072) on the Football Bowl Subdivision passing yardage list, making it the third straight week that Keenum has claimed a major offensive record. In addition to his 17,212 passing yards, the sixth-year senior now owns the NCAA FBS marks for total offense, passing touchdowns and total touchdowns.

"I'm not going to take any of these things lightly," Keenum said. "I know for a fact that it's a very special honor, but I'm not going to fully enjoy it and celebrate it until after the season.

"And hopefully I'll have a lot more to celebrate than just the records."

Delaying the inevitable

UAB (1-8, 1-5) used a slow pace and methodical drives to eat up clock in the first quarter and a half, an effort to keep the nation's No. 1 offense on the sidelines and perhaps disrupt its rhythm. An early fumble by running back Michael Hayes (16 carries, 93 yards) and a failed fourth-and-goal attempt at the 1 didn't help matters for the Cougars, but it was only a matter of time before they kicked it into high gear.

With the game knotted at 7-7 halfway into the second period, UH found its offensive footing, scoring on its final two drives of the first half (1-yard runs by Keenum and Charles Sims) and first two drives of the second half (a 3-yard run by Hayes and 1-yard run by Keenum) to open up a 35-13 lead with 3:56 remaining in the third quarter.

Keenum found Justin Johnson (seven catches, 91 yards) for an 11-yard TD early in the fourth, then cornerback D.J. Hayden added a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown to extend the lead to 49-13 with 8:05 remaining.

Despite giving up 121 first-quarter yards to the Blazers, the Cougars' defense tightened up and held UAB to just 269 on the night. The Cougars piled up 10 tackles for a loss and five sacks, including three by Lloyd Allen.

"Once our defense settled down, I thought they played pretty well," UH coach Kevin Sumlin said. "We gave up (269) yards and 13 points; that's a pretty good effort by our defense."

sam.khan@chron.com

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