Houston coach Kevin Sumlin doesn't have to hear any more about that nearly three-decade postseason winless drought for the Cougars.
It's finally over.
Case Keenum ran for two touchdowns and threw for another and the Cougars wrapped up Sumlin's first season with a 34-28 victory over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl on Wednesday for their first bowl victory since 1980.
Houston (8-5) ended an eight-game bowl losing streak, avoiding a record the Cougars didn't want to share with Notre Dame. The Irish won the Hawaii Bowl last week to end their NCAA-record bowl losing streak at nine.
In a rematch of a hurricane-disrupted game 3½ months ago that Air Force won, Houston never trailed after the Falcons fumbled the opening kickoff and Bryce Beall scored on a 1-yard run only 1½ minutes into the game.
But the Cougars had to overcome two fourth-quarter turnovers, including a fumble at the goal line by Beall, the freshman who ran for 135 yards on 22 carries.
Keenum was 22-of-33 passing for 252 yards. It ended his streak of 13 consecutive 300-yard games, but he still became only the second Houston quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a season. His 5,020 yards is second only to David Klingler's 5,140 in 1990.
Air Force (8-5) didn't get another chance after Tim Jefferson's fourth-down pass from the Falcons' 37 was batted down at the line by Cody Lubojasky with 2:34 remaining.
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Beall appeared to break into the end zone early in the fourth quarter, but the ball popped loose. Officials initially marked him down at the 1, but after a lengthy review ruled that he fumbled in the end zone and Air Force recovered.
The Falcons failed to get a first down, punting after Phillip Hunt's school-record 34th career sack.
Houston then needed only three plays to score, Keenum hit Andre Kohn for a 13-yard TD for a 31-20 lead with 11 minutes left after Beall's 24-yard burst up the middle.
But Keenum later had a pass that deflected off a receiver and was intercepted by Aaron Kirchoff. Fullback Jared Tew finished that drive with five straight carries for 27 yards, the last a 2-yard score that got the Falcons within 31-28 after a 2-point conversion.
Tew, getting his first career start because of an injury to starter Todd Newell, finished with 27 carries for 149 yards -- only 30 yards fewer than he had in nine regular season games.
Jordan Mannisto then kicked his second field goal, a 37-yarder, before Air Force got its last chance.
With Hurricane Ike approaching the Texas coast, the first meeting between Houston and Air Force on Sept. 13 was moved from Houston north to the SMU campus. Kickoff was switched from mid-afternoon to midmorning and played in windy and rainy conditions in a near-empty stadium.
The rematch was played under sunny skies before an announced crowd of 40,127.
Air Force didn't complete a pass in the first game, but held on for a 31-28 victory after building an early 24-point lead against an understandably distracted Houston team.
This time, Spencer Armstrong fumbled the opening kickoff return, though the Falcons quickly tied the game on Tew's 2-yard run.
Houston built a 17-7 lead by scoring on all three of its possessions in the first quarter. Keenum had a 1-yard run and Mannisto a 22-yard field goal after Hunt recovered a fumble.
Air Force tied the game at 17 on Ryan Harrison's 44-yard field goal with 2:28 left in the first half, and Tyron Carrier fumbled the ensuring kickoff. Harrison then had a 55-yard kick that went through the uprights, but Houston had called timeout and his second try was wide left.
The Cougars got to the 13 after an 11-yard run by Beall, still with 8 seconds and a timeout. Carrier caught a screen pass and was running at an angle toward the sideline when he suddenly cut up to try to avoid a defender. He was short of the end zone and time expired.
Keenum's 4-yard keeper to open the second half put Houston ahead to stay.
