Georgia Dome

My visit to the Georgia Dome came on December 31, 2015, for the Peach Bowl between No. 14 Houston and No. 9 Florida State. It was a New Year’s Eve matchup between a Group of Five program trying to prove it belonged and one of the biggest names in college football.

Houston proved it right away. Florida State’s offense could not hold on to the ball, and the Cougars took a 21-3 lead into halftime. Seminoles quarterback Sean Maguire was hurt in the first quarter on a hit from Matthew Adams and missed time before returning in the second quarter.

Greg Ward Jr. was the star for Houston. He threw for 238 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Chance Allen, and ran for 67 yards and two more scores. He was the only player in the country that season to both run and throw for 1,000 yards, and he showed why on this stage.

Florida State came into the game with only 10 turnovers all season and committed five in this one. Maguire threw for 392 yards and two touchdowns, but Houston intercepted him four times, with Trevon Stewart and William Jackson III each picking him off twice. Dalvin Cook was held to 33 yards. Late in the game, Kyle Postma’s 29-yard run set up a 2-yard touchdown by Ryan Jackson with about two minutes left to put the game away.

Houston won 38-24 to finish 13-1 in Tom Herman’s first season as head coach, and the confetti came down on the Cougars inside the Georgia Dome.