Coming off a 40-point blowout of a second-tier FCS team (a game in which the Cougars likely could have scored 100 points if they wanted to), the University of Houston's season gets going for real with this ESPN Friday night showcase game. The 9:15 p.m. start time is for TV and Cougars quarterback Case Keenum and coach Kevin Sumlin's high-powered offense will be looking to impress viewers who don't normally get to see UH football.

UTEP isn't a sure TV pushover though (even if the Cougars are more than 16-point favorites in this game in the Las Vegas books). The Miners upset Houston 58-41 last season, dealing a severe blow to the Cougars push for national recognition. Expect plenty more points in the rematch — UH just hopes that a second straight Robertson sellout crowd will be there to see it's revenge play.

This is the first of the semi-controversial Friday night games that Houston will play that directly abut with Texas high school football's Friday night lights tradition, so in some ways, the crowd size will be a test.