Houston moved to 8-3 on the season Thursday night with a convincing victory over Tulane, but the win did not come without a huge loss. The Houston Chronicle is reporting on Friday that starting quarterback D'Eriq King suffered a torn meniscus in the victory and will subsequently be out for the remainder of the season. The injury occurred on a non-contact play following a handoff, and Houston coach Major Applewhite described the loss of his starting signal-caller as stunning.
"He simply handed the ball off and went to carry out his fate," Applewhite said. "It all kind of stunned us, quite honestly, when he said he could not straighten his leg out."
The injury to King took place right before halftime of the victory for the Cougars, and King did not return for the second half, though he did make his way back to the Houston sideline with crutches. Prior to the knee injury, King was 11-of-15 passing for 82 yards, and he also rushed for another 82 yards on 10 carries. King finishes his junior season prematurely for the Cougars with 2,982 yards passing and 36 touchdowns, while adding 674 yards rushing on 111 carries, meaning Houston is suffering a late-season loss of one of the most prolific players in the country.
Houston has been plagued by a few injuries this season, with one of the nation's best players in defensive tackle Ed Oliver -- who was in a heated exchange with Applewhite over a coat rule during Thursday's win -- missing the past four games while nursing a knee injury of his own.
