Houston Ends Season At .500, Tramples Jaguars 42-28

Posted by Stephen Rhodes on December 30th, 2007 filed in Game Stories

        

The Houston Texans were able to end the regular season on a high note and accomplish a first - they became the first team in their short history to make it to the .500 mark (8-8).  They had plenty of help thanks to one Andre’ Davis, who returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns, leading the Texans to a big win over Jacksonville 42-28.

The first quarter was rather quiet, save for the 22-yard touchdown pass thrown by Jaguars quarterback Quinn Gray to Reggie Williams. Three seconds into the second quarter, Texans running back Ron Dayne ran into the end zone from 2 yards out, tying the game at 7. Houston would take the lead 14-7 with about 3 1/2 minutes left in the half on a short TD pass from Sage Rosenfels to tight end Owen Daniels. Jacksonville would tie the game at 14 on a 6-yard Gray to Ernest Wilford TD pass with about 30 ticks left on the clock in the half. But Houston’s Davis would return his first of 2 kickoff returns for a touchdown, giving Houston a 21-14 lead going into halftime.

Davis would return another kickoff for a touchdown 13 seconds into the third quarter, giving the Texans a 28-14 advantage. Roughly 7 minutes later, Houston RB Ron Dayne scored his 2nd TD of the day, enlarging the Texans’ lead to 35-14. This lead would hold up till the final gun. Houston’s Rosenfels had a mediocre game, going 11-for 18 for 128 yards with a touchdown and an interception; Dayne led Houston with 88 yards rushing and 2 TD’s, with Darius Walker rushing for 86 and a score. WR Andre Johnson would lead all Texans receivers with 6 receptions for 74 yards.

Quinn Gray acquitted himself well, going 25-for-39 for 302 yards and 4 TD passes and just as importantly - zero INT’s. Greg Jones led all Jags rushers with 71 yards on 14 carries; WR Matt Jones had one of - if not - his best game of his young career, catching 8 balls for 138 yards and a TD. Ernest Wilford caught 6 balls for 58 yards and 2 TD’s. Today’s win put Houston at the .500 mark (8-8) for the first time in franchise history, while Jacksonville (11-5) will play their first playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, January 5.