SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 15, 2013
Texans 30, Titans 24 (OT): Arian Foster forged a tie with a 1-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter, and Matt Schaub threw a 3-yard scoring pass to DeAndre Hopkins 4:28 into overtime as host Houston staged another late rally to remain unbeaten.
Houston (2-0) had a chance to avoid overtime, but Randy Bullock hit the left upright on a 46-yard field-goal attempt with no time left on the clock. The Texans won the coin flip and drove 78 yards for the winning score, with a 25-yard catch by Hopkins getting the first down and putting ball on the Tennessee 1 before the winning TD.
Schaub completed 26-of-48 passes for 298 yards and Hopkins had seven receptions for 117 yards for the Texans, who scored 24 unanswered points in the second half en route to a triumph at San Diego last week. Ben Tate gained 93 yards on nine carries and Foster rushed 19 times for 79 yards, while Chris Johnson had 96 yards on 25 rushes for the Titans (1-1), who have lost five of the last seven meetings between the AFC South rivals.
Houston erased a three-point halftime deficit on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Schaub to Owen Daniels midway through the third quarter and a safety early in the fourth. But Jake Locker threw a 10-yard TD pass to Delanie Walker with 6:37 remaining to put the Titans back in front, and Alterraun Verner returned an interception 23 yards for a score less than two minutes later for a 24-16 advantage.
The teams traded short-yardage scores in the first quarter, with Schaub finding Garrett Graham from 1 yard out on the game's opening drive, and Locker connected with Kendall Wright for a 6-yard touchdown on Tennessee's first possession. The Titans took a 10-7 lead into the half as Rob Bironas booted a 47-yard field goal as time expired after missing a 48-yard attempt earlier in the second.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston S Ed Reed was inactive for a second straight game as he continues to recover from offseason hip surgery, while WR Andre Johnson left in the fourth with a possible concussion and did not return. ... Texans DE Antonio Smith made his season debut after missing the opener due to suspension and made a pair of tackles. ... Bullock also missed a pair of 50-yard field-goal attempts in the first half and is just 1-for-5 on the season. Bullock capped last week's comeback against the Chargers with a 41-yard kick as time expired.