Back and Forth Q&A W/ Houston Chronicle beat writer Sam Khan Jr.

Great idea from fantastic Houston beat writer Sam Khan Jr. of the Houston Chronicle - he sent me five questions about UCLA, I sent him five about Houston, and we traded answers. Here were my questions for him, with his answers, and after the jump, his questions for me, with my answers...

1. How has Case Keenum looked in fall camp in terms of mobility and confidence? That is to say, is he running tentatively or with freedom? Same with his passing? Is he slinging it around like he was pre-injury?
Keenum has looked good. So far, he doesn't seem to be showing any ill effects. During their first live scrimmage of fall camp, the first pass he threw was a 65-yard touchdown to Patrick Edwards so, needless to say, folks were excited to see that. I don't really see any tentativeness with his running or his passing and he was able to operate the offense at a pretty good tempo during their scrimmages. I think you'll see as close to a pre-injury Keenum as you can get on Saturday.

2. What exactly happened to the Houston offense early against the Bruins last year, as when Keenum went down they were already trailing 21-3?
Plainly put, they were getting beat physically. UCLA's defensive front won the battle at the line of scrimmage which is why UH had trouble getting a running game going and was forced into a lot of third-and-longs. The receivers had trouble getting open with frequency, making matters worse. The coaches have said that this year's offensive line is as big as it has been in years, so perhaps that will make a difference. But they simply got beat by a team that was bigger, stronger and in some spots, faster than they were.

3. Johnathan Franklin and Co. ran all over the Cougars last year, to the tune of 266 yards, a breakout performance for the Pistol offense. Should we expect more of the same?
I would expect UCLA to still have success running the ball, but I don't know that I'd expect that kind of performance again. For one, the Cougars have upgraded their talent, size and depth on the defensive line and their linebacker depth is solid. Plus, they're now in the second year of the 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Brian Stewart, so guys are no longer thinking about where they need to be and what they need to do, they just know and are able to play faster. In addition to that, the two new coaches on defense --- defensive line coach Carlton Hall and linebackers coach Jamie Bryant --- have brought a new attitude to their position groups. UCLA's offensive line is so large that it's hard for me to think that the Bruins won't be able to open some lanes, but I'd expect a better performance from the Cougars this time around.

4. How much of a difference will the game location play? What should we realistically expect from the weather?
The Cougars being home at Robertson Stadium will be a big deal for them. They play well at home (26-5 at Robertson dating back to 2006) and even when they've struggled out of the gate against some teams, they've shown a penchant for late rallies in front of the home fans. Plus, the home crowd is going to be fired up for this one because Los Angeles is where it all went off track for the Cougars last year and it's the only BCS-conference opponent on UH's schedule. So the fans are putting a lot of stock in this one and I'd expect UH to feed off of their energy. If the weather cooperates, it should be a packed house. As for the weather, there's a chance of rain and cloudy conditions this weekend, so it could knock the temperature below triple digits (which would be ironic since it's been over 100 almost the entire summer). As of Friday afternoon, the forecast called for partly cloudy conditions with the highs around 100 and a 20 percent chance of rain. So if that holds, it'll still be steamy, but perhaps not 105-degrees-unbearable, like it has been for much of fall practice.

5. Houston is favored despite losing by 18 last year. Are you surprised by that? How has the tone of the team been in that regard?
Am I surprised? Yes and no. Yes in that UCLA handled UH pretty well last season, but no in the fact that the return of Case Keenum is a big deal in the eyes of those around the nation who maybe don't follow the Cougars as closely. Because of what he's accomplished, throwing for more than 5,000 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons, the preseason Heisman talk last year and his leading UH to wins against nationally-ranked teams, his presence lends a bit of national credibility to the Cougars. I don't know that it's worth 18 points, but if you factor in the return of running back Charles Sims (who wasn't suited up for UH last season) and being at home, that gives them a boost in the eyes of many. The tone of the team has been one of confidence, but I don't think they feel like the favorite necessarily. The Cougars feel UCLA is a quality team and they're hungry to get another chance against them.

6. Gun pointed to your head, someone's about to pull the trigger, life or death, man, life or death: What's the best BBQ in Houston? Best steakhouse? Clearly I'm already hungry.
Jon, I have immediately grown an even greater respect for you because you asked this question, because it's something every traveling beat writer should know. I think I might steal it for my Q&A next week when the Cougars have their first road game.

But to answer your question, the best BBQ in Houston for my money is Gatlin's. It's a tiny place on 19th street near TC Jester, northwest of downtown. It's a little out of the way if you're going to be around UH, but the brisket is moist, the ribs fall off the bone and the sauce has a little kick, which I like. They're very hospitable there and will treat you right. Because it's small and lots of folks go, you might have to wait a little bit for your food. In my opinion, it's very much worth the wait.

As for steakhouses, I love Taste of Texas on the west side of town. You get to choose your own steak, it's good quality, a nice setting, a large seating area and the salad bar is probably the best I've ever had when it comes to fresh ingredients and variety of choices. Again, a place you might have to wait for a little bit but very much worth it. I've never left that place less than stuffed.