CINCINNATI -- Once the sixth-ranked Houston Cougars stopped hurting themselves, they inflicted some serious pain on the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Heisman Trophy candidate Greg Ward Jr. ran for two touchdowns and threw for another while the Houston defense kept Cincinnati bottled up and added two touchdowns to help the Cougars overcome three turnovers for a 40-16 victory in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams at Nippert Stadium on Thursday.

Houston's senior quarterback scored both his touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Houston erupted for 28 points to pull away after falling behind early in the final period.

"I believe our training took over," said senior linebacker Steven Taylor, who had one of Houston's three fourth-quarter interceptions and returned his 74 yards for a touchdown. "We prepare hard every day and we stayed confident the whole game."

Cougars coach Tom Herman was proud of the comeback, which snapped Houston's six-game losing streak in his hometown. The Cougars hadn't won in Cincinnati since 1971.

"Nobody hung their heads," Herman said. "We knew we played better than them at halftime. The score didn't show it. The fourth quarter exemplified a veteran team that's played in big games. They go down and score and we come back and take the lead."

Ward, who missed Saturday's victory over Lamar with an injured shoulder, threw for 326 yards and rushed for a team-high 73 yards, personally outgaining Cincinnati in total offense 399-307.

"I was doing what I could for my team," Ward said. "They were keeping my shoulder warm on the sidelines. I tend to get tight. I was thankful to be out there.

"I told my team at halftime it was nothing that they (Cincinnati) were doing. We were shooting ourselves in the foot."

Ward scored on a 12-yard scramble with 11:45 remaining to give Houston a 19-16 lead. He added a 3-yard scoring run with 6:16 left to clinch the Cougars' 3-0 start before Taylor and Howard Wilson tacked on returns of interceptions for touchdowns on back-to-back offensive plays by the Bearcats (2-1).

"It exploded," Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville said. "They rushed for nearly 200 yards (180) and we rushed for (30). You can't beat any good team if you can't run the football. They put all the pressure on our quarterback and receivers and they dictated the game to us."

Houston took a 12-10 lead with 10:30 left in the third quarter when Tion Green tried to run from his own 1-yard line and, predictably, was stuffed for a safety by outside linebacker Tyus Bowser. Houston was ranked second in the country in rushing defense going into the game.

The Cougars reached Cincinnati's 1-yard line late in the third quarter, but Alex Thomas stopped the drive with an interception in the end zone -- Houston's third turnover. Hayden Moore's 35-yard flea-flicker pass to Mike Boone set up a go-ahead 4-yard catch by Nate Cole for a 16-12 Cincinnati lead three seconds into the fourth quarter.

Houston needed only two plays and 41 seconds to take a 7-0 lead after a 34-yard Sam Geraci punt left the Cougars with a first down at their own 46. On the second play of the possession, Ward found Chance Allen for a 39-yard touchdown.

Cincinnati bounced right back five plays later with Moore's 61-yard bomb to wide receiver Devin Gray, who got behind the Houston defense on a post pattern for his first career touchdown reception.

Houston started rolling Ward more in the backfield and the offense responded by going 70 yards in 11 plays with the quarterback completing 6 of 7 passes for 52 yards. The Bearcats stiffened and forced the Cougars to settle for a Ty Cummings' 32-yard field goal and a 10-7 lead.

Junior Grant Coleman, who logged his first career interception early in the second quarter, set up a game-tying field goal with a 53-yard return of Isaiah Johnson's fumble on a reverse off a shovel pass to running back Duke Catalon. Carter Jacobs forced the fumble as Johnson was going out of bounds, and a 15-yard facemask penalty on the play gave Cincinnati the ball on Houston's 19-yard line. Andrew Gantz tied the game with a 37-yard field goal.

NOTES: Bearcats senior LB Antonio Kinard, who had a combined eight tackles in their first two games, had eight by the end of the first quarter. ... Cincinnati went into the game ranked fifth in the country in turnover margin after finishing 124th last season and was even Thursday. ... The Bearcats are off until their annual rivalry game against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 24. ... The Cougars do not play until they visit Texas State on Sept. 24.