CINCINNATI Greg Ward Jr.waited and waited and waited...But when nobody popped open on a critical third-and-11 from the 12-yard line after what seemed like forever, the Houston quarterbackdashed for the right corner of the end zone. Thetouchdown gave No. 6 Houston an early fourth-quarter lead that it never relinquished in a 40-16 win against Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium on Thursday.MORE: Patience paid off Matthew Boyd Jersey on a night when Wardhad his tested. It became clear that Houston will need this kind of effort from him and then some to stay on a course to the College Football Playoff.Lets hear about that virtue again.He had a lot of patience, kind of weaved his way in and out of traffic and found the end zone, Houston coach Tom Herman said. That's what he does. Hes really good at it, and we're going to continue to need him in big games like this."Ward completed 24of36 pa ses Daniel Norris Jersey for 326 yards after mi sing last week with a shoulder injury. He also threw two interceptions, including one in the red zone. Cincinnati defensive tackleLyndon Johnson slammed Ward to the turf on his ailing shoulder with a minute left in the first half. He rushed 26 times for73 yards and two scores. This was a tough one, even if it came with 399 total yards of offense.MORE: Ward's shoulder will be the focus in coming weeks:He admitted he experiences pain whilethrowing, but didnt elaborate. Wardstuck with, God ble sed me enough to be out there, and it didnt matter how I felt after eachquestion.Herman offered a better diagnosis,saying trainers used Icy Hot and BenGay to keep his shoulder loose but more time is needed."I've been rea sured by the doctors that he's at no greater risk for damaging it further now Niko Goodrum Jersey than he was before the injury, Herman said. The healing proce s is one we're going to continue to manage."MORE: Cincinnati took a 16-12 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter, and thats when Wardtold teammates, Were still in the game. He kept the ensuing drive alive with a third-and-5 conversion to Linell Bonner before his wait-and-escape touchdown run."It was just a great call," Ward said. "The offensive line did a great job blocking, and I was able to walk it into the end zone."Ward tacked on another touchdownrun on the following drive to helpput the game out of reach Detroit Tigers Jersey . Back-to-back interception returns may have inflated the score, but the Cougars nonethele simproved to 3-0.It was another gamein whichWard proved his value on all fronts. It could be the39-yard touchdown pa s to Chance Allen on a post route for a first-quarter score. It could be side-stepping a defender to hit Allen again acro s the middle for a big gainer that setup a field goal. It could be logging all those tough running yards.MORE: But its more about the calmne s Ward displayed in the fourth quarter. He'sthe real deal, but he has to stay upright. Houston found that out when he was injured last season,and the Cougars lost to Jordy Mercer Jersey Connecticut. Theyve won the other 16 games under Herman.After this win, Wardsidestepped the locker room to meet a few fans waving a Cougars helmet and asking for autographs. Heobliged and smiled while being pulled away.He finished the game, Herman said. He finished strong.Hes really good at that, too. There will be more big games down the line to prove it again.