Report: Houston's Greg Ward Jr. expected to play Thursday vs. Cincinnati

After sitting out against Lamar on Saturday, Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is expected to play Thursday against Cincinnati, according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.

Ward injured his shoulder in a Week 1 win over Oklahoma where he completed 23-of-40 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. The senior signal-caller had an MRI the day after the victory, which revealed no structural damage.

Head coach Tom Herman decided to play it safe against Lamar and kept his quarterback off the field.

"We felt it was in his best interest to get more treatment and more rehab today rather than go out and bang around," said Herman.

Thursday's game between the Cougars and Bearcats is the American Athletic Conference season opener.