The Houston Texans left Dallas with a 20-14 win over the Cowboys and a 2-0 preseason record. After allowing two touchdowns in the first half, the Texans held the Cowboys scoreless in the second half and allowed Dallas to rush for just 29 yards after halftime. ·

Lovie Smith's defense had four takeaways in the game, three interceptions and a fumble recovery, which the Texans capitalized into 17 points. Houston has now caused a total of seven takeaways this preseason.

"You get four turnovers and you don't turn it over, there's a pretty good chance you're going to win the football game," head coach David Culley said. "That's what they've been preaching all training camp. They're doing a good job with it."

The defense added a touchdown in the win when Lonnie Johnson scored on 53-yard interception return. Johnson credited the defensive linemen creating the pressure up front.

"These guys are getting back there and that's helping us so it's our job to make them look good," Johnson said. "They get back there, guys like Vincent Taylor, Maliek (Collins), Shaq (Lawson), all them guys, I don't want to miss any names, but everybody gets back there and like, there's no dropoff. It's on our job on the back end to take care of them and if the ball's in the air, we go get it."

The Texans front finished with eight quarterback hits and 5.0 sacks including two for Charles Omenihu and one for rookie Roy Lopez. Omenihu also added two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery and earned a game ball for his performance. Jacob Martin and DeMarcus Walker each added a sack in the win. Terrence Brooks had an interception on the final drive of the game and also finished with a team-high eight tackles (six solo) and added a pass defensed.

Tyrod Taylor played through the first quarter while rookie Davis Mills was under center until midway through the fourth quarter. Taylor was 2-of-5 for 10 yards. Mills completed 10-of-16 for 115 yards. Mark Ingram II led the running backs with seven carries for 24 yards and a touchdown.

The Texans were 1-of-2 from the red zone. For every visit to the red zone, TDECU has committed to donate $300 to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston, totaling this week's donation to $600.

The Texans took an early 7-0 lead after Martin's strip sack on Garrett Gilbert gave Houston its first takeaway of the night. Omenihu recovered the fumble and the Texans offense took over at the Dallas 23-yard line. Taylor's pass to Brandin Cooks was just shy of the first down. On the next play, Ingram converted a fourth-and-1 with a two-yard run. Three plays later, Ingram scored on a two-yard touchdown run.

"Obviously, that's huge to start the game for the defense to able to cause a turnover, give us a short field and for us to be able to be able to capitalize and get a touchdown on it, that's execution," Ingram said. "That's something you want to do. Obviously, how the game started we're happy with that, but as the game went on, just needed better execution to sustain drives, to limit big plays, all that stuff."

The Cowboys changed quarterbacks and Cooper Rush threw a pair of touchdowns to give Dallas a 14-7 lead at halftime. Running back Tony Pollard caught an eight-yard touchdown pass on a drive extended by a 26-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Houston. Then with less than two minutes remaining in the first half, Cedric Wilson caught a nine-yard score to give the Cowboys their first lead of the night.

In the third quarter, Johnson picked off Ben DiNucci's pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown. Both of the Cowboys' fourth-quarter drives ended in interceptions. Shyheim Carter picked off DiNucci's pass at the Houston 45-yard line. Jeff Driskel led a nine-play, 45-yard drive that ended in a 24-yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn. On the Cowboys' next and final possession of the game, Brooks picked off another DiNucci pass and the Texans finished the game in victory formation.

With the win, the Texans improve to 2-0 on the season and will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason finale next Saturday.