Camryn Alberigo/The Cougar
The first season of the Willie Fritz era of Houston Cougars football is in the books. While the defense showed major improvement, the offense was a disaster that left fans searching for answers.
From inconsistency with scoring points and the red zone to a lack of explosiveness, a lot could have gone better this season. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the team.
Despite the 4-8 record, they showed glimpses of what the team can become in their four wins and won some significant games. With that being said, The Cougar attended the 2024 Houston Cougars Football Awards where they honored the best players and moments throughout the season.
Best Offensive Performance: Zeon Chriss vs. Kansas State
Spoiler alert: offensive-based award winners were extremely hard considering the state of the Cougar’s offense this season. But there were some bright spots, such as sophomore quarterback Zeon Chriss’s performance against the then No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats.
Chriss completed all 11 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, with a passer rating of 208.7 and a QBR rating of 74.6.
He also ran 22 times for 75 yards, including a clutch 41-yard touchdown that would help UH win the game.
Best defensive performance: A.J. Haulcy vs. TCU
Many candidates were considered for this award considering how good Houston’s defense was but junior defensive back A.J. Haulcy takes it for his performance against the TCU Horned Frogs. He made seven tackles and two interceptions in the 30-19 win.
His performance earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors and a spot on the Pro Football Focus Team of the Week.
Best moment: Beating Kansas State for first win against a ranked opponent since Oct. 30, 2021
Beating any ranked opponent during the season will help with a team’s momentum and that is exactly what happened on Nov. 2, when the Cougars, who were 13-point underdogs, beat KSU to win their first game against a ranked opponent in three years.
Not only that, but it showed that the team can contend in the Big 12. Things may have gotten sour after the win, but this game showed the team’s potential to succeed in a bigger conference.
Best Offensive Player: Zeon Chriss
Like with the Best Offensive Award, choosing a recipient was hard considering how poor Houston’s offense was during the season. But narrowly taking the award is Zeon Chriss.
He may have put up similar counting stats to senior quarterback Donovan Smith, but he showed how dynamic he is, particularly against TCU and Kansas State.
MVP and Best Defensive Player: AJ Haulcy
And rounding off the awards, Haulcy took both MVP and Best defensive player for being the heart and soul of the Coog’s defense. Haulcy tied for the Big 12 lead in interceptions and tied for the third in the nation, finished second in Big 12 passes defended, and second on his team in tackles.
He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week and made the Pro Football Focus of the Week for his performance against the Frogs.
One notable stat is that he is one of only eight Big 12 players to have two interceptions in a game and the only one to do it in a road game. For his efforts, he made the AP All-Big 12 Conference First Team as a defensive back.
