Houston head coach Willie Fritz encourages his team at the start of the second half of an NCAA football game, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in Houston. | Matthew Guzman/The Cougar
Two undefeated football programs will enter TDECU Stadium, but only one will leave the victors as Houston gears up for their biggest game of the season so far against No. 11 Texas Tech.
The game will be a special occasion for the Cougars, as they will wear their Houston blue jerseys for the third time in program history. They are currently 1-1 wearing those uniforms.
Keys to the Game:
Get hot from the jump
Despite the retooled offense, UH still struggles at times to make strong starts. Against SFA, Rice and recently Oregon State, the offense stumbled through early possessions before finally finding traction.
Against a stout Red Raiders defense, starting strong is a must.
Find spaces between the defense
Speaking of defense, Texas Tech has one of the best defensive units in the nation under defensive coordinator Shiel Wood. The Red Raiders are eighth in points allowed per game with 11.2 points and third in stop rate, with 85.7% of the opponent’s drives ending with no points on the board.
Houston will need to find holes in Texas Tech’s defense to disrupt their rhythm and keep them on the edge.
Protect the QB
If there is one glaring weakness for the Cougars, it’s their offensive line, as they rank 134th in pressure rate allowed. That doesn’t bode well against a Red Raiders team with one of the best defensive lines in the nation, such as ranking first in success rate against the run at 76%.
UH has suffered numerous injuries to its offensive line, the most notable being senior David Ndukwe being ruled out for the rest of the season with a dislocated knee. The O-Line will need to hold its ground to give offensive plays time to develop.
Stopping the pass
The passing game is the backbone of Texas Tech’s explosive offense. The team ranks first in the Big 12 with 368.5 passing yards per game.
Senior quarterback Behren Morton has thrown 1,065 yards and 11 touchdowns with a passer rating of 188.8.
The Cougars rank second in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed per game with 140.3, but this game will show if their pass defense can hold up.
Limit penalties
Houston had eight penalties and 60 penalty yards in their 27-24 OT win against Oregon State. That was their second game where it eclipsed eight penalties and gave up 60+ penalty yards.
Cougars head coach Willie Fritz had always said “Coogs don’t beat Coogs,” and for this game, UH will need to have nerves of steel to avoid making these mistakes.
The Cougars take on the Red Raiders on Saturday, Oct.4 at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
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