Coach Fritz looks on to the field during Houston’s loss to Texas Tech on Oct. 4. | Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar
Following its first defeat of its 2025 campaign in blowout fashion at TDECU Stadium, Houston football awaits a get-right opportunity to correct its woes from both sides of the ball with a road trip to Oklahoma State.
“We’re going to bounce back and respond,” senior running back Dean Connors said. “But you have to treat wins and losses as the impostors that they are.”
After surrendering 552 total yards to then-No. 11 Texas Tech at TDECU Stadium including 205 combined yards on the ground to the Red Raiders’ two leading rushers, the Cougars are set to face the rebuilding Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday morning who, by the time of the matchup, will have been two game weeks removed from their 19-12 home loss to Tulsa, which led to their dismissal of longtime head coach Mike Gundy, who compiled a .654 winning percentage in 21 seasons at the helm in Stillwater.
The game will mark the 22nd meeting all-time between the two programs, where the head-to-head series is currently tied at 10-10-1. It dates back to a 43-30 win by the Cowboys on Nov. 18, 2023, at TDECU Stadium, in Houston’s Big 12 tenure debut campaign, in which the Cougars held a 23-9 lead in the second quarter but were outscored the remainder of the game by the eventual conference runners-up.
Two seasons later, the matchup is tilted more towards Houston’s favor in double digits, as the fuel to Oklahoma State’s 1-4 start in 2025 includes its 13.8 points per game and 43.5 points per game allowed rates, along with its -99 point differential.
Not the same Pokes
Since the 2023 campaign, Oklahoma State has not lived up to its program success compared to the first 19 seasons under Gundy, as the Cowboys have lost 11 straight conference games dating back to the start of league play in 2024, after which they began 3-0 in non-conference.
With Gundy’s dismissal came transfer portal entrants and redshirt applications under the current NCAA windows, along with the subsequent firing of defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who operated a 3-4 base defense in just four games with the Cowboys.
Signal caller uncertainties
After being taken to the locker room near the second-to-last drive in the first half in the Cougars’ Week 6 matchup for what was initially announced as an upper-body injury, junior quarterback Conner Weigman was placed in NCAA concussion protocol, only not to practice Monday. However, after a full participation in Wednesday’s practice, the Big 12 player availability report that followed listed him as probable to start Saturday.
“I feel good now,” Weigman said. “It was good to be able to come back out here and practice and get better with my guys.”
With the latest player availability report released on Thursday, Weigman’s name was removed from the list, which points to his return.
Meanwhile, amongst Oklahoma State’s conference-leading 14 players ruled out in the availability report stands the loss of redshirt freshman quarterback Hauss Hejny, who broke his right foot in the Cowboys’ season opener. To make matters worse in the quarterback room, redshirt freshman Zane Flores, who stepped up in Hejny’s absence, was listed as doubtful to start Saturday, which leaves the possibility that redshirt senior wide receiver Sam Jackson V could be taking snaps under center.
Keys to the game
With a prime opportunity for Houston to become one step closer to bowl eligibility for the first time as a member of the Big 12 conference, the Cougars must put a defensive showcase reflective of its 16th FBS total defense ranking before Week 6, as missed tackles were a key contributor in allowing a hint over four yards per carry to the Red Raiders’ running back tandem.
With offensive line pieces, including senior tackle Dalton Merryman at full strength, it will allow for Weigman’s pocket comfort to take stride again and for him to find his downfield connections, including senior tight end Tanner Koziol and junior wide receiver Amare Thomas, which is crucial in taking advantage of the Cowboys’ secondary woes.
On the ground, senior running back Dean Connors will look to bounce back from a 31-yard outing, which only saw 2.4 yards per carry.
Kickoff time and where to watch
The Cougars will look to put themselves one win closer to bowl eligibility as they kick off against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 11 a.m., broadcasting on TNT.
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