Lily Huynh/The Cougar
The University of Houston football team experienced much success last year under coach Willie Fritz’s leadership. The Cougars finished with an overall record of 10-3 and 6-3 in the Big 12 Conference. Houston also beat LSU 38-35 in the Texas Kinder Bowl at Reliant Stadium to end the season on a high note. Now entering his third season at the helm, Fritz is looking to build upon that foundation and turn the Cougars into true contenders.
Senior quarterback Connor Weigman looks to finish his last year playing as a Cougar. Last year, Weigman passed for 2,705 yards with 25 touchdowns and a 147.1 passer rating. Weigman had a completion rate of 65.2% while also rushing for 703 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver Amare Thomas, is also looking to build upon last year’s success. Thomas had a standout season for the Cougars, posting 67 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. Thomas averaged 14.4 yards per catch while earning First Team All-Big 12 honors.
The Cougars face a challenging schedule this season. They start the first two weeks at TDECU Stadium against Oregon State and Southern University, respectively.
In Week 3, they face Big 12 conference rival Texas Tech in Lubbock in what should be the Cougars’ first real test. Last year, Houston lost 35-11 at home against the Red Raiders, so the Cougars will be looking for revenge this year.
Moving on to Week 4, Houston will remain on the road to compete with Georgia Southern University. The Cougars will follow that game up against seven conference teams in a row. Their Week 5 matchup will be against the University of Central Florida at home.
Last year, UCF almost came away with a victory in a very close game that ended with a final score of 30-27 in favor of Houston, so this matchup will be extremely competitive. Week 6 finds the Cougars facing off against the Kansas State Wildcats at home.
Houston faces the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Utah Utes in Weeks 7 and 8. The Cowboys finished last season with a 1-11 record. In contrast, the Utes finished 12-2 for third place in the Big 12, just ahead of the Cougars. Utah did not play Houston last season, but it should present a formidable challenge for coach Fritz and company this year.
The final game of the season will be against one of the only three teams to beat the Cougars last season, the West Virginia Mountaineers. This highly anticipated matchup will be played on the road this year and Houston will be looking to close out the year with a win after losing at home to West Virginia last year by a score of 45-35.
This season is a promising one for the Cougars. Fritz and his staff have added a lot of depth to many positions, helping to boost Houston’s program into a top-tier performer.
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