Houston offensive line Rhett Gray (54) celebrates with fans after an NCAA College Football match between the University of Central Florida and the University of Houston Cougars on October 3, 2026, at TDECU Stadium in Houston. | Matthew Guzman/The Cougar
No. 22 Houston was able to beat UCF 27-17 after being down 17 points going into the second half. However, Houston was able to score 27 unanswered points to get its first conference win of the year and go 4-1 on the season.
What fans said
The helmets and jerseys were the talk of the fans. The Cougars wore helmets that had different designs of planets on them for the “Gridiron Galaxy” while wearing the blue uniforms.
Many fans loved the helmet-and-jersey combination.
“They’re sick; I really like the blue,” said master’s student Juan Martinez. “The helmets are also pretty fun. It combines the colors of UH campus.”
Even Houston players talked about the helmets and how good-looking they were.
“Yeah, those are elite for sure,” said senior linebacker Latreveon McCutchin. “I was trying to sneak mine in but they had a bucket waiting for us.”
Beyond the football game, fans also expressed happiness with the variety of food.
“There is a lot of variety of foods and activities to do,” Martinez said. “So far there were some potato wedges with some mayo. That was fantastic.”
However, there were still some issues that were going on in TDECU Stadium. The heat got to a lot of students.
“It’s really hot so we stay in the inner rings,” senior Amit Paul said. Martinez agreed, suggesting a later kickoff. “It’s very hot. I think they should change the games to night games.”
Attendance remained an issue for Houston. The crowd had 25,593 in a stadium that could fill around 40,000.
“I feel like more people could be here, but it’s pretty good,” said senior Santiago Morales.
At halftime, many Houston fans talked about the uncertainty of Houston coming back from 17-0.
“We can come back but hopefully we win this game,” Martinez said. Paul attributed the Cougars’ struggles to the heat, while Morales noted improvements that could be made on the field.
“They could do better on the offense,” said Morales. “The defense is playing good.”
After halftime, Houston was able to put up 27 points, with the three touchdowns coming from fifth-year quarterback Conner Weigman and six points coming from junior kicker Jonathan Dimas.
Overall, Built By Houston gave fans more reaction and interaction as the season went on, giving them a reason to stay after the Cougars fell behind by 17 points. The Cougars are now 4-1 and are headed to Kansas State. However, if Oct. 3 was any sign of excellence, the home crowd has a lot to look forward to when Houston comes back on Oct. 17 to face Oklahoma State.
sports@thedailycougar.com
