Last December, quarterback Conner Weigman was ready for a rebrand. The former 5-star recruit from Texas A&M battled adversity during three years in College Station, frequently watching from the sidelines due to a slew of injuries.
Weigman selected his hometown of Houston as the setting to write his new chapter, and a new version of the Weigman was unearthed in the Cougars’ 36-20 Friday night victory over Colorado. The junior quarterback showcased his mobility to a level previously unforeseen, rattling
off a new career-high 83 rushing yards (setting the career mark as early as the second quarter), pairing the performance with a personal-best two rushing touchdowns.
Houston’s offense sputtered in the early moments of its first two matchups, punting on two consecutive possessions Week 1 vs. FCS Stephen F. Austin and racking up five punts and a turnover on downs for its first six series vs. Rice. Led by first-year coordinator Slade Nagle, the Cougar offense saw an early spark thanks to Weigman’s newfound mobility. Utilizing a slew of designed QB keepers Houston produced points on each of its first three drives, firing out to a 13-0 advantage over Colorado.
While the Cougars’ offense enjoyed one of its most scalding starts in recent memory, scoring on each of its first three drives for the first time since a 2023 matchup at Texas Tech, the defense supplied similar firepower out of the gate. Colorado was subject to four punts on its first four drives with the latter three resulting three-and-outs. The Cougars stuffed the run game for the majority of the night, led by defensive tackle Carlos Allen who generated seven stops and 1.5 of the unit’s seven total tackles for loss.
However, Houston wasn’t fully out of the water after a 13-0 start. All it took was one Colorado defensive stop to instill confidence into an offense led by quarterback Ryan Staub, making his first start since 2023. Colorado looked bound for a fourth-straight three-and-out, but a pass interference call on Houston injected the life the offense needed. Several plays later, running back Simeon Price escaped for a free 38-yard roam to the end zone to complete an 88-yard drive.
Then in less than two minutes before halftime, Colorado’s offense manufactured another lengthy possession, this time spanning 93 yards. Faced with copious amounts of pressure on third down, Staub shoveled it to Omarion Miller for a 36-yard pickup to invade Cougar territory. Staub put on the finishing efforts with a 19-yard scramble to escape Houston’s aggressive blitz. Kentrell Webb forced him to fumble just millimeters before the goal line, but tight end Zach Atkins scooped up the fumble for a Buffaloes’ touchdown, rewriting the halftime score to 16-14 in favor of Houston. That halftime buzzer is when the switch flipped.
Last Saturday, Houston showcased a second half takeover by outscoring Rice 28-6 across the final 30 minutes of action. That same second half takeover ability traveled across town to TDECU Stadium as the Cougars manufactured a 20-6 edge over Colorado in the last two quarters. Explosive plays developed more naturally for the Houston offense. One key momentum shifter occurred when running back Dean Connors fielded a handoff and subsequently dropped back to pass. The running back saw no receiver open, but he saw open field. Connors hit the hole and accrued 18 yards, diving just shy of the pylon. Weigman finished the job with a QB sneak — a play which he converted either a first down or touchdown four times on four attempts.
The defense brutalized Colorado in the second half, forcing two three-and-outs, two interceptions, and a turnover on downs. Weigman and the Cougars fed off the defensive effort and went for the jugular. The quarterback completed a 45-yard deep missile to Stephon Johnson down the sideline. Exactly one play later, Weigman froze a defender’s ankles on a QB draw, putting the finishes touches on his best game as a runner since high school.
Weigman and the Houston defense were the main drivers, but the Cougars’ 16-point victory wouldn’t be possible without kicker Ethan Sanchez. The Cougars struggled with distance and accuracy for years in the kicking game, but the Old Dominion transfer solved those woes Friday night. Sanchez struck from 52, 43, 47, 35, and 49 yards out, finishing 5-of-6 on the day with the Cougars’ first 50+ yard make since 2021. Sanchez’s 52-yard shot to claim a 3-0 lead was also the first 50+ yarder of Willie Fritz’s 12-year FBS head coaching career.
The Cougars exited with their largest margin of victory over a conference opponent since joining the Big 12, beating the previous high set in a 30-19 win at TCU last October. Houston also improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2016 thanks to the commanding second half surge. One victory off the 2023 and 2024 win totals, the Cougars enter the bye week with newfound confidence as the wins begin to materialize.
