First Look At The Wildcats' Next Opponent, Houston Cougars
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After overcoming a 14-point deficit in the first quarter and eventually taking a 10-point lead in the fourth, the Arizona Wildcats fell to the BYU Cougars for the fifth consecutive game in a row, losing by a score of 33-27 in double overtime.
The loss was a hard one to deal with for head coach Brent Brennan and his team, who are out to prove that they can compete with the best of the best in the Big 12, but they will have a chance to show that they aren't going anywhere by taking on the Houston Cougars this week and hopefully coming out of TDECU Stadium with a convincing win.
This meeting will be the sixth time that the Wildcats and the Cougars will face each other, the second time as in-conference foes. With that game fast approaching, here is a brief rundown on who the Wildcats will be facing on Saturday at 9 a.m. (MST).
History between two programs
Before the upcoming game, Arizona has faced Houston five times and holds a record of 2-3 against the former Conference USA contenders.
The Wildcats and the Cougars first met on the field on October 11, 1969, at Arizona Stadium, where Arizona fell to Houston by a score of 34-17.
The Wildcats won the next contest in 1986 by a score of 37-3, but then lost the next two in 2017 and 2018 by a combined score of 64-34.
The Wildcats did get the last laugh by defeating the Cougars at home, not allowing them to score a touchdown and winning 27-3 behind Quali Conley's 107-yard, one-touchdown performance and Tetairoa McMillan's 70-yard, one-receiving touchdown night.
The defense forced three turnovers in that game, with two fumbles returned by Owen Goss and Genesis Smith. Smith also had an interception returned for five yards that night.
We got Sumlin special
Houston and Arizona share the hiring of head coach Kevin Sumlin, who was the head coach of both teams at different times.
Sumlin coached the Cougars from 2008 to 2011, continuing the success that Art Briles left him with, and led them to multiple bowl games and Conference USA Championship games.
His best season came in 2011, when he coached the team to an 11-1 record, an appearance in the Conference USA Championship and a spot in the Ticket City Bowl.
Sumlin then became the head coach of the Wildcats in 2018 after a six-year stint with the Texas A&M Aggies.
Although there was some hype surrounding the hiring, his three years at Arizona were tumultuous to say the least. He went 9-20 during his stint and was eventually fired, which then began the Jedd Fisch era the following season.
Houston's season so far
The Cougars are currently 5-1, with their only loss coming from the No. 7-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders by a score of 35-11 at home on October 4.
Before that, Houston started with a 4-0 record, beating Stephan F. Austin 27-0, Rice 35-9, Colorado 36-20 and Oregon State 27-24 in overtime.
In the Cougars' latest game with Oklahoma State last Saturday, they won 39-17 behind quarterback Conner Weigman's 306-yard, two-touchdown performance.
By the numbers
Houston has built a solid reputation on the defensive side of the ball, boasting the sixth-best squad in the Big 12. It is also the fifth best when it comes to defending the pass and the rush.
Arizona should be able to stop Houston on defense as its third-ranked unit will be taking on a Cougars offense that is ranked 12th.
Arizona's passing defense, the best in the Big 12, should give Houston a tough time if it chooses to go through the air, as Houston is ranked 10th as a passing offense.
Although Arizona's rushing offense is ranked 11th in the Big 12, it could still do some damage to Houston's defense, as the committee is now fully healthy.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.