Houston Coach Willie Fritz Details What Went Wrong Against Colorado

Houston coach Willie Fritz brought a ranked team to Boulder with big plans for the rest of November, and he left Friday night explaining how Colorado coach Deion Sanders' team flipped the script on him.

The Colorado Buffaloes knocked off No. 14 Houston 42-32 at Folsom Field, and Fritz didn't sugarcoat a result that dented his team's playoff hopes.

Colorado Buffaloes Running Back DeKalon Taylor Houston Cougars Folsom Field Sixty Seven Yard Touchdown Big 12 Football — Nov 13, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back DeKalon Taylor (20) runs for a touchdown carry in the second quarter against the Houston Cougars at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Obviously, very disappointing. I didn't think we played our best on all three phases," Fritz said in his postgame press conference.

Asked what separated the two teams, Fritz went straight to the ground game, and he made it clear Colorado did something Houston rarely sees.

"Well, there's a lot of things. They did a good job running the ball on us offensively. We haven't had that happen a whole lot," Fritz said.

Brennan Marion's run game found the edges

Fritz wasn't exaggerating, as Houston entered the night allowing roughly 107 rushing yards per game, and Colorado more than doubled that with 249. The Buffaloes' five rushing touchdowns also came close to half of the 12 the Cougars had surrendered across their first nine games combined.

Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion's Go-Go offense leans on option looks, and Fritz pinned the long runs on defenders who lost the edge.

"I think we just had really poor leverage. One time our pitch player kept fighting underneath the blocker, and you can't have leverage when you do that. If he stays outside, we got an opportunity to play on it. So just really poor leverage on the outside plays," Fritz said.

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Colorado Buffaloes Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion Go Go Offense Houston Cougars Folsom Field Big 12 Football Game — Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion listens to one of the assistant coaches yell at players on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

DeAndre Moore Jr. turned Houston's lone stop into points

By Fritz's count, Houston scored on every first-half possession but one, and that lone punt came back to bite. Colorado receiver and returner DeAndre Moore Jr. returned it 34 yards, and Colorado cashed in moments later to carry its first lead of the night into halftime.

"So special teams, they had a big punt return right before half. It allowed them to get a score as well," Fritz said.

Randon Fontenette's strip-sack answered right back

The third quarter opened with a punch and a counterpunch. Houston picked off Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson, only for Colorado to take the ball right back on the next snap when Colorado safety Randon Fontenette's sack jarred it loose, and Colorado turned that gift into a touchdown strike.

Fritz saw the sequence as a snapshot of his team's whole evening.

"I thought that was big in the beginning of the second half. We get the takeaway and then we turn it over ourselves on the very next play. So it was a little bit indicative of the evening for us," Fritz said.

Colorado Buffaloes Safety Randon Fontenette Houston Cougars Conner Weigman Sack Forced Fumble Folsom Field Big 12 Football — Oct 17, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes safety Randon Fontenette (7) tackles Utah Utes tight end Hunter Andrews (10) in the second quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Houston also hurt itself with untimely penalties, including a few early jumps that Fritz said had nothing to do with the Folsom Field noise. In the end, he circled back to a familiar refrain with a painful twist.

"As I've said many times before, everybody in this league is good. If you don't play well, you're gonna get your butt beat, found that out tonight," Fritz said.

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