Houston Cougars' Willie Fritz Reveals Surprising Preparation For Colorado Buffaloes

There's a reason why Willie Fritz has stuck around so long as a college football head coach.

After beating the Rice Owls on Saturday, Fritz revealed that his Houston Cougars team has been preparing for its next opponent, the Colorado Buffaloes, since the summer. Houston may have to adjust some of its game-planning based on what Colorado displayed the past two weeks, but Fritz's Cougars shouldn't lack preparation come Friday.

Willie Fritz Reveals Lengthy Prep For Colorado

Houston Cougars Willie Fritz Preparation Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders Ryan Staub Conner Weigman Big 12 Football Transfers — Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Houston head coach Willie Fritz shakes the hand of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders on stage while Arizona head coach Brent Brennan looks on during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Houston is 2-0 heading into Week 3 after beating Stephen F. Austin and Rice to begin the season. During his postgame presser following Saturday's 35-9 win over Rice, the 65-year-old Fritz shared some insight into Houston's mindset for Colorado.

"I told the guys in the room, we just got to put this game to bed," Fritz said, per Houston. "Short week — we play on Friday night, not Saturday — so we're all going to get in there early as coaches. We've already worked in the summer, somewhat on Colorado — game plan, offense, defense, kicking game."

Fritz, who won four games during his inaugural season at Houston last year, added that the Cougars must maintain their work ethic heading into Big 12 Conference play.

"We've got to accelerate, dropping this one and moving on to the next one," Fritz said. "That's how you can win games. You never want to sit back and dwell on past successes. Some people think, 'Oh, that's good,' just to keep momentum. I've seen guys have a great game and the next game they suck because they don't put the same amount of work into it. You don't want to sit there if you do something bad and have that beat you twice."

Ryan Staub A Wrench In Houston's Game Plan?

Houston likely wasn't thinking much about third-string quarterback Ryan Staub during its early summer prep for Colorado. Kaidon Salter and Julian "JuJu" Lewis were receiving most of the attention at quarterback, and Staub was largely an afterthought.

However, Staub's breakout performance against the Delaware Blue Hens forces Houston to now prepare for all three of Colorado's scholarship quarterbacks. Staub, a redshirt sophomore, threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's win over Delaware, likely earning him another opportunity against Houston.

Coach Deion Sanders declined to reveal his plans at quarterback during his postgame presser on Saturday.

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"I know exactly how I'm going to handle the quarterback situation," Sanders said. "I'm not going to say it, but I'm not lost for direction."

Houston, which has found a reliable quarterback option in Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman, will host the Buffs on Friday at 5:30 p.m. MT.