2 Things Willie Fritz Talked About in Houston vs. West Virginia Press Conference
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After Houston’s monumental win over Arizona State, coach Willie Fritz is beginning to gain national respect for what he has done for his program in a short time span.
Hours after the victory, the latest AP Poll showed voters believed the Cougars were worthy of being ranked No. 22 in the country. From the leadership of the coaching staff, the offense and defense have been clicking and are one step closer to making an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game.
“Being ranked is something you want to have happen to your team, but we got a lot of other things we would like to accomplish this season,” Fritz said.
To do that, it will require winning out and getting help from other programs in the conference. With a Cougars’ offense led by quarterback Conner Weigman, generating points and giving the defense a breather hasn’t been hard to come by, with Fritz making remarks about his quarterback and West Virginia’s program.
Conner Weigman’s Comfort Level
When a player joins a new culture that does things differently from what they are accustomed to doing, it takes time to settle in and adjust. For Weigman, it has been an easy transition, thanks to his proximity to home and having coach Fritz on his side.
“I think he’s getting more and more comfortable every single week,” Fritz said. “I think he played really, really well Saturday night.”
Against Arizona State, Weigman contributed to the 24-0 lead in the fourth quarter, where he finished the evening off going 17 of 22 for 201 yards passing with a touchdown, along with 111 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“I thought he ran the ball extremely well,” Fritz said. “We got to do a better job of running the football with our backs and take some hits off of Conner.”
As much as there is going on in a game that a QB has to analyze and prepare for to help a team win, there will always be highs and lows, but playing smart is what keeps an offense out of sticky situations. Fritz believes Weigman has played some of his cleanest football, based on what he's seen on the field and in practice.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on with the quarterback, and I thought he played a really good overall football game,” Fritz said. “Got us out of some bad situations, and I think he is just feeling more comfortable with the offense and knowing the guys.”
Previewing West Virginia
With the Mountaineers flying into town to take on the Cougars, a freshman QB will be under center by the name of Scotty Fox Jr., who nearly pulled off the upset against the Horned Frogs.
From the games Fox Jr. has appeared in, he has had his best performance of the season, throwing for over 300 yards of offense with two touchdowns. On the season, he has posted 466 yards in the air with three scores and two interceptions. Fritz highlighted his thoughts on the native from Mentor, Ohio.
“He seems to understand what they’re doing, and they’re a whisker winning it last week,” Fritz said. “They’ve had a tough schedule. We are going to have to play great. I told ours this is a good ball club we’re playing.”
Leading West Virginia’s program was Rich Rodriguez, who rejoined the program after previously being the head coach from 2012 to 2018. Primarily, he has roots in running a no-huddle, zone-read, spread-option offense, and Fritz has applauded the success Rodriguez worked for over the years.
“I got a lot of respect for Rich Rod and what he’s done at all the different places that he’s been at, so we are going to need to play really well Saturday,” Fritz said.
Fritz and Co. get its next shot at adding another win to an impressive resume when it hosts West Virginia at TDECU Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 11 a.m. on FS1.
Kolton Becker is a journalist for Texas A&M Aggies and Houston Cougars On SI from Port Lavaca, Texas. He is a graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism and a minor in sport management. As a former sports reporter with TexAgs and The Battalion, he has covered Texas A&M football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, track & field, cross country, swim & dive and equestrian. In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, cook, do play-by-play announcing at high school sporting events, spend time with family/friends as well as be involved with his local church.
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