3 Bold Predictions When Houston Cougars Face Baylor Bears
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Finish out positively.
That’s what the Houston Cougars want to do in the regular season finale against the Baylor Bears, where anything could happen. Who will step up? Will it be one side of the ball compared to the other?
Which quarterback has a better game? Can one of the head coaches call a better game to pull out the victory to give some confidence going into bowl game season? Here are three predictions that go down at McLane Stadium.
Ethan Sanchez Makes 3+ Field Goals
TCU walked out of TDECU Stadium with a road victory, partially because the offense couldn’t drive down the field and make a touchdown to keep the season alive. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the way the Dallas, Georgia, native wanted to end his last memory on home turf. Luckily, there’s one or two more games he will get another chance to drill a field goal through the uprights, which can be a better recollection.
Baylor is allowing at least 28 points per game, so there are going to be windows of opportunity provided for Sanchez to redeem himself. There shouldn’t be any reason to think about the past because that plays mind games.
Confidence and plenty of practice repetition are going to help Sanchez jog onto the field with nothing to lose. As he is perfect on extra-point attempts and phenomenal from several distances, the kicking game will matter down the line, because the Cougars will be in a hostile environment and get stopped on a few drives. Sanchez is one of the MVPs of the afternoon.
Tanner Koziol Scores 2+ Touchdowns
Could this be the last time that arguably the best tight end that the Houston program has had takes the field? Offensive coordinator Slade Nagle is going to know that it will likely be the last time his tight end could wear the Houston jersey, as he has to face a decision on whether he will back out of a bowl game to prepare for the NFL Combine and NFL Draft.
That should be a reason why Nagle calls the TEs' favorite routes and the ones that he can rack up the most yards and touchdowns.
Koziol only has five touchdowns, so he is going to be hungry the week of Thanksgiving, and his offensive linemen will want to provide the best protection to give time for the quarterback to find his stud. Touchdown show for Koziol.
Dean Connors Posts 150+ Yards On Ground
Depending on the circumstances, Fritz and Nagle find themselves in another situation where a senior might play in the last game with Houston, which means the whole staff will want to establish the ground game early so the starting running back can end his career on his terms.
No doubt that there is going to be plenty of exchanges between quarterback Conner Weigman and Connors who could play together for the last time. With 800 yards recorded and an opportunity to reach the 1,000-yard mark, it would be a goal he would love to achieve.
It’s going to be challenging to run the ball through a brick wall of defenders who do not want the home fans to witness a loss to close the season. Only twice has Connors gone over the 100-yard mark, and given how much the script should be handing the ball off, it benefits him to end the regular season with a statement. Watch No. 44 bull doze anyone attempting to tackle him and barrel his way into the endzone.
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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