3 Storylines To Watch Most in Houston's Week 5 Matchup Against UCF
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The No. 20 Houston Cougars will have its Big 12 home opener against the UCF Knights on Oct. 3.
Houston enters 3-1 and 0-1 in conference play while the Knights are 3-1 and 1-0 in conference.
Here are three storylines for the game.
Conner Weigman Versus a Takeaway Defense
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman has 947 passing yards and 11 touchdowns while only throwing one interception in four games. He is coming off a six-touchdown game against Georgia Southern and is playing some of the best football of his entire career.
However, UCF's defense is built on turnovers and takeaways. The Knights have six interceptions and 10 sacks this season. They pressure opposing quarterbacks, making them hesitate and commit costly turnovers.
Additionally, Weigman and UCF's defense have some history. In last year's game, he threw three interceptions and was sacked twice, though Houston won the game 30-17.
If the Knights win the turnover battle, Houston will have to play catch-up. Weigman will need to play smart football and avoid turnovers.
Houston's Secondary Versus Keyone Jenkins
UCF will be without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, making Keyone Jenkins the starter. Jenkins has 288 passing yards and three touchdowns while throwing one interception.
Against TCU, he threw for 160 yards and a touchdown, completing 19 of 20 passes. This is the time when Houston's secondary needs to step up, especially against conference opponents.
Houston is second-to-last in pass defense but first in run defense in the Big 12. The Cougars allowed Georgia Southern quarterback Max Johnson to throw for 284 yards and three touchdowns.
If Houston takes away running back Duke Watson, it forces Jenkins to go in the air and the secondary to hold up.
Houston's Ground Game
The Cougars average 248 rushing yards per game, the 12th most in the nation. Running backs Makhi Hughes and Re'Shaun Sanford have been a two-man attack on the ground. Hughes has 282 yards while Sanford has 252.
However, the Knights' front seven is coming off its best performance yet. It held TCU to 33 rushing yards. If Houston can win battles in the trenches and get its running game up against UCF, it will keep Weigman out of third-and-long situations.
According to ESPN, Houston has a 72% chance of beating UCF and on paper, the Cougars hold the advantage in almost every phase. However, UCF has shown that it can get ugly wins.
A win gives Houston momentum against the rest of the conference opponents in its schedule.
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Micah Clay is a staff writer for the Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a freshman at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Administration. He also works for The Cougar organization. You can find Clay on his Instagram(@mcjosh_btw_podcast)