3 Takeaways From Houston Cougars' Season Finale Win Over LSU in Texas Bowl
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HOUSTON-- In overcoming an early two-score deficit, the No. 21 Houston Cougars captured an emphatic 38-35 win over the LSU Tigers in the Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium Saturday, to cap off a 10-3 turnaround campaign in its third season in the Big 12 conference and second under coach Willie Fritz.
In front of a hometown crowd just down the road from the campus of the University of Houston, an attendance of 63,867 witnessed a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 campaign fueled by 236 yards on 27 of 36 passing by bowl most outstanding player junior quarterback Conner Weigman.
Among other featured milestones, sophomore tight end Traville Frederick Jr. captured his first career touchdown pass as someone who could be handed the baton at the position group with the incoming departure of senior tight end Tanner Koziol.
To help sum the game and the season at hand, here are three key takeaways from the statement bowl win for Houston, as the Cougars captured their first win against an SEC opponent since 1999.
'10-win Willie': Fritz no stranger to double-digit turnarounds
The opportunity for Fritz to turn a losing campaign record into double-digit wins the following season remained in play all along for Houston in its ups and downs in 2025.
Though it's not to the scale of Fritz turning a 2-10 campaign for Tulane in 2021 into a 12-2 season the capped off by conference championship and New Year's Six bowl win, the Cougars' fourth-place finish in the Big 12 in 2025 paired with a 10th win in the column only backed his resume in accomplishing the feat further.
A sign nonetheless is that it leaves Houston primed to contend once again for the conference in hopes of contending for its first power conference title, and depending on the alignment of the 2026 schedule, it appears favorable and not out of reach for the Cougars.
Houston needs Thomas back next season
Though not shown in a large sample size with 66 yards on seven catches, junior wide receiver Amare Thomas still proved himself a top asset in Houston's receiving core, especially with his two first half receiving touchdowns.
In this day and age with the portal and knowing the depatures of weapons for Weigman like senior Koziol, it would prove pivotal for Houston to do everything in its power to retain Thomas for a crucial 2026 campaign.
The opening kick could've set a different precedent
If anything signaled a disastrous start for the Cougars, it came right at the jump when senior kick returner Barion Brown dodged multiple tackles for a 99-yard opening kickoff return touchdown for LSU just 14 seconds in.
It was the second straight season, coincidentally in the Texas Bowl, that LSU opened the game with a kickoff return touchdown of 95 or more yards.
This early display brought back scars the Cougars had faced throughout the season in terms of missed tackles and not executing their assignments on both sides of the ball.
It was scary enough alone that Brown had racked up 143 return yards in the first quarter alone, but by the time senior kicker Damion Ramos missed a 44-yard field goal attempt at the 3:04 mark of the frame that would've put the Tigers up two scores, a regained rhythm within Houston's special teams units allowed for what was a near turnaround with the first half scoring wise for the Cougars.
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.