Breaking Down Southern's Strengths, Weaknesses, & 1 Thing That Could Cause Houston Problems

Houston Cougars football is set to begin their 2026 season in September with a slate of non-conference games, and the second matchup of the year is against the Southern Jaguars at TDECU Stadium.

Houston is expected to cruise through the early non-conference portion of its schedule, and the game against Southern will take place on Sept. 12. Houston will be an overwhelming favorite, given the returning cast of players and the expectation to be a contender in the Big 12 championship race.

Here is a complete breakdown on Southern, including its strengths, weaknesses and an area that could help the Jaguars cause Houston some problems.

Southern's Strengths

Southern Jaguars football — Southern Jaguars' running back Kobe Dillon (9) runs the ball during the SWAC Championship game against the Jackson State Tigers in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Southern is going through a complete rebuild after a 2-10 record last season, tied for the worst in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The biggest strength on Southern is its coaching staff. That group has an incredible amount of football experience at all levels.

Great coaching can take you a long way in college football and one of the great running backs of all time, Marshall Faulk, was hired as head coach in December. He had experience in the Big 12 last season as the running backs coach for Colorado.

Todd Lyght, a former 12-year NFL veteran at cornerback, was hired as defensive coordinator. Lyght was a two-time consensus All-American at Notre Dame and was the fifth overall pick in 1991. He was teammates with Faulk on the St. Louis Rams' Super Bowl-winning team. Curtis Johnson, a 41-year coaching veteran at all levels of football, is the associate head coach.

The coaches should be able to quickly create a sustainable culture and a game plan for success. During spring football, the Jaguars' defense looked solid and clearly the better side. The group didn't allow much, stopped the run and also forced some turnovers. Even with a few players back, that side of the ball looks disciplined. It's clear that the emphasis for the team is to be disciplined.

Southern's Weaknesses

The reality is that there are a lot of unknowns regarding Southern for 2026 with the turnaround and a shift to a new direction for the program. There is a lot to fix, and this season for the Jaguars is a rebuilding of the program. There isn't a lot of continuity from last year, and it's almost an entirely new team.

Making the jump from the worst team in the SWAC won't be easy, and the offense is an area of concern. The starting quarterback decision still hasn't been made.

What Could Cause Houston Problems

Given Southern will basically be a completely different team from last season, any film that the Cougars may have won't be as helpful. Houston will have one game to use from Southern's season opener the week prior.

While the Jaguars' defense looks to be strong, this Houston offense has a lot of key playmakers returning.

It's theoretically possible that the Cougars offense could come out a bit slow, but Houston does face Oregon State in the season opener to wipe out any offseason rust. Houston did have a couple of bad turnover games. If Southern is able to force some turnovers, that could prove some trouble.

The Jaguars' coaches are more than capable of coming up with a strong gameplan given their experience. It will be interesting to see if their defense is capable of giving Houston any unexpected issues.

Add us as a preferred source on Google