Conner Weigman Named Top 15 Candidate for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
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Houston quarterback Conner Weigman is one of 15 quarterbacks to advance into the Top 15 in the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which was announced on Oct. 8.
He is one of five quarterbacks in the Big 12 to stay in the running for the award.
Here is Weigman's season and why it matters for Houston.
Weigman's Season So Far
Through five games, Weigman has thrown for 1,186 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception with a 67% completion rate. On the ground, he has 156 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 42 carries.
According to Houston, Weigman is the only Big 12 quarterback with at least 11 passing touchdowns and one or fewer interceptions. He is also one of three FBS quarterbacks with at least 10 passing touchdowns and at least five rushing touchdowns.
In the season opener against Oregon State, he threw for 305 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 30 yards and a touchdown. Weigman also threw his only interception against the Beavers.
Weigman completed only nine throws for 120 yards against Southern as Houston blew out the Jaguars 77-6. Texas Tech was a harder test for the quarterback.
He threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 56 yards. He also tried to scramble into the end zone on a two-point attempt but fell short, as the Cougars lost 28-26.
The last two games showed that Weigman can be a passer and a scrambler. Against Georgia Southern, he had four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, with 253 total yards.
In the last game against UCF, he had three rushing touchdowns. He had 239 passing yards but no touchdowns, which he made up for with his legs.
With Weigman as the starter, Houston has scored on 54% of its offensive drives, which ranks fourth in the nation and first in the conference.
What This Means for Houston
Houston is now 4-1 and ranked in the AP Polls for six straight weeks. Weigman now sits alongside Texas' Arch Manning, Georgia's Gunner Stockton, and Oregon's Dante Moore. For a program that is making a name for itself, having its quarterback among some of the best is a big deal.
Last season, Weigman accounted for 36 total touchdowns and threw four touchdown passes in the Texas Bowl against LSU, tying the touchdown record with Patrick Mahomes.
The next three weeks will be a test for him. After a Kansas State team that only allows 15 points per game, Weigman faces off against quarterback Drew Mestemaker and No. 18-ranked Oklahoma State on Oct. 17, then travels to Salt Lake City to face off against No. 12 Utah and Devon Dampier.
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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)