Connor Weigman Receives Major Recognition for Bowl Game Performance
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Houston Cougars football finally appeared in a bowl game after three seasons, and it was a memorable one. Houston beat LSU 38-35 in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on Dec. 27.
The biggest reason for that was junior quarterback Connor Weigman, who ended up being the Texas Bowl MVP in a high-scoring offensive shootout. This was Houston’s 10th win of the season, the first time reaching double-digit wins in a single season since 2021. The Cougars were ranked for a large part of the second half of the season and ended up No. 22 in the final rankings.
While the Cougars defense has played relatively well the last two seasons, it was the offense that significantly improved. Quarterback play is always the key in that, and Weigman ended up being the answer for Houston. His play in the Texas Bowl placed him in elite company.
A Great Postseason Performance
The Davey O’Brien Award is given out annually to the best quarterback in college football. On Monday, the Davey O’Brien Foundation announced the eight quarterbacks who were named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Postseason Great 8.
Weigman was named on that list. Every week, a Great 8 is revealed, and the Cougars QB made it onto the postseason edition. All quarterbacks playing during bowl games and the College Football Playoff were eligible, but Weigman was included as one of the eight.
Weigman played at a high level during the Texas Bowl and led the Cougars to score 38 points after being down 14-0 in the first quarter. The Cypress, Texas native threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns, with three of them in the first half. He also added 56 rush yards on 13 attempts.
After an elite performance in the Texas Bowl - @ConnerWeigman lands on the final @daveyobrien Great 8 of the season 💪 pic.twitter.com/TpXLE8EpEJ
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) January 26, 2026
Houston put up 437 total yards, and the 38 points were the most scored in a bowl game since the 2015 Peach Bowl. It was also the most points scored against an SEC opponent since 42 points against Mississippi State in 2004.
Weigman is now 3-0 against LSU in his career, and the four touchdown passes he threw are a UH bowl game record. His completion percentage of 75% also broke Houston’s bowl record.
Weigman’s four touchdown passes tied Patrick Mahomes’ 2015 Texas Bowl passing touchdown record. Houston got 32 first downs, which is also a Texas Bowl and Houston bowl game record.
Weigman is in special company with this recognition. Indiana junior quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was also named on this list for his standout performance in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl with five touchdown passes and just three incompletions.
Ole Miss senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Miami senior QB Carson Beck also made it due to their performances in the CFP. Besides them, Dante Moore of Oregon and Arch Manning of Texas were also on the list. To wrap up the Great 8, Devon Dampier of Utah and Ken Seals of TCU were additionally recognized.
Weigman had one of the best college football postseason performances this season. The Texas Bowl was his fourth career four-plus passing touchdown game of his career, and his second of the season. The 25 total passing touchdowns were the most by any quarterback in the first year under coach Willie Fritz.
The former five-star recruit is elite as a dual threat, and ran for 700 total yards and 11 touchdowns. That is the second most rushing yards in a single season by a Cougars quarterback, with Greg Ward Jr. being the first in 2015. His 171 carries were the most of his collegiate career by a long shot, with the most being 28 carries in 2024 with A&M.
This was the best season of the former Texas A&M quarterback’s career. In 13 games overall, Weigman threw for 2705 yards on 65% completion with a rating of 147.1. Houston’s quarterback will look to build on this for his senior season.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.