Grading The Houston Cougars On Both Sides Of The Ball In Big 12 Opener Win
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Houston football secured a program milestone in its 36-20 victory over Colorado on Friday by winning its first conference opener three seasons into its Big 12 tenure.
The win also marked the Cougars' new largest margin of victory in a Big 12 game, their second in double digits, after the previous one was set in a 30-19 win at TCU on Oct. 4, 2024.
In breaking down how Houston accomplished these feats en route to its first 3-0 start since 2016, we graded performances from all sides of the ball and how some areas improved from the week prior.
Quarterback play and offensive timeliness: A
Less than a week following the Cougars' slow start to their eventual Bayou Bucket victory, their first-quarter offensive output nearly quadrupled on Friday with 183 in that frame. Despite an inverse operation from the Buffaloes from quarter to quarter in the first half, Houston found its stride with four of its final six full drives resulting in a score.
A large factor in the breakout was junior quarterback Conner Weigman, who posted new career highs in passing with 222 yards on 15 of 24 in completions, and rushing with 83 yards, showcasing his improved mobility and combining with senior running back Dean Connors for 172 yards on the ground.
Weigman's tally in both areas represented 71% of Houston's 431 total yards on the night, which also helped mark the Cougars' first 400-total yard winning effort since Sept. 23, 2023, against Sam Houston.
A satisfying feature amongst the receiving core was how much senior Stephon Johnson improved from his targetless Week 1, as he posted 10 over the next two weeks, combining for 191 yards across the span, proving that taking Weigman's advice to "stay the course" is already paying off.
Total offensive output significantly improved on the night and shows no signs of slowing down through league play, and while it improved in timeliness, avoiding significant scoring droughts in a succeeding quarter can lead to better results against the top competition in the conference on the schedule; therefore, a flat 'A' grade is necessary.
Defensive Line and Secondary: A+
It's safe to say that defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong's battalion has garnered consistency in its approach, as the Cougars held Colorado to 4-for-14 on third down and forced a total of 40 lost yards. The efforts also allowed Houston to more than double its total rushing output from the Buffaloes as it held them to just 96 yards on the ground.
More so, it puts into question how much potential there is for Armstrong to both match and compete with what his predecessor, Shiel Wood, left behind in his hiring at Texas Tech, as Houston now sits ranked 11th nationally in total defense through Week 3.
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.