Houston Cougars WR Finally Bursts Onto Scene in Overtime Win vs. Oregon State
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Friday night in Corvallis, OR. saw the Houston Cougars secure their most intense win of the 2025 season, besting the hometown Oregon State Beavers 27-24 in overtime thanks to a walk-off field goal by kicker Ethan Sanchez.
Down 24-10 with over 12 minutes left in the game, the Houston offense that had been struggling mightily up to that point in the game suddenly came alive, with quarterback Conner Weigman finding Stephon Johnson and Tanner Koziol for touchdown passes of 27 and 50 yards, respectively, putting the Cougars back in the fight against the Beavers.
While the wideout and the stellar transfer at tight end scored the points that got Houston on their feet again, it was another transfer that lit up the stat sheet for the Cougars Friday night.
Amare Thomas Goes Over 100 Yards For the First Time as a Cougar
Wide receiver Amare Thomas, who is in his first year as a Cougar after transferring over from the University of Alabama-Birmingham and only had 110 yards before the game, finally had what many would to be a breakout game, catching six passes from Conner Weigman for a team-leading 104 yards, including a 36-yard catch late in the first half, as well as adding three rushing yards.
Thomas has already secured his first touchdown with the Coogs, having reeled in a 20-yard pass for a score in Houston's season opener against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, where he finished with three catches for 44 yards and the score.
In the three games prior to the Friday night showdown, Thomas had caught eight passes for 110 yards and the lone touchdown, with his performance against the Beavers nearly doubling his reception and yardage numbers.
Head coach Willie Fritz knew the kind of receiver he was getting when Thomas announced he would be leaving his hometown Birmingham for Space City, leading the Blazers with 670 yards and eight touchdowns, while tying Kam Shanks for the team lead with 62 receptions, who also transferred out of UAB, heading to SEC with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Tight end Koziol was also prominently featured in the Houston passing attack, as has been the case through four games in 2025, also catching six passes for 86 yards and his touchdown late in the game, which went for 50 yards.
Thomas, Koziol, and the rest of the Cougars will look to continue to build momentum and continue their undefeated campaign when they return to Houston next Saturday for Big 12 action against another undefeated Texas team, the No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders.
