Houston Cougars Defense Makes Game-Changing Plays in Win vs. Baylor
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The Houston Cougars concluded their impressive 2025 regular season on a good note, winning on the road against an in-state opponent, hanging on to their early lead, and defeating the Baylor Bears 31-24 in McLane Stadium.
It was a solid outing for quarterback Conner Weigman, getting back on track after a rough performance a week ago against TCU to finish his first regular season as the Coogs' starting quarterback. Weigman ended the game 21 of 31 passing for 201 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The quarterback found his biggest contribution on the ground, rushing for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
While the offense was able to once again find its spark, going on a long scoring drive late in the fourth quarter to seal the ballgame, the Cougars' defense might have put together one of its best performances all season on Saturday afternoon.
Cougars' Defense Comes Up Big All Day
While Baylor was able to run an effective offense against the Coogs, as the Bears totaled 421 yards and quarterback Sawyer Robertson was able to finish the game, completing 23-46 pass attempts for 309 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, the Cougars made the entire day a difficult task for Baylor.
The Coogs' defense made back-to-back big plays on Baylor's first two drives of the ball game. The Bears drove their opening drive of the game deep into Houston territory, all the way down to the Coogs' seven-yard line; however, defensive back Marc Stampley II intercepted Robertson in the end zone. That was followed by edge rusher Brandon Mack getting a sack-fumble, with the ball being recovered by linebacker Sione Fotu.
In the postgame press conference, Willie Fritz praised the performance of his defensive side of the ball and highlighted some of his top players from the afternoon.
"Defensively, we rose to the challenge there," Fritz said. "Went after Latrell (McCutchin Sr.) a few times, he did a super job, and though Will James played another outstanding ball game."
After that, the Coogs' defense continued to be stout, stalling three straight drives from the Baylor offense, two of which were inside the Houston 20-yard line, and forcing the Bears to settle for field goals all three times.
And in the second half, Houston continued to perform as on Baylor's second drive coming out of the locker room, the Coogs forced a turnover on downs after the Bears drove all the way down to the Coogs' 12-yard line.
And on the final possession for the Baylor offense, as they had all day, the Coogs were able to seal the game on the defensive side of the ball. Even while Baylor was able to storm back in the fourth quarter, Houston's defense came up when it mattered, forcing another turnover on down after the Bears marched down to the Coogs' 13-yard line.
