Houston Cougars Have Been Dominating Opponents in an Interesting Statistic
In this story:
The Houston Cougars, to the surprise of the rest of the Big 12, have quickly established themselves as real contenders in the conference in just the second season of the Willie Fritz era. The Coogs have put themselves among the best teams in the Big 12, competing for a spot in the conference championship game.
Houston comes off its signature win of the season, handily defeating the defending Big 12 champions, the Arizona State Sun Devils on the road, but while the final score read 24-16, the score line does not reflect the way the matchup played out. The Coogs took command of the ball game, getting out to a 24-0 lead, while the Sun Devils did not score their first points until the fourth quarter.
The Cougars are now flying, headed into the back half of their schedule, with their next task: the Coogs will host the struggling 2-6 West Virginia Mountaineers at TDECU Stadium. With the start of the season that the Coogs have had, there' one intriguing statistic in particular that Houston has dominated in.
Coogs Third-Quarter Dominance
Halftime adjustments are always something said in college football, with some teams being impacted more than others, but for the Cougars, changes coming out of halftime might ring the hardest, as the Coogs have been dominant in the third quarters of ball games.
Through their 7-1 start to the season, Houston has outscored their opponents an impressive 57-6 in the third quarter of games. The Coogs have not allowed a single touchdown in the start of the second half in games, with the defense being one of the focal points of the Cougars' third-quarter strength.
Houston's secondary has opposing quarterbacks going 27 of 42 passing for 204 yards for a 64 percent completion percentage and allowing just eight first downs through the air. Defending the run has also been a strength of the Coogs in the third quarter, with teams having rushed for only 125 yards on 54 attempts for an average yards per carry of 2.31.
The Cougars' stout defense in the third quarter has turned into complementary football with the offense also finding its stride right after halftime.
Quarterback Conner Weigman has completed 38 of his 49 pass attempts for 402 yards for a 77 percent completion percentage and three touchdowns to no interceptions, while also being a force in the running game with 24 carries for 55 yards and an additional three scores.
Houston's offensive weapons have also come alive in the third quarter, with tight end Tanner Koziol leading the way with 14 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Amare Thomas has totaled nine catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. And on the ground, running back Dean Connors has recorded 152 yards and a touchdown on 33 attempts.
