Houston Cougars Offense Excelling in All-Important Area
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In 2024, the Houston Cougars' offense was without question the worst in the Big 12. They ranked dead last in the conference in total yards, passing yards and points per game, and by significant margins too.
Thankfully, the story has been much different so far in 2025. The Cougars haven't been one of the Big 12's best offenses per say, but they have found their identity as a hard-nosed, run-first team. They've also scored 35+ points in back-to-back games, and they never scored more than 33 points last season.
There are no shortage of reasons for the turnaround, but one of the biggest reasons is also the one that any coach will beat into his players' heads over and over again.
Houston Cougars One of Few Teams With No Turnovers This Season
Through three games, the Cougars have yet to turn the ball over even a single time. They are one of only 20 teams in the country (out of 136) without a single turnover yet, and one of only two in the Big 12 alongside Utah.
Last year, the Cougars had 17 interceptions and 10 lost fumbles for 27 turnovers in 12 games. So, to not have any through three games is a much-needed improvement.
“If you don’t turn the ball over, you win a lot of games," head coach Willie Fritz told reporters after Friday's win over Colorado. "I have won 91% of my games as a coach where we are +1 or better on turnovers, so we need to keep doing a good job of taking care of the ball and creating takeaways. If you can be +1 or better on turnovers, it's a pretty sure sign you can win the game.”
Part of the reason for the turnaround comes from quarterback Conner Weigman, who hasn't had to throw much thus far, but has been sharp and efficient when he's had to. Interceptions were a problem for him last year at Texas A&M, as he threw five in six games - so his clean start should be a big confidence booster for him.
What's potentially scary is the fact that this offense could be much better in time.
“When you have a quarterback that can run, playing 11 on 11 football is very dangerous," running back Dean Connors said. "He can throw the ball as well as anyone in the country, but the little things we will fix and pick up as the season progresses. Right now, all I’m doing, the team is doing, is just taking it one game at a time. The sky is the limit.”
