Houston Cougars QB Conner Weigman Lights It Up In Season Debut
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Much of the surrounding hype around the Houston Cougars' possible improvement in their second season under head coach Willie Fritz rests on the shoulders of who Fritz brought to run his offense out of the transfer portal, former Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman.
And after Weigman's debut performance, Cougars fans should increase their optimism about the jump their team can make in the 2025 season. After the Cougars got their season started on a strong note by shutting out the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, 27-0, to open the season with a big performance from Weigman's first start in a Houston uniform. Weigman received praise from Fritz postgame after his debut performance.
"He does a good job at stepping up in the pocket," Fritz said. "We had to do a great job at getting him a clean pocket. If we give him a clean pocket, I think with our receivers and his ability to throw in tight windows ... we scored a touchdown. It's the hardest I've ever seen him throw a football, [he] really threw a fastball in there."
How Did Weigman's Debut Game Play Out?
Weigman finished the game with a stat line of completing 15 of his 24 pass attempts for an effective 62 percent completion percentage while throwing for 159 yards and three touchdowns. The debuting quarterback was also effective on the ground with six carries for 39 yards for an average of 6.5 yards per carry.
Weigman got his day started out quickly with a touchdown pass to his fellow transfer in tight end Tanner Koziol late in the first quarter. The 11-yard touchdown pass will probably be the first of many for the quarterback-tight end connection, who will have to play a big role in the Cougars' offense. Weigman was complimentary of his big six-foot-seven target postgame.
"He's a dude, he's a very smart football player, and I feel like he's always in the right position," Weigman said. "He's always where I need him right at that moment, and he doesn't drop any balls; he's a really special player."
The good start kept rolling for Weigman as he used his mobility to climb into the pocket and throw a short swing pass to his running back J'Marion Burnette, which he took 39 yards to the house after making a couple of Lumberjack defenders miss to stack onto the Cougars' lead.
Capping off his three touchdown passes on his debut, Weigman showed off his arm talent that made him a big prospect in the 2022 class with a throw on a line on third and long to wide receiver Amare Thomas, who caught the ball in tight coverage for the third Cougar touchdown of the night.
.@ConnerWeigman 🎯 @MareThomas2 https://t.co/IHwGazxA4s pic.twitter.com/yVSIrtiDn4
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) August 29, 2025
Weigman will look to keep the momentum created in the season opener rolling into the Cougars' next matchup as they take the 15-minute cross-town trip to face their intercity rivals, the Rice Owls, next Saturday, Sep. 6, at 6 p.m.
