Houston Cougars RB Dean Connors Excels Against Former Team
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The Houston Cougars kept their momentum rolling in the young season as the Cougars cruised to victory over their intercity rival, the Rice Owls. The final Bayou Bucket, at least for the foreseeable future, ended with the Coogs coming out on top after a 35-9 victory.
It was a slow start for both offenses as the matchup headed into halftime with a score of just 7-3, with the first score being a field goal from Rice with under 10 minutes in the second quarter, and the Cougars scored their touchdown with less than a minute left in the half.
However, Houston's offense exploded in the second half, with 28 points scored in the second half and 21 in the fourth quarter, allowing the Cougars to run away with the game. One of the biggest standout performances for the Cougars came from a player who was on Rice's sideline a season ago.
Breaking Down Connors' performance against Rice
As running back Dean Connors surged for a big game, rushing for 132 yards on 13 carries for two rushing touchdowns, averaging almost a first down with every one of his carries, he averaged an incredible 10.2 yards per carry. The running back also found work through the air, finishing the game with two receptions for just three yards.
Before he was rushing for long touchdowns for the Cougars, Connors was on the opposite colors as he transferred to Houston from Rice before the 2025 season.
The senior had a fruitful career with the Owls as he totaled 1679 rushing yards,16 touchdowns, and averaged 5.5 yards per carry in three seasons with Rice. Connors was also a big piece of Rice's passing offense as he tallied 113 receptions for 912 yards and six touchdowns throughout his tenure with the Owls.
Connor's first touchdown incited momentum into the Cougars, who headed into halftime with a long 54-yard touchdown run, and his second was also another long touchdown run with a long 42-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter to place the finishing touches on the game. Head coach Willie Fritz praised Connors' big-time performance at a postgame media availability.
"I thought Connor showed off his wheels a little bit in the second half." Fritz said. "He did a good job running the ball, he got some key first downs, and had a big touchdown did a nice job."
Dean Connors’ Still Tippin’ into the endzone
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Connors should emerge as the Cougars' starting running back for the next few games. Houston will return to the field and look to maintain their momentum in their Big 12 opener, hosting the Colorado Buffaloes, who will enter TDECU Stadium with a 1-1 record.
