Houston Football Winners and Losers From Kansas State Victory
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The No. 20 Houston Cougars went into Manhattan and came out on top against Kansas State, 35-16.
They improved to 5-1 on the season and 2-1 in the conference.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from the victory.
Winners
The biggest winner by far is tight end Patrick Overmyer. He totaled four touchdowns and 83 yards on eight catches.
According to Houston Athletics, he is the first Houston player with four receiving touchdowns in a game since Patrick Edwards in 2011 and tied the NCAA record for a tight end.
Overmyer is becoming quarterback Conner Weigman's favorite, reliable target and is resembling former tight end Tanner Koziol when it comes to production.
The running back duo of Re'Shaun Sanford II and Makhi Hughes were also winners in this game. The duo had 168 of 233 rushing yards, while Hughes also had a touchdown.
The run game controlled the tempo of the game and kept quarterback Avery Johnson and Kansas State's offense on the sideline.
Sanford was the steady runner between the two, having 90 yards on 20 carries that set the tone early, while Hughes added 78 yards on 14 carries.
Wide receivers Koby Young and Trent Walker made important plays and gave Houston the momentum. Young started the game off with a 36-yard third-down catch that took the Cougars to the one-yard line, which set up Weigman's touchdown pass to Overmyer.
Walker caught five passes for 60 yards and was crucial when Houston needed a first down. Young finished the game with a total of 80 yards: 40 on a jet sweep and 40 through the air.
Finally, the secondary won big in this game. Before the win against Kansas State, the pass defense was one of the worst in the Big 12 Conference. Houston now ranks fourth-worst in the league in passing yards allowed, with 1,490.
However, the defense held Johnson to 182 passing yards and two touchdowns. Defensive back Jordan Allen intercepted Johnson's pass to end Kansas State's potential scoring drive in the fourth quarter.
Losers
Wide receiver Amare Thomas was nowhere to be found. He caught two passes for 31 yards, with one of those catches moving the chains on a third down.
Although Thomas had a quiet day, expect him to be more involved. Near the goal line, Overmyer became Weigman's target; however, against No. 18 Oklahoma State, Thomas should be involved early in that game.
Finally, offensive lineman Shadre Hurst, who is on the Lombardi Award watch list, committed two false starts. In total, Houston had eight penalties for 74 yards.
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Micah Clay is a staff writer for the Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a freshman at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Administration. He also works for The Cougar organization. You can find Clay on his Instagram(@mcjosh_btw_podcast)