Houston's Offensive Line Has Its Work Cut Out Against Utah
In this story:
Houston's offensive line has one of its toughest defenses that it will face in the season.
Utah's defense is one of the best in the Big 12 conference.
Can the Cougars' offense keep up or will it struggle against a top 10 team?
The Utes are allowing 14.7 points per game, which is 11th in the FBS and 12th in rushing defense with 88.7 yards allowed per game.
Houston averages 220.3 rushing yards per game, which is 16th in the country behind the running duo of Makhi Hughes and Re'Shaun Sanford II. Additionally, Houston's offensive line was named to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll.
According to Houston Athletics, the Cougars have allowed the second-fewest tackles for loss in the country and have an offensive grade of 84, which ranks third nationally.
Offensive linemen Anthony Boswell, Alvin Ebosele, Shadre Hurst, and McKenzie Agnello are the four Houston Cougars who are ranked in the top 10 as the highest-graded linemen in the conference.
However, Utah presents a problem Houston hasn't faced this season. The Utes play disciplined football and keep everything in front of them. They make offenses earn every yard they gain.
This game will be a direct clash of strength between Houston's offensive line and Utah's defensive line. However, there is evidence that the Utes can be moved.
Against Kansas on Oct. 10, the Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall threw for 333 yards and had plenty of time in the pocket. Last week against Colorado, the Buffaloes scored 17 points in the third quarter and ran for 138 yards but fell short, as Utah won 27-24.
Houston does not need over 220 rushing yards to beat Utah. It just needs to be enough for quarterback Conner Weigman to have enough time in the pocket to deliver.
Weigman threw for 343 yards and five touchdowns against Oklahoma State to give the Cougars the win. If he can replicate that against the Utes, Houston could see itself looking at the Big 12 Championship Game.
According to ESPN, the Cougars are scoring on 84.6% of their red zone trips, ranking 75th nationally while Utah's red zone defense ranks 15th at 71.4%. Field goals instead of touchdowns could decide the game against a defense that allows fewer than 15 points per game.
This game will be close and it depends on one thing: the offensive line being stable. If the linemen can give the offense enough time to deliver, the Cougars have a real shot at winning this game.
However, if Utah becomes too much for the offensive line, the chances of Houston winning become slim.
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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)