Houston vs. UCF: How to Watch, Odds, Injuries and More
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The No. 20 Houston Cougars are looking to bounce back in conference play this Saturday against the UCF Knights.
Houston brings back its blue alternate uniform against the Knights as it hopes to make some noise in 2026. Another convincing win would be a great sign from this dangerous Cougar team.
How to Watch Houston Vs. UCF
• Who: No. 20 Houston Cougars 3-1 (0-1 in Big 12) vs. UCF Knights 3-1 (1-0 in Big 12)
• What: Week 5 of the regular season.
• When: Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. CT
• Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas
• TV/Streaming: ESPN2
• TV Announcers: Anish Shroff (Play-by-Play), Andre Ware, Houston legend (Analyst), Morgan Uber (Sideline)
• Radio: KPRC 950 AM, The Varsity Network- “Search Houston”, SiriusXM: 138 or 199, and on the SiriusXM App
• Radio Announcers: Kevin Eschenfelder (play-by-play), Ted Pardee (color), and Jeremy Branham (sideline reporter)
• Last Season: Houston went 10-3 and beat LSU in the Texas Bowl for its first double-digit win season since 2021. Houston defeated UCF 30-27 in 2025.
• Series History: Houston is just 4-8 against UCF all-time.
The Coaches
Scott Frost, UCF: Scott Frost is in just his second year with the Knights (in his second tenure). After going 13-0 in 2017, Frost returned to his alma mater, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Unfortunately, Frost was fired after a terrible tenure in which the blue-blood program was essentially driven into the ground, as he went just 16-31 and 10-26 in Big Ten Conference play - among the worst stretches in Husker history. The Knights then hired Frost again, and he went 5-7 in his first season. Frost and the Knights are 3-1 in 2026 thus far.
Willie Fritz, Houston: This is Willie Fritz's third season with Houston. He is 16-12 so far. Fritz has 34 years of coaching experience and a 263-132-1 record overall. He was hired from Tulane in Dec. 2023 and has turned the Cougars into legitimate Big 12 contenders.
The Odds via ESPN Bet
Spread: Houston -11.5 (-455), UCF +11.5 (+350)
Over/Under: 50.5 ( O -50.5, U -50.5)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Houston Injury Report
Houston has no major injuries, with two players out (kicker Evan Noel and linebacker Evan Castile) who are both near the bottom of the depth chart for the Cougars.
Other than those two, the Cougars have remained a very healthy team.
What To Know About UCF
Expect the Knights to try to achieve a balanced offensive attack. The Knights have had the worst passing offense in the Big 12 and the second-worst in the Power Four, but with Houston having such a weak secondary thus far, the Knights would be silly not to try to exploit that weakness.
Plus, the running game of UCF has been decent. A huge stat to watch Saturday will also be the turnover margin. The Knights have forced 9 turnovers, massively helping what has been statistically not a great defense. If Conner Weigman and Houston can continue to do well at limiting turnovers, then UCF might not have much of a chance.
This game is a chance for the Cougars to truly prove themselves. Yes, the Cougars have impressed so far, but they still haven't beaten a Power Four opponent. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars do against a potential challenge in the Knights.
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Born in Utah, raised in Nebraska, and now living in the Northeast, Tyler Crum is a lifelong sports fan with a passion for college football, college basketball, Major League Baseball, and hockey. He attends the University of New Hampshire, where he is majoring in history. His work has appeared with Last Word on Sports, Utah on Ice, and Sports Illustrated. When he is not writing or watching sports, Tyler can usually be found reading a book on military history.
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