How the Houston Cougars Can Win Their Bye Week

Three things the Coogs can do for a successful week.

Houston Cougars running back Dean Connors (44) dives for the end zone pylon as Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Jeremiah Brown (42) defends during the third quarter at TDECU Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Cougars are the hottest they’ve been in a long time.

Tree straight victories, especially one against one of the biggest brands in the Big 12, can do wonders for a team’s morale. One of the biggest challenges the Cougars now face is how to keep riding the wave they’ve been on through the bye.

Here are three things the Houston Cougars can do to make sure they win their bye week:

Rest, Rest, Rest

Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman attempts a pass during the first quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at TDECU Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The biggest thing for any team to do on its bye week is to rest. For Houston, the team definitely needs it. There is no doubt that the squad is a little banged up after its bout against the Colorado Buffaloes.

During the game, offensive linemen David Ndukwe and McKenzie Agnello and defensive back Marc Stampley II all left the game early and opened the door for some guys who do not usually play to get some time on the field. The bye gives a couple of those guys some time to rest without reaggravating anything.

Although he stayed in the game the whole time, quarterback Conner Weigman toted the ball a ton and definitely woke up feeling pretty sore on Saturday morning. Weigman finished as the second-leading rusher on the team against the Buffs. He finished with a career-high 83 yards and two touchdowns on 17 attempts.

Sharpen Things Up

Coach Willie Fritz essentially rebuilt this team through the transfer portal over the past offseason. A lot of the players are still meshing together and learning the way everyone operates. The Cougars recorded four penalties for 35 yards, moving the needle in the direction of the Buffs in Week 3.

Running walkthroughs and holding team bonding events can help eliminate communication-related penalties and strengthen bonds between teammates, ultimately resulting in a better, more-polished on-field product.

Get Ahead On Oregon State

Oregon State Beavers quarterback Maalik Murphy throws a pass during warmups before the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Reser Stadium. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Fritz was not shy to admit that the Cougars had been working ahead to the Colorado Buffaloes.

"Short week, we play on Friday night, not Saturday, so we're all going to get in there early as coaches,” Fritz said ahead of Week 3. ”We've already worked in the summer, somewhat on Colorado: game plan, offense, defense, kicking game."

With extra time in the upcoming practice week, expect Fritz to be locked in on the Oregon State Beavers.

The Cougars are set to make the trip to Corvallis to take on the Beavers on Friday, September 26.