Keys To Victory: Houston Cougars vs Oregon State Beavers
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Gameday is almost here, and the Houston Cougars cannot wait to travel for their first game out of Texas against the Oregon State Beavers.
Coach Trent Bray battles coach Willie Fritz in a series that favors Houston 2-1 all-time. Friday’s game should be thrilling, like the one that took place in 1970 when the Cougars defeated the Beavers 19-16.
There are plenty of headlines this weekend with several star players set to face off against one another. What will be some keys to the game that fans should know about heading into the weekend?
1) Distribute Ball to Wide Receivers
Offensive coordinator Slade Nagle has done an outstanding job of mastering the playbook that best suits quarterback Conner Weigman, which has completely shifted the national perspective of Houston football.
Stephon Johnson and Tanner Koziol have proven to be tremendous pickups. Johnson has been a playmaker due to his hands and elite route-running skills. Likewise, Koziol has been elusive, thanks to excellent eye coordination, which has enabled him to rack up yards, giving the Cougars a significant boost on pivotal downs.
Between the duo, they have combined for 339 yards, which is why Weigman has been able to sling the ball around beautifully. Credit to the Houston offensive line, who deserve their flowers for making the passing game produce numbers. Houston hasn’t struggled yet to rely on the pass game, increasing its number each time. In the home opener against SFA, Weigman threw 159 yards, followed by 188 on the road against Rice, before having a season high 222 yards against Colorado.
Oregon State’s secondary looks to be the first team to stop the diverse run and pass game. If it shuts down Weigman from hitting his two favorite targets, Houston will rely on its ground game to put up points and keep coach Fritz satisfied.
2) Create Open Holes
None of Houston’s running backs have reached 300 yards this season, which is a little disturbing to some but not to all, since it's early in the season.
Dean Connors is the primary starter in the scheme that Fritz prefers to use. In the latest game against the Buffaloes, Connors registered 89 yards with a touchdown, with an average of 4.0 yards per rush.
Behind Connors is Stacy Sneed, who has been a key piece to the running back room that has been affected by injuries. In his 25 carries, he hasn’t scored yet but has averaged 4.0 yards per rush with a season-long 16-yard run.
The Beavers have a talented defensive unit, but have struggled to secure stops on key downs, which has kept them in games. They rank No. 127 in the nation in total defense, allowing an average of 6.98 yards per play. Defensive Back Skyler Thomas and linebacker Dexter Foster like to disrupt plays, throw out different looks for quarterbacks, and close the gaps, so expect the Cougars to try to distract both players and open up the lane to run the ball down their throat.
If Houston runs the ball effectively, Oregon State falls behind and, in the blink of an eye, loses sight of the game, which is why Houston’s offensive line needs to be energized and focused.
3) Stop Maalik Murphy
Through Murphy’s three stops, he has been able to catch defenses off guard with his maneuverability throughout the pocket. He’s got a decent arm that is accurate and finds the open receiver. His issue is that he has become caught up in trying to be the hero, as his head coach mentioned this past week during his weekly press conference. It’s the little details that matter the most.
The Cougars cannot let Murphy start to find his groove. It needs to let his emotions kick in again and panic under pressure. Last week, that’s what the Oregon Ducks did, forcing the Beavers to have no answers offensively.
Murphy had an awful week with a 27.8 completion percentage, going 5-for-18 for 68 yards. Part of that was the Ducks’ secondary not allowing receivers to get open, while another part was the defense keeping it simple and sticking to the plan.
Houston hired Austin Armstrong as its defensive coordinator, and he knows what to dial up to let his defense succeed. Defensive linemen Carlos Allen Jr. and Eddie Walls III, along with linebacker Jalen Garner and defensive back Latrell McCutchin, have been a problem for offenses. If a blitz gets called, expect Murphy to avoid having the ball anywhere near those athletes.
With Murphy still searching to find his team's first win of the season, there’s no better way to get it done than against an undefeated Cougars’ team that doesn't often play in the Pacific time zone.
Kolton Becker is a journalist for Texas A&M Aggies and Houston Cougars On SI from Port Lavaca, Texas. He is a graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism and a minor in sport management. As a former sports reporter with TexAgs and The Battalion, he has covered Texas A&M football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, track & field, cross country, swim & dive and equestrian. In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, cook, do play-by-play announcing at high school sporting events, spend time with family/friends as well as be involved with his local church.
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