No. 25 Houston vs TCU: Score Predictions
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Houston football hosts the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m., inside TDECU Stadium, in Houston, Texas.
The Cougars are 8-2 on the season, and they are 1.5-point favorites over TCU.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, the Houston Cougars on SI staff got together and gave their predictions for the highly anticipated matchup.
Staff Predictions
Michael Carrara, Staff Writer
Houston is drawing a TCU team coming off a tough outing against BYU in Provo, and depending on how you view it, it could be a bad draw. Houston will need to strike a continuance of junior quarterback Josh Hoover’s 43% completion percentage and keep him limited in the pocket, which will be a tough ask considering previous defensive woes. This will be a closer-drawn game that the Cougars simply will have to gut out, as their Big 12 championship hopes could dwindle away with a loss or other scenarios in the conference.
Prediction: Houston 26, TCU 15
Carson Wersal, Staff Writer
For this weekend's matchup, I'm electing to not overthink it. The Cougars have handled business this season against teams that have struggled offensively. With TCU having injuries on the offensive line and in the defensive secondary, I think Houston has the edge in this one on both sides of the ball. I think the only way the Cougars get beat on senior night is if they allow a wide receiver like senior Eric McAlister take over the game like he did against SMU earlier in the season.
Houston 31, TCU 24
Aaron Raley, Staff Writer
Their respective records may not show it, but Houston may have their match in the TCU Horned Frogs, at least stat-wise. Hoover is a more prolific passer than Junior quarterback Conner Weigman, but has thrown more interceptions and is less likely to use his legs. TCU has also lost their last two games, however, so the want for victory will definitely be there for the Frogs, but the want for the Coogs as they try to stay alive in the Big 12 Championship picture will be even bigger. Mix that in with the home crowd, and I believe a narrow Houston victory should be in store in a battle of two very efficient offenses.
Houston 28, TCU 24
Maanav Gupta, Staff Writer
The injuries to TCU play a role in this one as the Cougars take advantage of a Horned Frogs secondary without top safety Bud Clark and dominate through the air. Weigman throws for 250 and a pair of scores as well as a rushing TD, while the Houston defense locks in on limiting the TCU pass offense and Hoover. Houston has the lead throughout and wins their final home game on a defensive stop.
Houston 27, TCU 19
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).