The Good, Bad and Ugly of Houston Cougars' Homecoming Win Over Arizona
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For the first time in program history as a member of the Big 12, the Houston Cougars are bowl eligible thanks to senior kicker Ethan Sanchez and his game-winning 41-yard field goal.
The Cougars, who are off to a 6-1 start for the first time since 2021, were propelled by a near 400-total yard outing to counter Arizona's 29 offensive points per game rating coming into the contest.
Despite the impressive offensive efforts, it was a different story on the other side of the ball in which the Cougars allowed 381 total yards on nearly seven yards per play, though part of it is attributed to the athleticism of redshirt junior quarterback Noah Fifita and Arizona's deep yet consistent rush room.
To gauge what set up Sanchez's game-winner and sent the Cougars bowl bound, we take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good: Best offensive display so far
Despite a similar mirroring to Houston's opening defensive possession in Week 7, the Cougars efforted an immediate response to Arizona's three-play touchdown drive with a four-play, 75-yard drive of their own featuring a 52-yard house call reception from junior wide receiver Amare Thomas, who shrugged a tackle in the process.
Facing a 14-7 deficit at the 12:29 mark of the second quarter after two consecutive drives ending in punts, offensive coordinator Slade Nagle orchestrated arguably the best drive of the season by far for the Cougars with a 13-play, 96-yard game-tying touchdown drive.
It ended up being the first of three consecutive touchdown drives for the Cougars for a total of 240 yards, the third of which lasted over nine minutes and became crucial in chewing clock.
Despite the Cougars being shut out from the endzone in the fourth, the clock continued to be a part factor in fending off Arizona's two unanswered touchdowns, while Weigman and senior running back Dean Connors' charges on the ground ultimately set up the opportunity for Sanchez.
In games like this, when set with an even offensive matchup, it remains crucial for the Cougars to run clock with the ground game if facing offensive spouts which are bound to happen, as this type of performance is why Houston continues to stay in contention for the league and potentially the College Football Playoff.
The Bad: Third and fourth down defense
Part of Arizona's 381-yard outing came from Houston's allowance of 4-for-9 in third down conversions and 2-for-3 on fourth down.
What potentially fueled these progressions were the Cougars' recurring theme of missed tackles, despite being ranked 25th in total defense heading into the matchup.
On a positive note, senior star back Wrook Brown compiled nine tackles and 1.5 sacks on the afternoon, as he and junior free safety Kentrell Webb combined for 19 total tackles.
The Ugly: Fifita gets nearly a run for the money
What nearly made it ugly for the Cougars was the accuracy of Fifita, whose mark of 24 of 26, good for 92 percent in completions, made him tied for Arizona's program record in completion percentage.
The mark helped churn out 269 yards on 11.2 yards per completion and left him with a 204.6 passer rating on the day.
Despite the explosiveness of Fifita, it should instill confidence for the Cougars in facing high-caliber quarterbacks down the line, including TCU's Josh Hoover in Week 11.
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.