The Good, Bad and Ugly of Houston Cougars' Win vs. Colorado
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Following a 36-20 victory over Colorado on Friday, the Houston Cougars claimed their first Big 12 Conference opener win in program history and are off to their first 3-0 start since 2016.
Junior quarterback Conner Weigman continued to incorporate his mobility amidst a night of multiple career feats, most notably posting a career-high 83 rushing yards, the most since Nov. 19, 2022 against UMass while at Texas A&M. It, along with a new career-high 222 passing yards on 15-of-24 in completions led him to account for 71% of Houston's 431 total yards on the night.
Additionally, senior running back Dean Connors stayed consistent in his production output with 89 yards on the ground on 22 carries, while Stephon Johnson continued to take upon Weigman's advice of "staying the course", having posted 191 combined yards on six receptions in Weeks 2 and 3 combined after a targetless Week 1.
Conner Weigman told Stephon Johnson in Week 1 to “stay the course.”
— Houston Cougars On SI (@CoogsOnSI) September 13, 2025
Two games, 10 targets and 191 yards later for Johnson, it’s safe to say that it’s already paying off, leaving Weigman satisfied as his receivers are “reaping the rewards.” pic.twitter.com/41qnfg9I4h
To gauge the efficiency of Houston's "Prime Time" Big 12 opening victory, let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly:
The Good: Early and Often
Previously in Week 2, some concern for Houston's offense mounted after a 29:20 scoring drought to open the game at Rice including a first quarter that only tallied 49 total yards, despite ending up that week with 392.
However, it was safe to say that the first quarter problem was addressed the following week in the conference opener, as Houston nearly quadrupled its total yardage in that particular frame with 183. It left the Cougars successful on their first three drives, including a 79-yard touchdown drive that consisted of career-long 49-yard rush by Weigman.
The Bad: The second quarter - An inverse
As much as the first quarter seemed to be a breeze not only in scoring efficiency but on the defensive side for the Cougars as they held the Buffaloes to two first downs and 1-of-4 on third down, it became a completely different story in the following frame.
What ensued was Colorado more than quadrupling its total yardage from 45 in the first quarter all the way to 213, thanks to consecutive touchdown drives of 88 and 93 yards in order to end the first half for the Buffaloes, while Houston only posted a 44-yard second quarter. Both offenses appeared to have inverse operations of each other.
In order to capitalize in more marquee conference matchups, Houston must avoid dramatic drops in production from one quarter to another.
The Ugly: The bruises
Without a single doubt, the true ugly portion of the action came from when two players had to be carted off in extensive response from medical staff, including senior left tackle David Ndukwe and junior defensive back C.J. Douglas.
Elsewhere, there was a plethora of other downed players, including on the offensive line, who took big hits and could use much-needed rest from the upcoming bye week, ranging from Connors to junior center McKenzie Agnello.
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.