This Houston Playmaker Could Reach Significant Milestone In Texas Bowl
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Houston football is set to play in its first bowl game since defeating the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 23-16 in the Independence Bowl in 2022.
The Cougars will now face the LSU Tigers in the Kinder's Texas Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 8:15 p.m., inside NRG Stadium, in Houston, Texas.
With one final game left for the Cougars, junior wide receiver Amare Thomas is just 94 yards away from having a 1,000-yard receiving season.
Amare Thomas Looks To Add On To Stellar Junior Season
The transfer portal completely changed a Houston squad that finished just 4-8 for the past two seasons.
With the addition of junior quarterback Conner Weigman, a pair of Houston pass catchers had breakout seasons.
Senior tight end Tanner Koziol is one of the Cougars who took advantage of the transfer from Ball State to Houston.
This season, he has hauled in 65 catches for 651 yards and five touchdowns, solidifying himself as one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the entire country.
Thomas is the other breakout star, and he led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns.
In his first season in the red and white, Thomas totaled 59 receptions for 906 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He is second in the conference in receiving yards, finishing behind TCU's senior wide receiver Eric McAlister.
Thomas is also tied for first in the Big 12 in receiving touchdowns.
Now, Thomas looks to cap off his breakout junior season with a solid showing against LSU.
He would be the first Houston receiver to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since Tank Dell did it twice in his time as a Cougar.
Thomas has surpassed 94 receiving yards in five games this season, and he is more than capable of reaching this mark on Saturday.
With several opt-outs in the Tigers' secondary, Thomas will have the opportunity to take advantage of the inexperience downfield and have a solid game.
LSU ranks No. 49 in the country in yards allowed to opposing teams through the air. They give up an average of 210 passing yards per game and will be without several key starters on defense.
The Cougars are now favored to win by three points, with just a 32.5% chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.
Head coach Willie Fritz also looks to get his squad to 10 wins on the season and further impress in his second season leading the Cougars.
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).