Three Areas the Houston Cougars Football Team Can’t Afford To Take Step Back In

The Houston Cougars were a pleasant surprise last season to the college football world, amassing a 10-3 record in just year two of the Willie Fritz tenure.

Entering the third season of the Fritz reign, and getting a taste of success after finishing fourth in the Big 12 last season, they look to continue seeing a year-over-year increase in wins. Now they add the number one recruit in the country to their roster, Keisean Henderson, and look to be even better in 2026.

Here are three areas the Cougars need to continue to excel at in order to find success again next season.

Offense Scoring

Houston Cougars Running Back Dean Connors — Houston Cougars running back Dean Connors (44) carries the ball ahead of Baylor Bears safety Cameren Jenkins (23) during the second half at McLane Stadium. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Cougars found a way to have a truly balanced attack on offense. Connor Weigman led the way through the air, throwing for 2705 yards, while on the ground, they rushed for 2,315 yards as a team. That led to them being the 38th highest scoring offense in the country, averaging 29.3 points per game.

Now with one of the most electric quarterbacks in the country stepping on campus, and an offense that has a talented backfield, finding a way to have sustained success on that side of the ball with make life easier for the Cougars in 2026.

Redzone Offense and Defense

Houston Cougars Linebacker Jalen Garner — Houston Cougars linebacker Jalen Garner (36) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A lot of football is played in between the 20-yard lines on the football field, but the real difference maker for teams is their ability to find success in the red zone on offense, and conversely, limit opposing teams' success in the red zone.

They did exactly that in 2025, which correlated with their success. The Cougars were ninth in the country in redzone scoring offense, converting points 92.5 percent of the time, while limiting opposing offenses to only a 77.78 percent success rate, which was good enough for 24th.

Finding a way to have sustained success should remain a priority for an offense that continues to look to be a high-scoring machine.

Disciplined Football

Houston Cougars Receiver Amare Thomas — Houston Cougars wide receiver Amare Thomas (0) reacts during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Mental mistakes can make or break a team, ruining a great drive, or killing momentum when an offense finds a ryhthm. For the Cougars, that was an area they excelled in last season, finding themselves as the 13th least penalized team in the country, averaging 4.3 penalties per game.

That was good enough for number one in the Big 12, finding a way to do the little things right that can change the course of a game, a mantra that has followed Fritz wherever he coaches. Limiting self-implosion will only make games easier for the Cougars, and if they can do that, as well as the other two things listed above, they should find themselves in a great spot for 2026.