Three Questions Houston Football Must Answer Against Southern

Houston has some explaining to do on the defensive end in Week 2.

Sep 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Jordan Allen (6) defends against a pass intended for Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Jesse Legree (12) during the third quarter at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Houston faces a mild challenge on Saturday when the SWAC's Southern hits TDECU Stadium in Week 2.

The Cougars' follow-up to knocking off Oregon State 33-20 won't provide any answers on what kind of team can beat UH.

The Jaguars could hold up a mirror and show the Coogs how to beat themselves, though, if this game is close at all.

Here are three questions Houston must answer against Southern in Week 2:

Is Houston Capable of Being a Good Tackling Team?

Sep 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz reacts during the first half against the Oregon State Beavers at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 1 was not the brand of violence Willie Fritz was probably looking for in his defense. This was particularly noticeable in the third level.

To be fair, his coaching staff might've had a bigger hand in that than the players themselves. There wasn't much in the way of live tackling in fall camp.

With the season underway, perhaps that's changed. This past week of practice may provide more clarity on the tackling issue than facing one of the lowest teams in the SWAC from a season ago on Saturday.

Can the Cougars Secondary Cause More Turnovers?

UH's secondary might've had a motivation problem against the Beavers. Or a focus issue. Either way, Week 1 didn't read like they were a team that couldn't meet the moment. Instead, the Cougars might've been lacking fire, and it almost cost them.

Houston could've had three interceptions last Saturday but simply failed to catch the ball. That, combined with frequent blown coverages on short, simple routes, made for a rough day for the Cougars in the passing game.

Another outing of lackadaisical coverage isn't going to cut it. Especially a week out from traveling to Lubbock to take on a Texas Tech roster that doesn't lack elite options at receiver.

Is Houston Capable of Cutting Down Penalties On Both Sides of the Ball?

Houston was penalized 10 times for 65 yards in Week 1. That was a team-wide problem that is absolutely unsustainable, given the Cougars' ambitions of Big 12 contention.

The offensive line had a few issues, which is perhaps understandable after the integration of several new pieces.

Mistakes like the ones Houston made in Week 1 can be attributed to rust, for now, but Willie Fritz knows they need to be fixed.

“We’ll get a lot better. There are a lot of correctable mistakes that we made, and we’re going to get better. Everybody has a goal of getting better from Week 1 to Week 2,” Fritz said. “We’ll learn some valuable lessons.”