Three Things Houston Must Clean Up Against Southern
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The Houston Cougars got the job done in the season opener at TDECU Stadium against the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, but it's obvious that there was plenty to fix in various areas going forward.
Houston wasn't at its best, but that's the challenge that Week 1 can present. After the Cougars finally got some real game action, it presents an opportunity to address the issues that were shown. The only way a team can truly improve is after a game.
The Cougars know there were missed opportunites and correctable mistakes that can be fixed. That's along the lines of what coach Willie Fritz said in the postgame press conference following the 33-20 win.
Here are the three things Houston must clean up in Week 2 against Southern.
Turnovers and Takeaways
The Cougars gave up two turnovers, but they shockingly weren't able to produce takeaways of their own against Oregon State. Fritz pointed out in the postgame that the chances were there to make three interceptions, but none of those opportunities were taken advantage of.
If Houston's defense made those picks, the score could've looked a lot different. One turnover by the Cougars was an interception by senior quarterback Conner Weigman. However, that wasn't his fault as it got tipped in the air. Senior running back Makhi Hughes did fumble at the start of the second quarter, and that took some early momentum away.
Given Hughes' experience, it's obvious ball security will be paramount. It's reasonable to expect that Houston's defense will get back on track and force a couple of turnovers against Southern. It's a big emphasis for Fritz that the Cougars remain on the positive side of the turnover margin and not -2 like against Oregon State.
Penalties
Houston is generally a pretty disciplined team under Fritz. Penalties are highlighted as part of the "Coogs don't beat the Coogs" phrase that Fritz preaches during practice. Given that, the Cougars still had 10 penalties for 65 yards in Week 1, while Oregon State had just five penalties. There were multiple pre-snap flags as well.
Houston will need to cut down on the penalties in order to get back to that level of discipline.
Tackling
Fritz mentioned that tackling was also an issue, and it was presented in part of the team not practicing real tackling during fall camp.
Now that the rust might've worn off, Houston should be able to get back to clean form. It's an area that is underscored a lot as well. That would've also limited some of the big plays that Oregon State had through the air.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.