What Happened Last Time Between Houston Cougars and Arizona Wildcats?
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After a rough first two seasons in the Big 12, the Houston Cougars are showing that they're a very different team this year.
The Cougars finished 4-8 in both 2023 and 2024, but currently sit at 5-1 halfway through the 2025 season. The defense has picked up right where it left off, but the offense - led by a pair of transfers in quarterback Conner Weigman and running back Dean Connors - has improved dramatically after being one of the worst in the conference a year ago.
Of course, Willie Fritz and co. still aren't satisfied yet. As they prepare to host the Arizona Wildcats for their homecoming game on Saturday, the Cougars have yet another chance to prove how far they've come.
Arizona Wildcats Blew Out Houston Cougars Late Last Season
The Cougars and Wildcats met for the first time as Big 12 rivals on Nov. 15, 2024, but it wasn't much of a contest as Arizona cruised to a 27-3 blowout victory.
It wasn't like the Cougars were completely dominated from the beginning. The yardage (Arizona out-gained Houston 337-326) and time of possession (Arizona held the ball for 31:04 of game time) were fairly even, so how did this game turn into such a lopsided affair?
The simple answer: the Cougars had three incredibly costly turnovers while only forcing one takeaway themselves. The first of those turnovers was a fumble by J'Marion Burnette on their opening drive, which led directly to the Wildcats' first touchdown. The second, an interception by Zeon Chriss, didn't lead to much, but the third, a fumble by Re'Shaun Sanford, ended Houston's final drive and allowed Arizona to run out the clock.
Additionally, the Cougars converted just two of their 13 third-down opportunities, while the Wildcats converted 10 of their 17. It's hard to win football games when there's such a massive disparity.
Chriss completed 16 of 27 passes for 191 yards and an interception while adding 55 yards on the ground. Sanford had 10 carries for a team-high 76 rushing yards, while Stephon Johnson had four catches for a team-high 60 yards.
On the Arizona side, Noah Fifita completed 20 of 35 passes for two touchdowns and an interception. Quali Conley had 11 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown, while future first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan had six receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown.
There's a lot the Cougars can learn from last season, but this is one game they'd likely prefer to flush down the drain and forget.
