What TNT Showcased About the Houston Cougars Football Program
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Houston Cougars football took care of business easily this past week at Oklahoma State with a 39-17 win to improve to 5-1 for the first time since 2021. The game was broadcast on TNT as part of their Big 12 coverage, which started this season.
Prior to the Cougars’ matchup against the Cowboys, TNT aired its “Big 12 Uncovered” episode, which focuses on a specific Big 12 football program. Last weekend, it was focused on the Houston Cougars.
What TNT Featured About Houston
The 30-minute episode opened with shots of the team practicing and the indoor practice facility on campus. The narrator introduced the Cougars as one of the teams in the running for the Big 12 championship. Radio announcer Kevin Eschenfelder sat down and talked about the great 4-1 start to the season and how the fans would take that to start the year.
TNT then sat down with head coach Willie Fritz and featured their exclusive interview with him. TNT described Fritz as one of the top active head coaches in terms of victories and the reason for excitement for Houston fans. A key point that Fritz mentioned was that it’s important not to stay on and think about a win or loss too much. The team has a 24-hour rule to flush it and then be on to the next game.
TNT interviews a couple of players, such as seniors Latrell McCutchin and Tanner Koziol, who repeat the mindset of flushing their previous game after 24 hours. After that, there are multiple shots of Fritz coaching and motivating during practice.
Fritz said that he loves being a role model to student athletes and shares that all his staff has either played or coached with him prior to coming to Houston.
Houston 2025
That is their motto for this season. With so many new players, that is what Fritz believes is an ideal slogan. While he makes sure that their players get to know each other, it has to be a quick process.
“You have to cook your culture like a microwave, not an oven,” Fritz said.
The show then shifts its focus to Houston’s Heisman Trophy winner in 1989, legendary quarterback Andre Ware. TNT also has a sit-down interview with him and the field, where they mentioned all the incredible achievements he had for the program during his three years.
Ware was the first Houston player to win the Heisman, and in a unique moment, he got to share that special time with his teammates. TNT then panned to a shot where junior quarterback Connor Weigman and Ware met, and there was clear respect between the two.
After the break, TNT made sure to feature the prominent school traditions, and they focused on the Cougar paw. Eschenfelder was the one narrating the story, as he used to attend UH games as a kid. There was a fraternity on campus that bought a real Cougar named Shasta, and it was at all Houston games back then. When playing Texas, Shasta lost a claw, and the UT college students made the paw sign, with one finger down to signify the missing one.
Much later, when Houston beat Texas at Memorial Stadium in Austin 30-0 and ended the Longhorns’ 42-game home win streak, the UH students remembered the Cougar paw incident and used it for their own team.
What Else was Featured
Senior wide receiver Stephon Johnson loves the culture change at Houston and is completely behind Fritz. Johnson talked about transferring from Oklahoma State after his freshman season.
After practice, TNT made sure to feature Houston’s state-of-the-art recovery room and plunge pool in their new football operations center.
After ESPN College GameDay did a story on the inspiring fight of strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester, TNT decided to do the same. In January, he was diagnosed with cancer, and the doctors had a tough diagnosis where they said he didn’t have much time.
Hester battles through it, and he told the team that he’s unbreakable. Players mention what an inspiration he is to them. Hester said that his work is his therapy.
The Road Trip
The Cougars use a truck to take 25,000 lbs of equipment for all their road games. Houston maximizes every foot of the truck and packs it with extra equipment, uniforms, helmets, cleats, gloves, and additional items for players. It was mentioned that all the players have to do is show up, and the team management takes care of the rest.
Leading tackler and standout nose tackle Carlos Allen Jr. shares details of how he packs and what music he listens to in his noise-canceling headphones.
Overall, this was great for the university’s football program, and the fans loved the national outlook into their beloved Cougars.
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.