Why the Houston Cougars Defense Can't Afford to Overlook West Virginia
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With their first ranked win against a road opponent since 2017, spirits are high for the No. 22 Houston Cougars. Now gaining attention on a national scale, head coach Willie Fritz's squad will look to keep their win streak alive against a scrappy West Virginia team this Saturday.
It's exactly because of their underdog nature that the Cougars will need to be wary of the Mountaineers this weekend. While Houston pulled off a stunning 24-16 victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils last week, the Morgantown faithful took the TCU Horned Frogs down to the wire losing by less than a touchdown.
It's no secret that the Cougars' defense has been spectacular this season, allowing less than 19 points per game. Despite West Virginia's struggles this season, defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and the Houston defense could have their hands full this weekend against a promising young quarterback.
A Rising Star at Quarterback
Last week against TCU, freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. gave the Horned Frogs secondary all they could handle in West Virginia's 23-17 loss. Fox Jr. completed 28 of 41 passes for just over 300 yards and two passing touchdowns.
To the surprise of many, the true freshman outdueled Josh Hoover, who was labeled a Heisman contender at the beginning of the season. Hoover completed 24 of 39 passes for just 247 yards and a touchdown against the Mountaineers.
West Virginia's quarterback room has seen its fair share of instability this season. Nicco Marchiol was labeled the starter at the beginning of the year, but after four games, the junior went down with a foot injury that ended his season. In those four games, Marchiol completed 66 of 98 passes for 720 yards along with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
With redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins still nursing an injury from earlier in the season, Fox Jr. got his opportunity to start a full game against TCU and didn't squander it. While the Cougars have held strong defensively this season, a wild card like Fox Jr. who can fit throws into tight windows could make things interesting.
Why the Cougars are Built for the Challenge
Throughout the season, Coach Fritz has emphasized the importance of staying focused on what his team can control. Whether that's delivering on an in-game assignment, or ignoring noise outside of the program, it appears the head coach has his players dialed in week in and week out.
That stability within the Houston locker room has now led to the Cougars being 7-1 this season and 4-1 in conference play. After the 35-11 loss to Texas Tech, Houston easily could have stumbled in their next three games against Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Arizona State.
There's also something to be said about the veteran presence that the Cougars have on defense. With 10 starters in their junior or senior year, Houston has players that have accumulated tons on experience throughout their college football career.
With a passing defense that sits in the top half of the Big 12, there's a good chance that the Cougars secondary will be able to wreak havoc on Fox Jr. this Saturday.
