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69 Days Until Kansas Football: Houston Cougars Preview

A look at KU's non-conference matchup against a future Big 12 opponent.
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Before they face each other as Big 12 foes in 2023 and beyond, Kansas and newcomer Houston will battle as non-conference opponents in 2022. 

It’s part of a tough stretch early in the schedule for Kansas after opening against Tennessee Tech—the Jayhawks go from an early September Big 12 matchup with West Virginia to a contest against a Houston squad that last year was near the top of the non-power-five teams.

Before we get started, if you haven't already checked out the podcast preview of Houston, make sure you check it out after you finish our preview here.

Pre-Game Notes

Kansas and Houston have never shared a conference, but they have faced off on the gridiron before. Three times, in fact. And Kansas was victorious in all three. Yes, in football.

The first two meetings were in the regular season for a home-and-home series in 1994 and 95 when Houston was in the Southwest Conference. The final Kansas win was in the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl where KU won 42-13 as Jason Swanson threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns and Jon Cornish had 100 yards rushing and two receiving touchdowns.

Kansas fans are also plenty familiar with Houston’s recent run of coaches. Kansas gave Tom Herman a scare after he left Houston for Texas (Carter Stanley and company were so close). Then came former Texas quarterback Major Applewhite. And now the Cougars are led by former West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen.

The Mike Plank Four-Down Scouting Report

First Down

Holgorsen had a rough start to his Houston tenure, going 7-13 in his first two years. But now he and the Cougars are heading into the year on the heels of a 12-2 season that ended with a win over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl.

Second Down

Houston’s quarterback is Clayton Tune, a fifth-year senior who looks like he will close out his time at Houston as one of the most productive quarterbacks in recent AAC history. Last season, Tune threw for more than 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 68 percent of his passes.

Third Down

Tune will be without a big presence in the backfield. Alton McCaskill rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021 as a true freshman running back, the latter being the most for a freshman back in FBS. But McCaskill tore his ACL during an April practice and is out for the year. Texas Tech transfer Ta’Zhawn Henry and USC transfer Brandon Campbell will likely be in line for an increased role in his absence.

Fourth Down

The Cougars lost three defensive players to the NFL Draft but still have six of the top eight on the defensive line coming back, led by D’Anthony Jones. And while both 2021 starting cornerbacks are now professionals, first-team All-AAC safeties Gervarrius Owens and Hasaan Hypolite are back to anchor the secondary in 2022.

Matchup On Paper

Houston’s offense averaged nearly 36 points per game last season—good for 15th best in DI. But interestingly enough, it did not happen through big plays down the field. Pro Football Focus found that the Cougars only attempted seven passes toward the sidelines of at least 20 yards downfield (ranking 99th in FBS). Still, the Kansas secondary will have to contend with Nathaniel Dell, who recorded 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns on 90 catches as a sophomore.

Meanwhile, Kansas’ offensive line is going to be put to the test early. Houston’s defensive line was dominant in 2021, ranking in the top 12 in FBS in sacks, tackles for loss, and stop rate (percentage that a defense prevents the other team from scoring). The Jayhawks will also have to get positive yardage early in their series. If KU gets stuck on third down and long, it might as well get ready to punt. Teams converted on third down just 25.6 percent of the time against Houston last year, the lowest mark in the country since 2018.

Way-too-Early Trend Lines

A line doesn’t exist yet for this game, but the week prior could give some good insight. Houston is traveling to Lubbock to play Texas Tech the game before facing Kansas and as of now, Tech is favored by five points. Given that the Kansas game is a home contest for Houston, expect the Cougars to be favored, unless the first two weeks of the season provide a shock.

Houston was the favorite in four of its final five games last year (only the underdog against Cincinnati) and covered the spread in three of those four contests. 

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