Houston Cougars football is back. UH is 3-0 for the first time since 2016 after an incredible 36-20 win over the Colorado Buffaloes in the Big 12 home opener Friday night. Cougars fans are absolutely pumped about the team’s performance. A complete game on both sides, Houston showed their potential to be different and much improved this season. The Cougars started 2-0 with wins over Stephen F. Austin and Rice, but passed their first true test with flying colors.
“I haven’t been 3-0 in a long time, it’s a great feeling,” junior defensive end Carlos Allen said.
Here are three observations from the big time win:
1- Houston Has a Quarterback
What a difference a quarterback can make. The Houston Cougars now have an experienced signal-caller under center who showed his good accuracy throughout. Junior Conner Weigman put on a show and threw for 222 yards on 63% completion. Weigman also ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns, which was the true difference maker in the game. Throughout last season, Cougars fans had to deal with inconsistent and inaccurate quarterback passing. Those days look to be gone with the former five-star product who transferred back home.
Deep passes are back in the arsenal for the Houston offense. While it took some time for the offense to open up with a new look and a new offensive coordinator, Slade Nagle, it looks to have found its form. UH put up 431 yards of total offense. This was the first time Houston had more than 400 offensive yards after 21 straight games, the longest such streak in the FBS. The Cougars have yet to turn the ball over on offense after three games. The accuracy and precise decision-making were on full display. There were a couple of off-balance throws on the back foot from Weigman that were very impressive.
Weigman was truly explosive using his legs vs the Buffaloes. On the first play of the second drive of the game, Weigman took off for a 49-yard rush that he ran at over 20 mph. It eventually helped set up Houston’s first touchdown of the game. This was a very underrated aspect of 6’3” quarterback’s game, who has established himself as a dual-threat talent so far this year. The Cougars have even implemented designed runs for him that expand this offense’s potential.
“When you have a quarterback that can run in 11-on-11 football, it’s dangerous for the defense,” senior running back Dean Connors said.
The former Texas A&M product has shown the ability to make those deep passes. Weigman threw a long 54-yard pass to junior wide receiver Stephon Johnson to start the fourth quarter that set up his own touchdown run to put the game away at 33-14.
“We don’t flinch, we’re gonna do whatever it takes to get the job done,” Weigman said.
2- Consistent Offense Against a Big 12 Opponent
Houston put up an offensive clinic, something that hasn’t been said recently. It included a very consistent rushing attack with Connors and Weigman. Even without sophomores Re’Shaun Sanford and J’Marion Burnette, Connors looks to have established himself as the lead back with 22 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown.
The consistency that fans wanted to see was there, as the Cougars only punted one time. Houston scored on eight out of their 13 drives, with two of those being at the end of each half. That resulted in three touchdowns and eight field goals.
UH scored on its first three drives and didn’t punt the entire second half. The Cougars had a 17-play, 57-yard field goal drive that took up over eight minutes, followed by a nine-play, 76-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown.
The defense was also quite consistent, and allowed only six second-half points when the game was out of reach.
3- Special Teams Looked Special
The Cougars also look to have a good kicker in senior Ethan Sanchez, who transferred from Old Dominion. While Sanchez did miss one from 50, it was a huge night for him with five makes.
When you’re kicking as much as he did in this game, it was a great performance with makes from 52 and 49.