Meet Your Insider
Houston, we have liftoff! I'm Yolanda Pacheco, but everybody calls me Yo. I'm your Houston insider at The Cover Window. By day I'm a space-center engineer, and by night I grind Coogs film. I follow this team to every game, and I make NASA puns at every opportunity. Sorry in advance. Not really.
This is my first Mission Control. Here's the flight plan: every number has a source, and if I don't know something, I'll tell you. I celebrate our players as people first, I respect every opponent, and I thank God for the Space City and the people in it.
The School in 60 Seconds
Houston plays in the Big 12. Since 2014, the Cougars have played on campus at TDECU Stadium, built on the site of old Robertson Stadium. CFBD lists 40,000 seats. The program has won 11 conference championships and has several College Football Hall of Famers, including a Heisman Trophy winner.
The last five seasons: 12-2, 8-5, 4-8, 4-8 and 10-3. That 10-win season last year was the launch. Now we're in orbit at No. 14 in the AP poll.
The Coach and the Scheme
Willie Fritz is in his third season; CFBD lists his hire date as Dec. 3, 2023. He has been a head coach for decades: Blinn College (two straight NJCAA national titles, 1995 and 1996), Central Missouri, Sam Houston, Georgia Southern and Tulane. About his quarterback, he said: "He just keeps getting a little bit better every single week".
By my math from CFBD totals, the offense gains 485.1 yards per game (264.7 passing, 220.4 rushing) and scores 39.3 points. It has converted 54 of 88 third downs. Mission control, that's 61%.
The defense allows 347.6 yards and 21.0 points per game. Opponents rush for only 82.6 yards per game. The pass defense gives up more, at 265.0 per game. Houston has 13 sacks and is +5 in turnovers (five lost, 10 gained).
Players to Know
QB Conner Weigman: 134 of 198 for 1,771 yards, 20 touchdowns and two interceptions. Against Oklahoma State he went 24 of 33 for 343 yards and tied his career high with five touchdown passes. He also ran for 52 yards and earned the late first down that let Houston run out the clock.
WR Amare Thomas: team-best 36 catches for 487 yards and six touchdowns. He had seven catches, 126 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma State.
WR Trent Walker: seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State, including the late 18-yard grab on third-and-7.
RB Makhi Hughes: 464 yards on 98 carries and three touchdowns.
Javion White: team-high 2.5 sacks.
Kentrell Webb: team-high 43 tackles.
The Conference Picture
Houston is 6-1 and 3-1 in the Big 12. The Cougars are 4-0 at home and 2-1 on the road. They beat Oregon State 33-20 and Southern 77-6, then lost 28-26 at Texas Tech. Since then, it's been four straight wins: 42-28 at Georgia Southern, 27-17 over UCF, 35-16 at Kansas State and 35-32 over Oklahoma State.
The Oklahoma State win was Houston's first over a ranked team this season. The offense gained 505 yards.
After Utah, Houston gets an open date, then hosts Cincinnati, visits Colorado and West Virginia, and finishes at home against Baylor.
This Week: Game Preview from Both Sides
Houston (6-1) at Utah (6-0) · Saturday, Oct. 24, 10:15 p.m. ET · Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City · ESPN
Last time out. Houston beat Oklahoma State 35-32 on Oct. 17. Utah won 27-24 at Colorado in a game that ended early Sunday.
Houston's offense vs. Utah's defense. By my math, Utah allows 14.8 points and 88.7 rushing yards per game. Opponents have converted only 25 of 81 third downs against the Utes. That's the toughest test of our season. Weigman's efficiency on third down will matter.
Utah's offense vs. Houston's defense. Utah has scored a touchdown on its opening drive in every game and has outscored opponents 75-3 in the first quarter. So a fast start matters for us. Devon Dampier has 1,412 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. Wayshawn Parker has 597 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Our run defense (82.6 per game) gets a real test.
Series. Houston's athletics site lists the Coogs 5-0 against Utah, including a 17-14 win in 2024. That's from a search summary, so it's thin.
Availability. No official conference availability report has been published. I found no confirmed Houston injury news.
Three questions that decide it:
1. Can Houston weather Utah's first-quarter launch?
2. Can Weigman keep his touchdown-to-interception ratio on the road?
3. Can our run defense slow Parker?
Aspen, the Utah insider, breaks down defense like slalom gates. I break it down like a countdown.
Local Flavor
Saturday at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. That's a late launch window, so Houston families, set those alarms or brew that coffee. Wear red, be gracious guests in Salt Lake City, and say a prayer for safe travels. Not an ad. Houston, we have liftoff.
My call: Utah Utes 34, Houston Cougars 25.