No. 17 Houston heads to Boulder on Friday night looking to keep its Big 12 push moving against a Colorado team that has spent much of the season on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
The Cougars enter at 7-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play, while Colorado sits at 3-6 and 1-5 against Big 12 opponents. Houston’s only real stumble in recent weeks came in Utah, where a four-game winning streak ended. Since then, the Cougars have steadied themselves with a 31-24 home win over Cincinnati coming out of the bye.
Colorado, meanwhile, is trying to recover after a 20-10 loss at Arizona State. That came after the Buffaloes had snapped a five-game losing streak in their previous game.
This matchup also comes with a recent result to lean on. Houston beat Colorado 36-20 in the first meeting between the programs last season.
The biggest reason Houston has the edge again is Connor Weigman. The senior quarterback has been sharp for the Cougars after transferring in before last season, and his numbers tell the story.
He completed 65.2% of his passes for 2,7-5 yards and 25 touchdowns last year, and he has taken another step this season with 2,280 yards, 22 touchdowns and a 66.1% completion rate. Even more important, his interceptions have dropped from nine last year to just two so far this season.
Weigman did have a rough outing at Utah, but he answered with a strong bounce-back performance against Cincinnati. In that 31-24 win, he threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns on 17 of 24 passing and also added a rushing score.
From a betting standpoint, Colorado has been a difficult team to trust. The Buffaloes are 2-7 against the spread, while Houston is 3-6 ATS. Still, the Cougars have shown more over the course of the season, and Colorado has already failed to cash in as a big underdog twice in recent weeks, losing 57-24 at Oklahoma State as a +12.5 underdog and 29-7 at home against Texas Tech as a +13.5 underdog.
Houston has a chance to make a clear statement before the season’s final stretch.
In Other News...
Colorado Recruiting Buzz Suddenly Centers On Deion Sanders Future
LiMarcus Jones gave Colorado a brief scare this week when he backed off his pledge to the Buffaloes, only to recommit within 24 hours. The quick turnaround kept the spotlight on a class that has continued to show public support for Deion Sanders, with several 2027 recruits, including Andre Adams and Dewey Young, using the Play for Prime hashtag as the Buffaloes try to keep momentum around the program.
Even with that buzz, the recruiting picture around Colorados next game has been quieter than the online chatter suggests. No recruits are expected to visit for the Houston matchup, and Jones has indicated that the staff around Sanders is expected to stay in place after the season, a detail that matters as much to future prospects as any social media post. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Suddenly Has A Special Teams Problem Before Houston
Colorados special teams picture got a lot murkier heading into its meeting with Houston after starting kicker Elliot Arnold was downgraded from questionable to doubtful following an injury suffered against Arizona State. The Buffaloes had already been managing the situation after the roughing-the-kicker hit, and now they are bracing for a game in which field position and routine kicking work could matter just as much as anything else on the field.
Daniel Gerlach has stepped in at placekicker, but Colorado is still sorting out who will handle kickoff duties, leaving one more layer of uncertainty for a unit that needs to be steady against the Cougars. For a team trying to keep its special teams from becoming a liability, the timing is less than ideal, especially with Houston waiting and every hidden-yardage play likely to loom large. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Secondary Faces A Test That Could Change Everything For Weigman
Houstons secondary has spent much of the season trying to steady itself, and the recent uptick has at least given the Cougars a fighting chance heading into a matchup with Colorado. For a team that has often needed Conner Weigman to carry too much of the load, any progress on the back end matters, because it changes the way Houston can survive against a deeper, more dangerous opponent.
Colorado brings a passing game that will keep the Cougars honest from the start, with Joseph Williams and Deandre Moore Jr. serving as the kinds of receivers that can expose any lapse in coverage. If Houston can hold up better in the secondary, it does more than just slow one opponent - it gives the Cougars a path that does not depend entirely on Weigman to be perfect. [Read more 🡒]