Conner Weigman didn’t sugarcoat the finish, but he also made clear Houston’s loss at Texas Tech was bigger than one play.
The senior quarterback was inches away from a game-tying two-point conversion with 49 seconds left in the Cougars’ 28-26 defeat in the Big 12 opener on the road, and that moment became the snapshot everyone would remember. Still, Weigman’s night was defined by far more than the failed try. He kept Houston alive against a top-15 opponent, made enough plays to put the Cougars in position to steal one, and showed why the loss can’t be pinned on him.
Weigman finished with 282 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 27 of 38 throws for a 71 percent rate. He added 56 rushing yards on 13 carries. His lone fumble came on a play where Texas Tech fifth-year linebacker Adam Trick punched the ball out from behind just as Weigman was about to uncork what could have been an open deep shot.
Afterward, Weigman walked through the decisive two-point attempt and the way Houston plans to carry the disappointment forward.
"I tried to make something happen. I felt like some of our guys were covered, so I tried to buy some time and then you've got to try to reach out and get the two-point conversion.
I gave it all I got," Weigman said, per Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Houston. "I felt like I was close.
I really couldn't tell."
The play ended in a scramble, with Weigman absorbing multiple tackles as he tried to force his way across the line. It didn’t work, but the effort matched the way he played throughout the game.
Houston’s takeaway from Week 3 goes beyond the final score. The Cougars showed they can line up with one of the Big 12’s best teams and trade punches all night, and staying at No. 25 in the rankings suggests they earned some respect along the way. The next step is learning how to close out games like this one.
Weigman also pointed to the message in the locker room afterward, with the possibility of a rematch lingering if Houston reaches the Big 12 Championship. Texas Tech is in a strong position to get back there, and the Cougars would welcome another shot.
"We've got to focus on what we've got left. That was three. So nine games left; we've got to go make it happen so we can see them again," Weigman said, according to Baldwin.
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There was another first woven into that afternoon, one that gave the win an added layer of meaning for Houston fans. The Cougars also took the field wearing the UH logo on their helmets for the first time, a small visual change that helped mark the start of a new era even as the bigger milestones on the field kept piling up. [Read more 🡒]