Houston’s defense has plenty to like, but the rough edges are impossible to ignore right now.
There are stretches when the unit looks dominant, flying around and making plays at every level. Then there are the snaps that leave you shaking your head - missed assignments, open lanes, and too much space in the back end. The contrast has been sharp enough to make the next fix feel obvious.
The biggest issues showing up are bad angles and over pursuit, shaky tackling, and not enough heat coming from the defensive line. Those problems feed into each other.
When defenders take poor angles, the tackle gets harder. When the tackle gets harder, runners slip through for extra yards.
That was especially clear in the Tech game. Houston had defenders in position to make the stop, but instead of breaking down, they took an extra step or two.
That gave blockers just enough room to nudge them off track, or runners just enough daylight to cut upfield and keep going. Too often, the attempts to finish the play turned into arm tackles and reaches for the ball.
Turnovers matter, but the cleaner way to create them is by getting a shoulder on the ball.
It is still early, and there are reasons tackling can lag at this point in the year. Teams do less of it in the offseason because of practice limits, depth concerns, and injury risk.
It could also be that the defenders are playing too amped up and out of control. Whatever the cause, the standard has to rise quickly, because UH is headed into a stretch where close games are going to be the norm.
Every snap can swing from a big stop to a big mistake in a hurry.
Up front, Houston needs more pressure from the front four. The defense has to make the quarterback get rid of the ball faster.
Losing Carlos Allen and Eddie Walls created a major void, and no one should expect a clean one-to-one replacement. But the guys on the line still have to win more of their individual matchups and get in the quarterback’s face.
That matters even more because Austin Armstrong’s group does have a strong blitz package, but the defense often shifts into a bend-but-don’t-break approach when it has a lead. There is an argument for attacking all the time, but that has not been the way this staff has chosen to operate.
The next chance to sharpen all of it starts this week. Road games are difficult, every opponent can be dangerous, and Houston needs the defense to clean up the current issues fast. If that happens, this team could look very different down the line.
In Other News...
Houston Gets A Chance To Answer One Big Doubt On The Road
Houston heads into its final non-conference game with a chance to quiet one of the bigger questions hanging over the early part of the season: how much of what it has shown so far will travel away from home. The Cougars are set to face Georgia Southern, a matchup that offers one more test before the schedule turns fully toward league play, and one more opportunity for the offense and defense to look the part of a team that expects to control games.
The focus will be on whether Houston can bring the same edge on the road, particularly up front and in the secondary, where a takeaway or two could help settle things quickly. There is plenty of room for key contributors to make their presence felt, and this game should offer a clearer read on how well the Cougars can execute when the setting changes and the margin for error shrinks. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Must Clean Up Two Worrying Problems To Avoid An Upset
Houston heads into Week 4 with two issues that can turn a manageable matchup into a dangerous one: giveaways and a shaky pass defense. Against Georgia Southern, the Cougars will be looking to settle things down by leaning on the run game, because controlling the ground attack can help dictate tempo, protect the football and keep an opponent from turning the game into a track meet.
Georgia Southern arrives with the kind of profile that can punish hesitation if Houston is loose with the ball or soft in coverage. The lesson from recent games is clear enough for the Cougars: the team that owns time of possession and avoids self-inflicted mistakes usually puts itself in position to win, while the one that lets those areas slip leaves the door open for an upset. [Read more 🡒]