The No. 20 Houston Cougars are back at TDECU Stadium for a matchup that feels like a real measuring stick.
On the other sideline is No. 18 Oklahoma State, a team that has made a dramatic jump from last year’s 1-11 finish to the top 20.
Houston enters at 5-1 and has won three in a row since its loss to Texas Tech. That run has kept the Cougars moving forward, but this one comes with a different kind of pressure. Oklahoma State has the kind of offense that can change a game fast.
At the center of that attack is quarterback Drew Mestemaker. He has thrown for 1,575 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 67.5 percent of his passes, and Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 in total offensive yards and passing yards per game.
Mestemaker’s rise has been steady, and it started long before this season. Last year, he led the FBS with 4,379 passing yards and added 34 touchdowns against nine interceptions.
He also showed against Oregon that he can do damage in more than one way, passing for 317 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 109 yards and another score. Houston’s defense will need to keep him from creating chunk plays, especially after allowing 182 passing yards and two touchdowns in its last game against Kansas State after earlier issues against the pass.
The Cowboys have already proven they can handle big-game moments. After opening with a 24-10 loss to Tulsa, they knocked off then-No.
6 Oregon 39-31. Since then, they have topped 40 points in three straight games against UCF, West Virginia, and Murray State.
That 4-1 start looks a lot different from where this program was a year ago.
Head coach Eric Morris, who guided North Texas to a 12-win season and an American Conference championship game appearance last year, has rebuilt the roster quickly and turned Oklahoma State into a legitimate Big 12 contender.
The concern for the Cowboys is on the other side of the ball. The defense has given up plenty of room, and that showed in the numbers against West Virginia and UCF.
West Virginia piled up 335 rushing yards, and UCF scored four passing touchdowns with a backup quarterback. Overall, Oklahoma State is allowing 328.8 yards per game, which leaves Houston with some real openings.
That matters because the Cougars can attack in different ways. Houston is averaging 251.8 passing yards and 230 rushing yards per game, and the ground game can take control if needed.
Re'Shaun Sanford II and Makhi Hughes give the Cougars a backfield duo capable of setting the pace. If the game tilts toward the air, Conner Weigman has plenty of options in Patrick Overmyer, Amare Thomas, Koby Young, and Trent Walker.
There is plenty hanging over this one for both teams, with Big 12 championship hopes in the background. No.
8 BYU, No. 10 Texas Tech, and No.
11 Utah are ahead of the pack, so a loss here would sting for either side.
For Houston, a win would do more than just strengthen its case in the AP poll. It would add to the Cougars’ College Football Playoff résumé and send them into next week’s game against Utah with momentum.
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Conner Weigman Is Giving Houston Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
Conner Weigman keeps giving Houston something it has not always had at quarterback: a national profile to go with the production. The Cougars' signal-caller threw for 242 yards in the win over Kansas State, and the performance pushed him into the conversation on multiple watch lists while adding another layer to a season that already feels different around the program.
Weigman was named to the Davey O'Brien Great 8 for Week 6 and remains on the midseason watch list for that award, while also drawing recognition as the Shriners Children's East-West Bowl Monday Morning Quarterback and as a top-15 candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. For Houston, the bigger picture is starting to take shape around a quarterback whose best moments are now getting noticed well beyond the Big 12. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Once Put Up An Offensive Show Fans Still Talk About
In 2007, Houston turned a rivalry game against Rice into one of the wildest offensive showcases in college football history. The Cougars rolled up 748 yards in a 56-48 win, with quarterbacks Case Keenum and Blake Joseph each handling a half as the offense kept humming from start to finish.
The day is still remembered because the Cougars did something no FBS team had done before, pairing a 300-yard receiver with a 200-yard rusher in the same game. Donnie Avery shredded the Owls for 346 receiving yards on 13 catches, while Anthony Alridge powered the ground game, a combination that still stands out nearly two decades later and keeps that afternoon in the conversation any time Houston's big-play history comes up. [Read more 🡒]
Re'Shaun Sanford Has Become A Symbol Of What Houston Needs
Re'Shaun Sanford II has given Houston something it needed in the backfield: steadiness, production and a reminder of how much a roster can lean on persistence. After battling through serious injury setbacks earlier in his career, the running back has grown into a much larger role this season, emerging as the Cougars leading rusher while complementing senior Makhi Hughes and giving Willie Fritz a reliable option in the offense.
Sanfords path has made him more than just a useful contributor. He has 404 yards on 75 carries with two touchdowns, but his value goes beyond the numbers because he has shown what it takes to come back and stay ready when opportunities arrive. Fritz has made clear he wants younger players around the program to take note, especially freshman John Hebert, whose season has already been cut short, and Sanfords example now carries as much weight in the locker room as it does on game days. [Read more 🡒]