Rece Davis is leaning into the upset in Saturday night’s Big 12 top-15 clash, and he’s putting No. 14 Houston on the road over No. 10 Utah.
On his College GameDay podcast, the ESPN host said he believes the Cougars can walk into Rice-Eccles Stadium and do more than just survive. He sees them knocking off the Utes, handing Utah its first defeat and bringing down the nation’s longest winning streak.
“I think Houston’s going to win,” Davis said during his College GameDay podcast. “I think Houston’s going to go in and establish itself as a legitimate playoff contender.”
Houston arrives at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12, riding a four-game winning streak into the 10:15 p.m. ET Saturday kickoff on ESPN. Davis made clear that much of his confidence starts with quarterback Conner Weigman, the fifth-year senior from Cypress, Texas.
“In expected points added, which measures how successful a play is given the situation, Conner Weigman ranks second in the country,” Davis said. “He has 20 touchdown passes, the second most in the country.”
Weigman has been sharp all season, and he matched a career high with five touchdown passes in last week’s 35-32 win over No. 18 Oklahoma State.
He has thrown only two interceptions. Houston’s only loss came on Sept. 18 at No.
13 Texas Tech, when the Red Raiders held on for a 28-26 win in Lubbock after Weigman failed on a 2-point conversion in the final minute.
Davis pointed back to that game as part of the case for Houston’s ability to respond in a tough setting.
“They’ve experienced some zaniness going into Lubbock already this year, and I think Weigman has an opportunity to make a statement,” Davis said.
Utah enters at 6-0 for the first time since 2015 and is carrying the country’s longest active winning streak after Indiana and Notre Dame lost last Saturday. The Utes nearly saw it end in Boulder, where they took a 13-0 halftime lead before hanging on for a 27-24 win over Colorado.
Devon Dampier threw three touchdown passes in that victory, and Utah has scored a touchdown on its opening drive in every game this season. Davis said Houston’s defense will need to sort out a lot more than a single set of looks.
“The Cougars have to identify Utah’s personnel because the Utes do so much on offense,” Davis said. “Houston needs to know what Utah can run out of each grouping.”
Houston does have one statistical edge that could help it control the game: the Cougars lead the nation by converting 61.4% of their third downs. That kind of efficiency can keep Utah’s offense on the sideline. But the biggest concern is Houston’s pass defense, which ranks 115th nationally in expected points added per pass play allowed, according to GameOnPaper, against a Utah offense averaging 486.5 yards per game.
There’s also a wrinkle in the series history. Houston is 5-0 all-time against Utah, including a 17-14 win in 2024 at home during Willie Fritz’s first season as Houston coach.
If the Cougars pull it off, they would pick up their second win over a ranked opponent this season and leave No. 2 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech as the Big 12’s only unbeaten teams.
“It’s going to be a tremendous game, a tremendous battle, but I’m taking Willie Fritz and the Cougars on the road,” Davis said.
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No. 14 Houston is heading into its biggest defensive challenge of the season with a trip to face No. 10 Utah, a matchup that will ask a lot more than just standard pass coverage. The Cougars have been good enough to earn their ranking, but the Utes bring a different kind of stress test, one built around senior quarterback Devon Dampier and an offense that can make defenses defend the whole field.
Willie Fritz pointed to Utahs versatility and Dampiers ability to hurt opponents with both his arm and legs, which means Houston will have to stay disciplined snap after snap. The Cougars also have to be ready for Utah to lean on its ground game in creative ways, forcing Houstons defenders to sort out assignments quickly and avoid losing contain in a game where one busted look can turn into a long night. [Read more 🡒]
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Houstons ground game heads into its toughest Big 12 measuring stick yet, and the matchup starts in the trenches. The Cougars have leaned on one of the countrys better offensive lines to fuel a rushing attack that averages 220.3 yards per game, with Makhi Hughes and ReShaun Sanford II doing most of the damage while Conner Weigman has added enough through the air to keep defenses honest.
Utah brings the kind of discipline that can force a heavy rush offense to earn every yard, sitting among the nations better units in points allowed and run defense. With the game expected to stay tight, Houstons ability to move the ball on the ground could decide whether the Cougars control the pace or get pushed into a more one-dimensional fight. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Added A New Threat To Its Big 12 Push
The Big 12 has reached the midpoint of its season with three teams still unbeaten in league play, and the race at the top is beginning to separate into tiers. BYU has strengthened its position with a win over Notre Dame despite dealing with injuries, while Texas Tech has flashed real offensive growth and a few other contenders have started to reveal flaws through uneven recent results.
For Houston, the latest checkpoint was encouraging in its own right, especially with Conner Weigman turning in a strong passing performance in a tight road environment. The Cougars have reasons to feel better about the trajectory of their offense after that showing, even as the bigger picture in the conference keeps shifting around them and the next stretch will say a lot about whether they can stay in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]