Patrick Overmyer put his name in the record book and Houston backed it up with a complete beatdown.
The Cougars walked into Bill Snyder Family Stadium and delivered a 35-16 win over Kansas State, turning a place that produced a 41-0 loss for Houston in 2023 into the backdrop for one of the program’s sharpest showings since Willie Fritz arrived. It was wire-to-wire control, and it stood as Houston’s second-largest margin of victory in a Big 12 game since joining the conference in 2023.
Overmyer was the headline act. The senior tight end caught four touchdowns, tying the FBS record for most touchdown receptions in a game by a tight end.
He got Houston started with a 4th-and-goal score on the opening drive after Kansas State had called timeout before Houston’s first unsuccessful try from the same spot. From there, Overmyer kept finishing drives, adding three more touchdowns inside the 10-yard line.
He ended with eight catches for a game-high 83 yards and also broke free for a 44-yard reception in a standout afternoon. His four scores tied for the most receiving touchdowns by a Cougar outside of Manny Hazard and Patrick Edwards, who each had five in 1989 and 2011, respectively.
Conner Weigman kept the offense humming as well, throwing for 242 yards and extending his interception-free streak to five straight starts. He now sits at a 15-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio on the season.
Trent Walker repeatedly moved the chains with big third-down catches, and Koby Young added a deep ball that helped set the tone. Houston spread the ball around and showed off the full range of its receiving group.
The ground game did its part, too. Houston piled up 233 rushing yards behind strong work from Re’Shaun Sanford and Makhi Hughes. That kind of balance has been routine for an offense that came into Saturday ranked 19th nationally in yards per game.
The biggest difference, though, came on defense.
Houston turned in its best pass defense of the season, holding Kansas State veteran quarterback Avery Johnson to 182 yards on 30 attempts. The Wildcats, who had been averaging more than 480 yards per game, were limited to 299 total yards at home.
After scoring more than 45 points per game across their first three home contests, Kansas State did not reach the end zone until 6:11 remained in the third quarter. When the Wildcats trimmed the deficit to 28-9, Houston answered right back with a score to shut the door on any comeback idea.
The Cougars did it without leading tackler Jaden Yates, who was injured last Saturday against UCF. Even so, the defense held firm in both coverage and tackling. Kentrell Webb finished with five tackles, and Jordan Allen came up with a fourth-quarter red zone interception, his second pick of the season.
Houston also became the first team to sack Kansas State this year. The Wildcats had been the only FBS team not to allow a sack entering Week 6, but Latreveon McCutchin and Quindario Lee teamed up for one in the second quarter, and Myles Parker and Khalil Laufau combined for another in the fourth.
Kansas State dropped to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play under first-year coach Collin Klein. It was the Wildcats’ second-largest home loss since 2021, a sharp turn after their strong non-conference run. They stay at home for the fifth time in a six-game stretch next, hosting Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown and looking to extend their 17-game winning streak in the rivalry.
Houston improved to 5-1 and 2-1 in the Big 12, with five double-digit victories already this season. That’s a clear shift from last year, when six of the Cougars’ 10 wins came by one score. Now they head home for Oklahoma State in what will be the first ranked matchup at TDECU Stadium since the 2015 American Conference Championship Game.
In Other News...
Willie Fritz Just Put Houston Fans At The Center Of This Game
Houstons win at Kansas State changed the mood around the program in a hurry, and the reward showed up in the AP Poll with the Cougars climbing to No. 20. Now the attention shifts home for a Big 12 matchup with No. 18 Oklahoma State at TDECU Stadium, the kind of late-season proving ground that tells you whether a teams breakthrough is for real.
Willie Fritz has made it clear he wants the place full and loud for the next step, knowing this is the sort of game that can turn a good run into something bigger. For Houston, it also brings back a rare kind of stage at home, with a top-25 matchup in its own building carrying the kind of weight fans around the program have been waiting to feel again. [Read more 🡒]