Houston’s season has already pushed into territory the program hasn’t seen in a decade, and the Cougars still have a shot to make it even bigger.
At 6-2 and ranked No. 17 nationally, Houston is sitting fourth in the Big 12 behind Utah, Texas Tech and BYU. The numbers on offense explain why the Cougars are in the conversation: they’ve scored 288 points through eight games, good for third in the conference, and they rank 12th in the FBS with 470.5 yards per game.
A big reason for that surge is fifth-year quarterback Conner Weigman, who has been sharp all season. He’s thrown for 2,053 yards with a 20-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 166.1 passer rating, while also adding 249 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.
Weigman has had plenty of help from a pair of senior targets. Amare Thomas leads Houston in both receptions and receiving yards, with 41 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns. Patrick Overmeyer has been just as important in his own way, piling up 39 catches for 432 yards and seven touchdowns.
Overmeyer’s biggest day came against Kansas State, when the transfer tight end from UTSA caught four touchdowns in one game. That performance tied the NCAA record for most touchdowns scored by a tight end in a game.
Houston has also gotten steady production from its backfield. Senior Makhi Hughes has 117 carries at 4.4 yards per attempt, while junior Re’Shaun Sanford has been even more efficient at 5.1 yards per carry on 87 attempts. Hughes has topped 400 rushing yards with three touchdowns, and Sanford has done the same with two scores.
The defense has had its moments, too, even with second-half issues against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Houston is allowing 21 points per game, and the pass rush has produced 14 sacks overall, with defensive lineman Ashton Porter leading the way with three.
The area that still stands out as a concern is the secondary, which has been one of the weaker units on the roster. The Cougars are fourth-worst in the country in pass defense, giving up 257.4 yards per game through the air.
After a bye week, Houston returns for homecoming against Cincinnati. With four games left, the path to the conference championship is still there, but the Cougars know every one of them matters.
In Other News...
Houstons New Backcourt Gets Its First Real Shot To Prove It
Houstons 2026-27 opener against La Salle will be the first real look at a reworked backcourt that has plenty of buzz attached to it and even more expectations around it. The Cougars are back at home for an 8 p.m. CST tip on CBS Sports Network, carrying the kind of preseason profile Houston has grown used to under Kelvin Sampson, with a top-10 national ranking and a No. 2 spot in the Big 12 media poll.
What makes this one especially interesting is how much turnover sits inside a roster that still expects to defend, rebound and play with the same edge. Junior guard Mercy Miller, senior transfer Dedan Thomas Jr. and forward Joseph Tugler are among the names to watch, while the group also includes other notable transfers and a highly ranked freshman center, giving Houston a new look without lowering the standard. For a team trying to stay near the top of the league, the opener is less about easing in and more about finding out how quickly the new pieces fit. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Just Got A Big Homecoming Spot In The Big 12 Race
Houstons push to stay in the Big 12 race now has a clear homecoming date circled on the calendar. The No. 17 Cougars will host Cincinnati on Nov. 7, a matchup that arrives with Houston sitting at 6-2 and needing to run the table over its final four games to keep championship hopes alive.
The setting adds a little extra shine to an already important stretch run. It will be Houstons first afternoon kickoff of the season and its second home game carried by FOX, giving the Cougars another chance to play in front of a national audience as the stakes keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Defining Big 12 Test With Playoff Stakes Rising
November is arriving with the Big 12 looking like one of the sports most crowded playoff battlegrounds, and the league has a handful of teams positioned to make a real case when the first College Football Playoff rankings come out. Utah, BYU and Texas Tech all have strong arguments to be part of the conversation, and with five ranked teams entering the month, every high-profile matchup feels like it could reshape the leagues hierarchy in a hurry.
For Houston, the bigger picture is still worth watching even if the Cougars are not sitting in the same tier as the conferences current headliners. They remain in the mix for a path to Dallas, but the road is clearly steeper than what the Big 12s top contenders face, and the committees initial rankings should offer the first real clue about how far the league can climb in the national picture. [Read more 🡒]