No. 20 Houston is staring at its biggest home test of the season Saturday night, and the pressure point is obvious: can the Cougars slow down No. 18 Oklahoma State’s passing game?
This top-20 matchup has all the ingredients for a tight one, and Houston’s defense may end up deciding how long the Cougars can hang around. Oklahoma State brings the No. 1 total offense in the Big 12 at more than 521 yards per game, and its passing attack leads the conference as well with over 322 yards through the air. That figure ranks sixth nationally.
The challenge for Houston is hard to miss. The Cougars own the No. 1 rush defense in the Big 12 and rank fourth nationally against the run, but their pass defense sits 13th in the conference and 118th in the country. That is the side of the ball Oklahoma State is built to attack.
A big reason for that is redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker, one of the season’s most talked-about players. His path has been unusual: he was a walk-on at North Texas in 2024, redshirted after appearing in four games, then took over as the starter in 2025 and led the FBS with 4,379 passing yards while finishing third nationally with 34 passing touchdowns.
The Austin, Texas native followed head coach Eric Morris to Stillwater after being part of the large North Texas-to-Oklahoma State transfer wave. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback had a rough Week 1, but he has been rolling ever since.
This season, he has 1,575 passing yards, 15 total touchdowns and five interceptions, and he played a major role in Oklahoma State’s signature win over then-No. 6 Oregon, who have since fallen out of the AP Top 25.
Mestemaker now leads the Big 12 with 315 passing yards per game, and the continuity around him has helped him settle in quickly at the Power Four level. He is still working with the same playcaller in Morris, while several familiar targets came with him from North Texas, including junior Wyatt Young, junior Miles Coleman and sophomore Terrance Lewis. Sophomore Caleb Hawkins is also the starting running back.
Young has been the top receiver so far with 27 catches for 462 yards and four touchdowns, while senior wideout Justin Bowick brings another problem at 6-foot-5 and already has five touchdowns.
For Houston, this looks like the most difficult test its secondary has seen all regular season. The numbers have been rough, but the back end has looked better over the last two weeks. There is talent there, but busted coverages, poor angles and missed tackles have been costly.
Those are the kinds of issues Houston can clean up. If the Cougars keep trending in the right direction, they have a chance to make life harder on Mestemaker and give their offense some breathing room.
Houston does have some experienced pieces to work with. The Cougars have three fifth-year safeties in Jordan Allen, Kentrell Webb and Myles Rowser.
Rowser should be more involved this week after transferring in late and arriving with All-Big 12 credentials. Fifth-year corner Jalen Mayo has been strong in one-on-one situations, and redshirt junior Will James also entered the season on multiple preseason watchlists.
The names are there for Houston. If that group plays as a true unit and avoids the coverage breakdowns that have hurt it before, the Cougars can make this a real game.
In Other News...
Baylor Faces A Huge Home Test With Early Big 12 Stakes
Week 8 in the Big 12 brings a useful snapshot of where the league is starting to sort itself out, and Houston is right in the middle of it with Oklahoma State coming to town. The Cougars are fresh off a 35-16 win at Kansas State, a result that gave their season some needed momentum and made this one feel a little more meaningful than a typical conference date. For fans looking for a game to circle, this matchup fits the bill, with a road-tested opponent, an energized home setting and stakes that are beginning to matter more by the week.
Oklahoma State also arrives with enough individual talent to keep Houston honest, especially quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who is already drawing midseason honors attention after a fast start to his Cowboys career. The broader weekend slate includes Baylor hosting TCU and Cincinnati heading to West Virginia, but from Houstons perspective, this is the one that can say the most about where the Cougars fit in the Big 12 picture. A solid showing would only sharpen the conversation around a team that is trying to turn one good win into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Faces A Tough Formula To Upset Oklahoma State
Houstons path to an upset in Stillwater starts with making Oklahoma State uncomfortable. The Cowboys offense leans on quarterback Drew Mestemakers ability to stay on schedule, while receiver Wyatt Young adds another layer of difficulty because he can move around and force the Cougars to sort things out on the fly. For Houston, the first order of business is simple in theory and difficult in practice: tackle cleanly, avoid giving up easy yards, and make the Cowboys earn every bit of space they get.
The challenge only grows when Caleb Hawkins gets rolling, because Oklahoma State can turn a routine run into a much bigger problem if the first wave of tacklers does not finish the play. On the other side, Houstons own offense has to manage pass rusher Jaleel Johnson while still looking for chances to attack outside and create some balance. It is the kind of game where a few missed stops or one clean pocket at the wrong time can tilt everything, and that leaves the Cougars with a thin margin for error if they want to pull this off. [Read more 🡒]
Willie Fritz Is Making A Big Home Field Push For Houston
Willie Fritz is treating Houstons next home date like more than just another October game. With the Cougars sitting in the top 20, the program is leaning hard into the atmosphere around the Oct. 17 matchup at TDECU Stadium, hoping a packed house can help turn a big Big 12 showdown into a true home-field edge. Senior defensive back Jordan Allen joined the push as Houston looks to give fans plenty of reasons to show up early and stay loud.
Houston Athletics is layering in a full-night experience to match the stakes. The home slate against a ranked opponent will include discounted beers, a pregame concert in Cougar Alley, a drone show at halftime and during quarter breaks, and a $1,000 student scholarship giveaway during the game, all aimed at making the building feel as energized as the moment demands. [Read more 🡒]