Houston’s season-opening win over Oregon State was shaped early and often by the newcomers who arrived through the portal, and a handful of them wasted no time making their presence felt.
Start with the defense, where Javion White looked like he had been in the Cougars’ system far longer than one offseason. He was active off the edge, useful setting the edge against the run, and disruptive enough to collect the first two sacks of his career against Oregon State.
White said, “I knew when I got here I was going to be pass rushing a lot,” White said. “This whole offseason I’ve just been working on my blitz mechanics and footwork.”
Jaden Yates was just as important in a different way. He kept diagnosing plays quickly, shot downhill in the run game, and regularly showed up in the backfield. His PFF run-defense grade of 84.2 was the best of his career, and he led Houston with 8 tackles.
Ashton Porter also made a strong first impression in his Houston debut. He logged a career-high 64 snaps and added a sack, while his work against the run helped create more room for Yates, White and the rest of the defense to attack. Porter’s pressure should keep showing up if this game is any indication.
On the perimeter, Jalen Mayo answered the biggest question that comes with a step up in competition. He played with confidence against underneath throws, mixed it up in the run game, and was credited with a pass breakup while appearing around the ball even more than that. Mayo finished with four solo tackles.
Houston got plenty done on offense, too, and Makhi Hughes was the lead runner. He put a first-career fumble behind him and finished just shy of 100 yards in his debut. Late in the game, he was being leaned on to help bleed the clock and wear down the defense, but four fourth-quarter offensive penalties knocked the Cougars off schedule.
Patrick Overmyer turned in a debut to remember as well. He set a career high with 84 receiving yards while matching his career bests in targets with 8 and receptions with 6.
Four of those catches moved the chains, and he piled up 40 yards after the catch. He also gives Houston a different flavor than Tanner Koziol: Overmyer has averaged 5.6 YAC per reception in his career, while Koziol averaged 3.5.
The portal additions up front did their part, too. Anthony Boswell and Shadre Hurst combined to play 151 snaps and did not allow a pressure, with both finishing above 80 in pass-blocking grade.
Right tackle Drew Terrill only got 17 snaps because of injury, so his health will be worth watching. Even so, Houston’s line keeping Weigman mostly clean and helping clear the way for more than 200 rushing yards was exactly the kind of start the Cougars wanted.
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Houston Found An Early Formula Fans Will Want To See Again
Houstons season opener offered a little bit of everything it will want to build on, starting with Conner Weigman settling in quickly and giving the offense a steadier look in a 33-20 win over Oregon State. Around the country, other teams also got big first impressions from new faces, with Ohio State, Indiana and Alabama all rolling behind standout quarterback play, but Houstons performance came with the kind of balance that can travel once conference play tightens up.
Weigmans afternoon was especially encouraging because it wasnt just about one splash play or one drive. He helped the Cougars move the ball, make enough plays when the game was still in reach and keep the pressure on late, which is exactly the kind of early formula fans will want to see again as the schedule gets harder and the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]